According to PT and PAHUD, Villain was a calling station with a VP$IP of over 40%.
Should I have not check raised the flop to make him pay for a draw? I think I should have not bet out on the river though, I think I was getting greedy in case he only had trips or 2 pair. This was a big pot for me, and it hurt.

Empire Poker 1/2 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero calls, 2 folds, MP2 raises, 1 fold, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold, Hero calls.

Flop: (9 SB) , , (4 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP2 bets, CO calls, SB calls, Hero raises, MP2 3-bets, CO folds, SB calls, Hero caps, MP2 calls, SB calls.

Turn: (11 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, MP2 raises, SB calls, Hero calls.

River: (17 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, MP2 raises, SB folds, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 21 BB

Well, first off I wouldn't recommend playing that hand UTG. ATs is a fine limp, I think, but ATo is best sent to the muck. Your flop check raise and cap are both fine, but once you get raised on the turn, I call down. Definitely do not bet that river, it's just too easy for your opponent to have a boat on that board. Just check-call and pray he's overplaying AQ or something.

Thanks TW. I think that huge pot loss (at least it's huge for me) will probably help me remember the importance of position for a few sessions at least.

Yeah... I draw the line at AJo UTG. I agree with TW, dump that pre-flop.

I think you played it fine on the flop and turn. I would have check-called the river.

For what it's worth, if I look back to my early days (using Pokertracker) I find that ATo was one of my biggest losing hands. Probably because of hands similar to this one where you just can't get away. For the last year or so ATo has been a ways above break-even for me from all positions...probably because I've gotten better at reading table texture.

I agree with the two posters who said to fold preflop and check-call the river. But both are small errors, in my opinion. It was just as likely that the villain had JK or AQ than the boat, so don't beat yourself up too much. I've been beaten more playing passively than I have playing aggressively.

If he flipped Q8 add him to your buddy list.

By the way, Tightwad, I like raising ATs better than limping, even UTG. Too LAG?

My PT stats PROVE I dont know how to play LIMIT, But UTG, A-10 suited or not goes in the muck in a heartbeat...I hate that hand....

Quick, yeah I raise it in EP too sometimes...other times I limp. I think raising is best at a table where you'll still get 4 or 5 callers, or at a table where you stand to only get 1 or even the blinds (obviously not a very profitable table). What I really don't want is to raise and then get 2 or 3 callers, out of position, when I could've limped and built a nice multiway pot for a very good drawing hand. Just my thoughts, I could be wrong.