DID I EARN THIS?

[Milo]

Last night, 4 players, I am the BB.  Everyone calls, I check with Q4o.
Flop comes Q, J, 4, rainbow.
SB checks, I bet $0.50 (sorry, blinds are $0.10/$0.20), 1 fold Button raises to $2.00, SB folds.
My first reaction is that the Button has the Q/J, but I call anyway.  I plan to lead out on the turn, thinking that he could be raising with just Q and a decent kicker.
Turn brings a King.  I bet $2.00, get raised to $5.00, and push.  Insta-call shows that I should have listened to my gut.

Okay folks, let me have it . . .

[Martini]

As the saying goes, don't go broke in an unraised pot. You could be ahead, could be behind. Hard to say when the hands don't have more definition. And by the time the King comes you're behind even more hands like KQ and 9T. AT caught up too but that doesn't seem likely based on the play.

I think calling is the worst option on the Flop. You can go with your read that you are beat, fold, and move on to the next hand. Or you can re-raise to show that you really do have a hand and aren't just stabbing at the pot then you can re-assess after seeing what the other player does. Remember that the button voluntarily put money into the pot in late position. Is he really calling with J4 (even suited) there? That is really the only thing you're likely beating there.

[Milo]

          Thanks, Martini, your post pretty much goes along with how I am feeling about the hand.  This particular player has been a bit of a bugaboo for me.  I am close to being confident in my reads for him, moreso after last night.  He has a tendency to call the BB just to see if he hits, which is why I tend to get a tad more aggressive when he is in the game.  But I was not about to raise with Q4.  I was just licking my lips a little too much at the prospect of doubling up through him to actually go with my read.

          That's also why I used the term "earned" rather than variance or bad beat.  I know I did it to myself, I just wanted to confirm my stupidity . . .