Help, I'm bleeding. Bad play or bad luck?

[SofaCoach]

This past week I have been getting mopped up on the tables. I have been getting good cards and getting good (but not monster) boards, but consistently losing to better hands. The hand below is a good example of what I've repeatedly been seeing.

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls, MP1 folds, Hero raises, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls, UTG+2 calls.

Flop: (8.50 SB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
BB bets, UTG+2 calls, Hero raises, CO 3-bets, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (10.25 BB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
BB bets, UTG+2 calls, Hero calls, CO raises, BB calls, UTG+2 calls, Hero calls.

River: (18.25 BB) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players) </font>
BB folds, UTG+2 bets, Hero calls, CO calls.

Final Pot: 21.25 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 21.25 BB, between UTG+2, Hero and CO.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by CO (21.25 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
UTG+2 shows Td 8s (two pair, tens and eights).
Hero shows As Kc (one pair, aces).
CO shows Ad Tc (two pair, aces and tens).
Outcome: CO wins 21.25 BB. </font>

OK, this was ugly, stuck between two raisers, I should've folded, but when? Though I knew I was probably behind one or both of them the pot got so big I couldn't let it go.

I''ve been getting these kinds of hands all week, TPTK, Q hi flushes, straights versus flush board, and keep showing 2nd best hand (3rd in this case). In almost all cases I have the better hand preflop (and often raise). Hence the frustration...I don't multitable so when mucking hand after hand after hand, finally get good hole cards, hit a decent flop, I am having trouble letting go of them.

[spacemonkey57]

This is a lousy situation. Without a read I'd think the flop three bet indicates that somebody has at least two pair, so I'd fold the turn without improving. You've got a six outer for two pair which may not even end up being the best hand.

Of course take my advice with a grain of salt. The way I've been playing lately I don't think I could beat Win Hold'em bot.

Does anybody think the pot is big enough on the turn that you've got to call it down?

[lu_hawk]

I would fold the turn when the BB bets out again. The flop action indicates that TPTK is not the best hand at this point. Two pair or a set are the most likely hands that either could hold. If it is two pair then one of the pair is probably an ace, so now you're drawing to 3 K's. If someone has a set then you're drawing pretty much dead.

If you were closing the action then I would say call it down. But you're stuck between two players who showed strength on the flop and it's likely that you will have to call 3 bets or more to get to a showdown that you're not going to win very often.