Could I have played this QJ Suited Better?

Did I play this hand wrong? I have only been playing no limit for a short time (~ one year), but have just started to really evaluate my decisions and see whether they are correct or what I could have done differently. This hand is from a $1 - $2 NL home game, where some players are pretty decent and aggressive and others are just calling stations.

For this hand, Hero is on the button. I’ve only been at the table for ~20 or 25 hands, most hands have 3-4 players but I’ve only seen one or two showdowns, most result in folds and takedowns w/o a showdown. Villain has played a large number of hands but never has shown cards (folded, mucked, or won w/o a showdown). This is approximately how it went down:

UTG ~120
MP1 ~150
MP2 ~130
MP3 ~180
CO ~ 100
Button (Hero) ~80 J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
SB ~ 40
BB (Villain) ~ 65

UTG folds, MP1 limps , MP2 limps, MP3 limps, CO folds, Hero limps, SB folds, Villain Raises to $5, all limpers call including Hero (5 players - $26).

Flop is 10 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] Q [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

BB bets $10, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, Hero calls (2 players - $46).

Turn A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Villain thinks for quite a while and then goes all-in for $40, Hero Calls.

Here are my questions:

Should I have even called the pre-flop raise? I know Jack/Queen does not have much high card strength, but being connected, suited, and being in position together warrants a call correct? Any chance that I re-raise here?

The flop is really where I am not sure if I played the hand correctly. Should I have raised? I had middle pair and an open ended straight draw, but I felt that if I re-raised, the villain would have pushed all-in. If he does push, do I call or fold? Or should I have just called the flop as I did?

At the time I thought I played it pretty well, but as I think back on it now I am not so sure. If I had put the villain on a range of hands (like I am now), he could have had had AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 10, AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ. Then after the flop I am behind on almost every one of them other than JJ and A10, both of which still have a draw to beat/tie my hand.

I ended up winning the hand, the Villain turned over K K , and the river was a blank (I think a 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ) so he did not hit a full house and my straight stood up. Did I just get lucky, was there a better call I could have made (including folding) so I have a +EV in future situations?
Thanks

Dan

[Hoopster81]

Just thank the BB for betting so little pre- and post-flop. Your play is fine, of course.

[theben]

yes you should have called preflop. on the flop, your hand isnt terribly strong and anything that complete your hand makes the board real scary (no concealed hand here) but for 10 bucks, its worth taking a turn

[lange101]

Preflop call was fine. You were getting 4 to 1 on your call which for me means I might as well see a flop. On the flop though, I'm not sure I'm really calling this. I don't think you are getting proper odds. Those were some pretty bad bets on his part, btw. If you know for certain that you are getting all of his money if you catch your card, then a call is not bad. Considering his stack size, I'm pretty sure that you are getting his money. I don't like a raise on the flop, though, because you have mid pair and even if you get a jack for two pair he could have AK, or AQ or Ax really. A Q is the only out that you might feel good about (as it turns out that would've had you dead). So, if you raise, and he reraises all in, you are in a bad spot because it is highly unlikely that you are winning and you could be drawing to a split pot.

My main advice is that you aren't getting good odds to call on the flop unless you are sure you are getting good implied odds. NH.

101