Didn't see this one coming ...

[KingLizard]

Been playing for about 4 months. Ran into the following and would appreciate advice on how I "might" have played this ANTES/BLINDS
CaptainBoogy posts blind ($0.25), TEXAS RON 1 posts blind ($0.25).

PRE-FLOP
zeiram986 calls $0.25, NWAeditor folds, UberStriker folds, Bogangle folds, egoldy calls $0.25, LeadSledDog calls $0.25, Munuxi folds, CaptainBoogy checks, TEXAS RON 1 checks.

FLOP [board cards 2D,QC,QD ]
CaptainBoogy checks, TEXAS RON 1 checks, zeiram986 checks, egoldy bets $1, LeadSledDog bets $2, CaptainBoogy folds, TEXAS RON 1 folds, zeiram986 folds, egoldy calls $1.

TURN [board cards 2D,QC,QD,9H ]
egoldy checks, LeadSledDog bets $3, egoldy calls $3.

RIVER [board cards 2D,QC,QD,9H,3S ]
egoldy checks, LeadSledDog bets $1.50, egoldy calls $1.50.

SHOWDOWN
LeadSledDog shows [ QS,4S ]
egoldy shows [ QH,7H ]
egoldy wins $13.75.

[Stripclubjunkie]

Thats the trouble with weak kicker...Fold it preflop, its trash...

[KingLizard]

Just never thought about the "kicker" with trips ... guess I was on a "minor" tilt from earlier in the evening.

[donnybaker]

Just never thought about the "kicker" with trips ... guess I was on a "minor" tilt from earlier in the evening.

It's an unraised pot so your opponents could have anything.

On the flop you're min-raise is callable by any draws. 3x+ the previous bet would help you find out if anyone else has a queen. If that bet is called you could already be beat.

Trips w/weak kicker tend to lose money imho.

[biondino]

1 - don't play this hand, ever, in mid position.

2 - put in meaningful bets when you do bet - is your top trips no kicker good enough? It will be if no-one else has a queen, but it won't be if they do. egoldy has given you a clue by betting and calling your raise (which was too small) - had you made a bigger re-raise and had it called, it would have been a very strong signal to slow right down and check/fold (or possibly check/call) to the river.

3 - let's say you think egoldy is bluffing or has a pocket pair or overcards, and you make the turn bet. Again, you're called. Only AA and KK are going to call that (maybe Axd might be tempted, but he shouldn't be) of the non queen hands, and with no pre-flop raise you can practically discount them. So why bet the river? He has given you the chance to check it down (I don't blame him since his kicker is also crap - his pre-flop call was equally heinous), so by this point you should have all the alarm bells telling you he is likely to also have a queen and without doubt a better one.

[edudlive]

1 - don't play this hand, ever

FYP

This hand should be played strictly out of the big blind in an unraised pot, or as a SB steal against a VERY weak opp in the BB. If this hand would have had you in the BB this thread might be different but this hand history really proves the point of why you don't play hands such as Axs, Kxs, and Qxs where X is a small rag. More often than not you'll get yourself into situations where you have a near nut hand that is almost always beaten.

[KingLizard]

Many thanks to all who replied. Here's what I have learned ...

First, it was late (for me anyways) and I was on a semi-tilt from having a losing evening.

Second, playing the Q 3 to begin with is something I had thought I learned to avoid (from PT stats) but again, I thought what the heck.

Third, hitting the trips got me "too" excited.

Fourth, I see now where I could have bet the hand differently if I was intent on playing it. I should have called it to the river after he called my raise after the flop.

Lastly, for whatever reason, I just didn't "think" about the kicker when I hit the trips. As edudlive points out, I usually never play Ax, Kx, or Qx with a crappy kicker but I just made another beginnner mistake.

On to more learning. Again thanks to all.

I thought what the heck..

Not good!

This is a basic mental error (that we all have had at some point, so don't be alarmed), and it should be your first priority to eradicate this error before you concentrate on anything else in poker.

[KingLizard]

The "what the heck" attitude has certainly hurt me. But I guess some lessons you have to pay for more than others. After seeing some jackass win with similar crap hands, I get lazy and think ... okay this time it's my turn.

Oh well ... gotta keep learning.