Was I outplayed here?

[amoeba]

on the surface, 4 vs 3 or 5 vs 3 doesn't seem that much.

However, if we look at it indepth, each street triples potsize if you bet pot and other guy calls. since this usually doesn't happen, notice even if you bet 1/2 pot and other guy calls, potsize doubles.

we all know how interest at say a bank works. you have your principle and that is multiplied by your interest rate and experiences exponential growth.

Its the same idea here.

while betting 4 doesn't seem that different from 3, you've increased your initial principle by 4/3 thus increasing all future bets.

Also a raise to 3 seems like a steal attempt and a raise to 4 seems a bit more legitimate especially if I've been raising limpers with 4xBB.

guys at SSNL can't tell that you've lowered your raise amount because its folded to the blinds.

having played the flop like you did, turn check fold is fine.

[coffeecrazy1]

Well...I agree with the other posters about your flop bet size. I like to bet around 80-90% of the pot on most streets, because, for some reason, and this will sound crazy, it looks like neither a bluff nor a legitimate bet to players.

Try upping from that 2/3 thing a bit, b/c I would not fold very often in that situation, either...and certainly not the 1/2 bet...that screams weakness. You want to make it look like you're betting as much as you can without running him out...like you want the call.