Stars NL Bad-beat hand

[microlimitaddict]

I consider myself as beginner to intermediate in tourney strategy....would appreciate all input.

I'm going off memory so the numbers might not add up exactly but they should be close.
$3 Stars NLHE with 740 entrants. Down to 18 players.
I'm in 7th place with around 75K. I get $70 if I hang onto 7th. $23 if I bow-out right-away (which I do). 1st is $530 which would have been very nice.

Blinds are 3K and 6K.
Dealt KK UTG.
I think I just called (instead of raising). the guy two to my left raises to 12K (I believe he was about even with me in chips...maybe a little more at 80K).
Everyone folds...I re-raise to 30K and he pauses for a bit and then calls.

Flop A46.

Bet 6K. He calls.

Turn is a 2 or something I think.

Bet 6K. He calls again.

River is an 8.

Bet 12K. He re-raises and I call (just shy of all-in...left me with 3K or something).

He turns over 88 and takes the pot with his trips on the river.

I'm forced all-in on the BB and bow-out when J5 doesn't catch anything. I take home a big $23 or something for 18th place.

Naturally, with the Ace out there I was afraid to bet more (or anything at all) on the flop and turn....but the fact that he just called and didn't re-raise told me that i was possibly in good shape.

I wish I could have bet more to knock him off of any miracle-card catches....but with an Ace on the board that's awfully hard to do. I think I could have tried betting 12K on the turn though and that could have made all the difference. My 2nd 6K bet probably made it look like I indeed did not have an Ace.

Fire away!!

[tazshorts]

by just calling and not raising pre-flop I would have put you on a small pair or a draw. When the ace arrived and you bet just the BB I would not give you credit for an ace and the 88's would be good. Basicaly you didn't make him pay to draw out on you.

[banditbdl]

I think you have to bet all in on the flop, he'd be hard pressed to call without a flopped trips, or AK and you're holding two of the kings. If you can't bet the KK into this board, then I think you have to reraise all-in preflop. Then if he calls with 88 and sucks out, you can at least sleep with a clear conscience.