Bettin' out

[SamIAm]

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

All 3 opponents are loose and a little aggressive preflop, but MP3 and CO are passive post; Button is pretty aggressive postflop.

Preflop: SamIAm is UTG+1 with 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SamIAm calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 raises</font>, CO calls, Button calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, SamIAm calls.

Flop: (9.50 SB) 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
SamIAm checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets</font>, CO calls, Button calls, <font color="#CC3333">SamIAm raises</font>, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button calls.

Turn: (8.75 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SamIAm bets</font>, MP3 calls, CO calls, Button folds.

River: (11.75 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SamIAm bets</font>, MP3 calls, CO folds.

Final Pot: 13.75 BB

I wanted to check-raise because the pot was of decent size, and the player to my right was aggressive postflop. Was this silly, since there was a raise preflop? Should I have just bet-out on the flop, hoping for the preflop raisor to raise and protect my hand (and then 3betting him or check-raising the turn)?

I often get too tricky. Any comments?
-Sam