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Flop: ($6.75) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $4</font>, UTG+1 calls $4, <font color="#CC3333">CO raises to $8</font>

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This raise into you, the pre-flop raiser, looks to me like someone hit trips (let's say the 9's) and maybe the other guys is simply a maniac hoping to draw to the flush.

If my math is correct, Villian CO was offered about 3-1 pot odds if he had 9,9 PF... with more favorable implied odds... trying to catch trips at 7.5 - 1.

After the flop, your 3/4 pot bet was a good continuation (in theory making the flush pay to play a 'mistake')--the reraise would have been a red flag to me. Not saying I would have layed down cowboys, but I have lost hands like this often, and usually not to trips but to the maniac on the flush draw.

In today's looser games, 4x the bb with KK may not be enough to reduce the competition to 1 other player. In my opinion, when the stakes are low, the multiple of the bb is not respected (by some of the loser players) much as the proportion of one's stack. In the future, you may try a bit more aggressive bet--say $7-10-- to reduce the field further.

Also, post flop don't be tempted by the "no Ace hit" so it's off to the races wagering approach. You made a good continuation after the flop...and were reraised!

With two other players, I don't think this was a pure bluff. Trip 9's, 8's, even AA don't seem out of the question. AK, AQ, j10 suited also possible.

Man, I'd hate laying down those cowboys, too... when you do and a guy takes the pot flashing a 7,2 you feel like a chump.

But, when the other guy turns over pocket 8's and you're all-in, that sinking feeling is even worse.