In my attempted try at growing from rank amateur to accomplished amateur, by far the hardest thing I'm trying to get a handle on is letting go of dominated hands that appear to be strong.

Here is a case in point from tonight. Second or third hand into the MTT, I receive Q [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] in MP.

There is an EP limper, then folded to me and I raise to 5xBB from MP. Player to my left reraises 10xBB. I am the only caller.

Flop is J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

I think there's a good chance my Queens might be good, but the other player might have something, so I look for the check raise, and get it. The other player cold calls. The pot is about 600.

The turn is a blank (3 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]) I have it in the back of my head from the flop cold call of my check raise that I could be up against AA or KK or a Jack, but quite possibly also TT or 99 or AKs.

But I prefer to bet out in this position, so I bet 300 into the pot hoping to get a bad call or a fold. Of course the other player puts in all in, I call with my remaining 850 or so. Sure enough my Queens are looking at Kings and I'm gone early.

His raise should be a clear sign that he has a strong hand, but there are times in the past where I've laid down a pair here only to see the player turn up AK or an under pair.

Why is it so hard to let this hand go when part of the mind says they're good and another part says they're dominated?

Is this the hardest situation in poker or am I making too much of it?