Yeah I'm lucky, what could I have done better?

[AriesRam]

I'm fairly new to NL, and perhaps I was over my head and got away with it. I would like anyone's opinion of how I played this. I'm not sure I could have gotten away from this after the turn, but the MP botched this, in my opinion.

Paradise $25 buyin, NL HE.

Names have been changed to protect the unlucky.

Game #471475243 - (blinds $0.10/$0.25) No Limit Texas Hold'em -
2004/03/29-21:15:40 (CST)
Table "Bagabag" (real money) -- Seat 9 is the button

Seat 3: AriesRam ($44.80 in chips)
Seat 8: LP($43.50 in chips)
Seat 10: SB ($23.50 in chips)

Dealt to AriesRam [ Ac ]
Dealt to AriesRam [ Qd ]

Aries Ram: Raise ($2)
LP : Call ($2)
SB: Call ($1.90)

*** FLOP *** : [ Tc 4s Qs ]
SB: Bet ($3)
AriesRam: Raise ($9)
LP : Call ($9)
SB: Call ($6)
*** TURN *** : [ Tc 4s Qs ] [ 8h ]
SB: Check
AriesRam: Bet ($15)
LP : Call ($15)
SB: Fold
*** RIVER *** : [ Tc 4s Qs 8h ] [ Ad ]

AriesRam: Bet ($18.80)
LP : Call All-in ($17.50)
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $97.25 | Rake: $3
Board: [ Tc 4s Qs 8h Ad ]

AriesRam bet $44.80, collected $98.55, net +$53.75 (showed hand) [ Ac Qd ]
(two pair, aces and queens)
LP lost $43.50 (showed hand) [ Kh Kd ] (a pair of kings)
SB lost $11 (folded)

I had a bad feeling after getting called on the flop in two places, but no one played back at me. Was this just a maniac play that worked? Looking back at it, bringing AQo in in early postion for 8X the BB is probably asking for trouble in the long run.

Comments on every street appreciated.

[gavrilo]

Full game I don't usually raise unless in LP.

I think the question is based more on how your opponent plays.
If this guy is likely to call your raise preflop with QK and bet out on the flop,
If he's likely to bet and call with a flush draw,
If he's likely to bet out and call with a straight draw?

If any of these are true, I don't know how you can put him on Kings. Also the third player in the pot on the turn makes this situation more complicated. You can't give a free card here.

This guy let you get there, you were in control of the hand the whole time. He showed little resistance.

I could see a case being made for him slowplaying Kings here if the board wasn't draw heavy and without the third player in the pot, but he just played this like crap.

[jdl22]

Your play was quite good I think. You got the money in when you seemed to be ahead. You were never told you weren't so it's fine to keep potting away. You will on occasion get beat by someone that never raises but I think the amount you get in with TPTK and them just calling is worth it. Also with this flop and turn there were a lot of draws possible, both flush and straight. Because of that doing any sort of underbetting would have been dangerous. Especially good was your raise on the flop I think. Gave you control of the hand and took away the possible implied odds the others could have had on the draws.

Preflop is the only questionable play imo. There is actually a fair amount of debate here in this forum on what to do with AQ. Some play them basically exactly like AK the argument being that all raises should be the same amount to not be predictable. Others limp and some go in between. In my case pretty much no matter what I do with AQ someone seems to flop a straight or flush draw call me down and river me. It is without a doubt my most unlucky hand. If this had been my hand I would have pulled an astroglide and crapped my pants when the pot went my way.

[wrongpond]

I think you're right about your pre-flop raise being a little large, but you hit the nail on the head when you said "the MP botched this one" because of his timid play with a big PP he gave you the pot, if he'd have reraised preflop or on the flop (where I think you've got to in this spot) you would have re-evaluated and if not folded at least slowed down. On the other hand it could be argued that your lage pre-flop raise made him think you had AA and so two wrongs simply made a right (as far as your wallet goes at least).