Freinds at the same table

[ed_commerce]

Resently on a trip to Vegas with my 3 new business partners i was sitting at a $200 buy-in no limit game at Mandalay. ( I will call them BP1 = business partner 1,Bp2, so on ) BP1 and i have taken trip to our local card clubs ( usually Comemerce or the bike) allot together in the last year. usually in a $100, $200 or $100-$500 buy in. We usually end up not being at the same table at all or maybe short periods of time at best.

The Mandalay usually only has 2 $200 buy-in tables, we ended up at the main table together.

I personally hate when 2 or 3 locals are at the same table and don't play each other. I feel it kills the game, it make the other players feel as it is the locals against "us".and "us" don't know each other and "us" WILL take each others money.

The following hand came up:
BP1 is in the SB, a middle posision player calls i call in the button with 10 Q. P1/SB raises to $20 we all call. flop is AQk rainbow, BP1/SB bets $40 mp folds i call. I figure BP1/SB to have 2pair and MP one pair bad kicker or better yet they had each other drawing short. The turn comes a J(AQKJ) giving me a Straight. BP1/SB checks i check, river comes a J (AQKJJ) I realize this should have been a scare cared for me, but from his reaction on the turn ( straight posible) and my knowledge of this player i knew he had to pairs. His $40 bet on the flop told me he was protecting 2 pairs. I couldn't check my straight on the river, i bet $40 he calls i win he has 2 pairs.

After at dinner they all said i should not have bet the river we should have checked checked and best hand wins. I had just seen two hands earlier where a guy bet on the flop, 1 caller. check check to the river the caller turned a 9's full of 4's boat. why would the caller check his boat on the turn?? OH.. YES.. they were both locals. Am i the only one who thinks locals not playing each other kills the game.

by the way the reson for me betting my hand on the river was to show others that they didn't have to worry about us not playing each other.

Opinions / coments????