$22 - Out first hand with AA - How bad did I mess this up?

PartyPoker $20+2 SNG

Seat 10 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 5: HERO ( $800 )
Seat 8: lucent_dream ( $800 )
Seat 7: thenuke2 ( $800 )
Seat 1: larys ( $800 )
Seat 6: backwasher1 ( $800 )
Seat 9: alexanderk22 ( $800 )
Seat 4: Finizio4 ( $800 )
Seat 2: GoldenGary ( $800 )
Seat 10: BagingRoner ( $800 )
Seat 3: pakman2000 ( $800 )

Blinds(10/15)
** Dealing down cards **

Dealt to HERO [ Ah Ac ]
pakman2000 folds.
Finizio4 folds.
HERO raises [45].
backwasher1 calls [45].
thenuke2 calls [45].
lucent_dream folds.
alexanderk22 folds.
BagingRoner folds.
larys folds.
GoldenGary folds.

** Dealing Flop ** [ 4h, 9d, Qh ]
HERO bets [100].
backwasher1 calls [100].
thenuke2 calls [100].

** Dealing Turn ** [ Jh ]
HERO is all-In [655]


I was called by a K10 and he took the pot down.

Please ctiticize my play and my line of thinking so that I can learn from you all. This is one of my first posts so please be gentle with me.

Preflop I raise 3XBB, my standard but perhaps I should have raised higher at early rounds.

On the flop I bet a little over half the pot. This is where I think I made my mistake. Now I don't want to be results oriented but I think he would have called a pot sized bet anyway.

On the turn, I made a newbiew mistake. I didn't know what to do so I pushed. I knew someone outdrew me becasue thats a scarey card with 2 flop callers. Yet, I still pushed (Badddd Leak). I guess I didnt plan on folding with the flush draw as well so I just threw it all in myself.

Was this played horrible? What do you do different?

Cheers

You pretty much analyzed your own play the way I would analyze it. A 3xBB raise is fine, although I usually go with 4xBB this early on. With a flop like that, I think a half pot/3 quarter pot bet isn't enough. Bet the pot. Like you said, he still might have called, but it would have been a huge mathematical mistake and you'll get paid in the long run. As far as the push on the turn, that jack just hit too many hands. Now all sorts of straights, flushes, sets, and two pairs are going to call your all-in. Slow down on that, but avoid that situation as much as you can by betting the pot on flops like that.

[the_joker]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess I didnt plan on folding with the flush draw as well so I just threw it all in myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you could check the turn. The chance of this board getting checked around is very small, so you don't need to worry about giving any free card (also you have the nut flush draw, so seeing a free card may not be all that bad anyway). If the first guy bets and the second guy calls or raises, you may be able to get away from the hand.

Also, I would post results in a follow up thread, since it may skew your responses.

[fnord_too]

I think your flop bet is fine. I like a standard bet here, and my standard bet is about 2/3 pot. I may be giving my opponents too much credit by keeping my bets standard, but I realy don't like leaking information.

I'd check the turn. You have the Ah, so you are not going anywhere, but you would really like to see a cheap showdown at this point if you don't see another heart. On the river, if you don't catch a flush, you may have a tough decision to make, but often you will see a moderate bet that is trying to milk you, or a check behind from a good but vulnerable hand. Villain may not even bet the turn, fearing the flush. (And if he has the flush, there is a good chance he makes small bets trying to squeeze a little more money out of you, so you end up with chips left even if you don't hit your flush.)