Another, "Is this dumb" for you guys

[RoyalSampler]

I was waiting out 3rd, because I was 1050 he was 600 (100 BB's), but the lucky guy nearly trippled with his QQ. So I was forced back into play. I was SB and I called with K2s. So my first question, is calling with K2s too loose for 4 player from SB? What about UTG or overcall? Then it's an obvious fold I feel. I think I got a bit eager to loosen. Anyways... I see the flop, along with the other 3 guys and I hit a king, but no flush possibility, first to act. 400 pot, so I bet the pot. Fold, fold, reraise to 800, so I need to go all in (would have had a little left over). I did, and he showed his KQo no flush chance for him either.

Maybe I should have checked PF?
Maybe I should have gone all in to try take that 400? I still think I would have been called but it would have been a better bet. I tell you I would have raised before the flop with his hand.
Maybe I was right and just unlucky? But I'm starting to think not... I mean there were 3 people to act after me and any K beat me... I mean I had the lowest possible kicker? WTF was I thinking!!!?? 20/20 hindsite. Oh I had a very tight image, that I'd used to steal maybe 500 over the game thus far, so they had to figure I had something.

Sorry if this was long. But feedback would be great. And also, hey I'm new here /images/graemlins/smile.gif hello 5 months playing, 6 weeks online. RoyalSampler is the hand Homer wins with in the Stone Cutters episode.

[Sam T.]

Hey Royal, welcome to the board. I'm new as well, so take what follows with a pound or two of salt.

[ QUOTE ]
I was waiting out 3rd, because I was 1050 he was 600 (100 BB's)

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think you're far enough ahead here to wait this guy out. Tripling up is bad news for you, but in a lot of cases someone in his position will win a desperation all-in, which would also drop you to fourth. Moreover, if he manages to steal two sets of blinds, or wins even a small pot, you're in the same position. Continue to play the game that got you this far.

As to the hand in question, there's no luck here. You had a marginal hand, played it badly, and he beat you. It sounds like two players limped in front of you, so I think you've got to choices: push or fold. As you found out, with your kicker you can hit your hand, and still be in deep drouble. (Calling is fine, but only if you know ahead of time that you're not going to play post-flop without top pair and two more of your suit.)

Depending on his stack, position, temperment etc., KQ may have called your all-in, but you can't be results oriented.

[RoyalSampler]

Wow, thanks mate, such a quick response!! This board is amazing /images/graemlins/laugh.gif Thanks for confirming my suspicion that it was bad play. But so you're saying push pre flop or after the flop? Or are both ok? But what I did, yes it was terrible. You know I've found that I've got myself in a bad habit, where I decide to bet and then just bet the pot. There should be two steps... decide the purpose (bluff/value/semi) then the chips needed to achieve that.

So much fun learning this game /images/graemlins/laugh.gif man I'll never go back to chess.

[Profit]

The blinds are only 50 and 100 right? (loose game?) Even though i'm trying to be more aggressive as of late, there are 2 limpers already, i don't push here, even though it represents a raise of 950 chips, would b difficult for ppl to call. But i would not be surprised if you got called by one of the limpers as this appears to me to be a very fast moving game. You still have 10 bb's left if you fold this hand....

Once you decided to play this hand, there is no point in making any type of raise IMO that is not all in. You put yourself in a difficult situation by completing in the sb. if you don't think your hand is good if you hit your K, what are you really hoping for? two 2's on the flop, k2 flop? not many options. I fold this hand preflop.

If there are no limpers i would normally push.