I am getting my butt kicked with KK. Here is a representative hand from the other day. I guess it is time for me to learn how to better play KK because this type of thing has happened to me 3 or 4 times this past week. I would appreciate any feedback about my play.

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $.25 BB (10 handed)

CO ($14.55)
Button ($27.40)
SB ($9.50)
BB ($29.25)
UTG ($24.30)
Hero ($30.30)
UTG+2 ($22.90)
MP1 ($54.10)
MP2 ($18.95)
MP3 ($9.75)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with , .
Hero raises to $1, 1 fold, MP1 calls $1, 6 folds.

Flop: ($2.35) , , (3 players)
Hero bets $2, MP1 calls $2.

Turn: ($6.35) (3 players)
Hero bets $5, MP1 calls $5.

River: ($16.35) (3 players)
Hero bets $16.35, MP1 bets all-in $46.10, Hero all-in $22.30.

Final Pot: $65.40

Results in white below:
UTG doesn't show.
Hero has Kd Ks (one pair, kings).
MP1 has Ts Jd (straight, queen high).
Outcome: MP1 wins $65.40.

The only thing I can see that I did wrong was call his all-in raise on the river. I guess I should have seen this coming but actually didn't see the straight possibilty. How do others play this hand?

Follow that player. He'll pay you back over time chasing like that.

Check/call river is much much better. You'll feel like you left money on the table if he has AQ / KQ, but he'll have a draw alot of the time also.

If you check to him one of 4 things will happen

1) He'll bet his Q...probably about pot ($16)...you call and win
2) He'll have a draw that missed and he'll check it back....he wasnt going to call your river bet anyway
3) He'll have a draw that hit...he will bet pot ($16), you call and lose
4) He'll have a draw that missed...he'll bluff trying to aek it from you. He bets $16, you call and win.

3 out of 4 scenarios are +EV for you. If you check and he pushes, thats a different story. Read dependant.

Also, as much as you hate to fold this hand. A river check raise is almost never a bluff.

Players who bet every street with an overpair are almost always avg players at best. Watch people who bet every street with an overpair. They will win some big pots from AQ, but in the long run, you'll see they are not big winners.

Decide on the flop what possible cards will move you into the defensive and what a reasonable price on your kings is to reach a showdown. Until a scare card comes off or he raises you should be betting every street.

Setting your price should be based on his tendencies. Does he bluff big? Your price should be higher than normal, and you can groan that he held the best hand this time. Does he make reasonable value bets? Paying off a reasonable bet isn't so bad. Would he only bet the pot with the goods? You can easily fold for a big bet.

Always pay attention to every hand that makes it to the river to observe your opponents tendencies.

You really can't call that raise on the river, there's no way your KK is good against anyone except a maniac. I'm with Ice and would much prefer a check/call as long as the bet is reasonable (ie: pot or less). You played the hand well preflop, on teh flop and on the turn, but you made two big mistakes on the river which is probably why you're losing money with the big pairs.

yeah i'm with ice on this one too....ummm i mean briachek.

Checking the river in this situation is such a powerful weapon..saves you money if he has a better hand, and makes you money if he has a missed draw and bluffs.

oh yeah, i did post about check/calling the river first. How about that?

Don't feel too bad.

Y'day on Full Tilt $2 BB NLHE I saw almost the same hand go down. Player to my left riased PF ($15) and MP called her raise. The flop was and she bet out about pot size. The MP player went allin ($90) and she called. He had .

She was stacked with her . The MP player was very loose and I am not sure if would have made the same call.

I agree that in your case a check/call is better. BTW, I have the same problem with big PP like KK and QQ.

*****************************

Here is the actual hand.

FullTiltPoker Game #179306747: Table Grand Teton - $1/$2 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:23:02 ET - 2005/08/09
Seat 1: Hexxum ($53.40)
Seat 2: XXLCondoms ($227.50)
Seat 3: tajikrose ($51.80)
Seat 4: MUWarrior ($85)
Seat 5: xdboss ($118.60)
Seat 6: GMoney2001 ($169.55)
Seat 7: AlamedaMike ($113.35)
Seat 8: Maylie ($76.90)
Seat 9: Wyteazn ($217.40)
AlamedaMike posts the small blind of $1
Maylie posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to AlamedaMike [3c 6h]
Wyteazn calls $2
Hexxum folds
XXLCondoms folds
tajikrose folds
MUWarrior calls $2
xdboss folds
GMoney2001 calls $2
AlamedaMike calls $1
AlamedaMike is feeling normal
Maylie has 15 seconds left to act
Maylie raises to $10
Wyteazn folds
MUWarrior calls $8
GMoney2001 calls $8
AlamedaMike folds
*** FLOP *** [8h Ts 9s]
AlamedaMike checks
Maylie checks
MUWarrior bets $75, and is all in
GMoney2001 folds
Maylie calls $66.90, and is all in
MUWarrior shows [Jh Qs]
Maylie shows [Kd Kc]
Uncalled bet of $8.10 returned to MUWarrior
*** TURN *** [8h Ts 9s]
*** RIVER *** [8h Ts 9s Td]
MUWarrior shows a straight, Queen high
Maylie shows two pair, Kings and Tens
MUWarrior wins the pot ($172.80) with a straight, Queen high
Maylie is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $175.80 | Rake $3
Board: [8h Ts 9s Td Qd]
Seat 1: Hexxum didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: XXLCondoms didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: tajikrose didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: MUWarrior showed [Jh Qs] and won ($172.80) with a straight, Queen high
Seat 5: xdboss didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: GMoney2001 (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 7: AlamedaMike (small blind) folded
Seat 8: Maylie (big blind) showed [Kd Kc] and lost with two pair, Kings and Tens
Seat 9: Wyteazn folded before the Flop

Here's another rule I just worked out, thanks to the comments in this thread.

If you bet all streets with an overpair type hand, you can't expect to get called all the way down except when you're losing (or against a total muppet).

So, when you have an overpair type hand, you want to bet it strongly as long as the other player is just calling, UNTIL you are making the bet that comes immediately BEFORE your opponent's last chance to bet. At that point, you should check.

(A) If you're out of position, that means bet flop, bet turn, check river.
(B) If you're in position, that means bet flop, check behind turn.

Part (B) of this rule presumes that there are no obvious draws out there. So you're either way ahead or way behind with your overpair, and you don't want to commit too much money without knowing which.

In both case (A) and case (B), you're taking the chance to show some weakness and allow a hand like TPTK or worse to call you, or to bluff at you. You're also controlling the size of the pot.

A good rule, at least most of the time? Please comment....