Here's as much as I can remember:

AQ offsuit dealt to me on BB. 6 players call bet of 40, average stack size 3,000. I raise to 80. All call.

Flop comes Q4Q. SB checks. I bet 80. All fold, SB calls. Turn shows K. SB bets 80. I raise to 360. He raises to 1,800. I raise all-in (~4,200). He calls, showing K5. River comes K. He wins with K's over Q's, I lose with a set.

I made the right play, right, just a really bad beat?

I don't like the pf or flop play, but you got it all in way ahead on the turn and he caught a 4% river. Happens 1 in 25 times, but sure feels shitty when it happens against you. He played correctly pf & flop, then got stupid on turn, and lucky on river; exactly opposite you.

What would you have recommended pre-flop and flop?

Originally Posted by Zeralonde

What would you have recommended pre-flop and flop?

Bigger raises. 120/160 pf, which would have changed details of flop. I rarely (but am always mixing it up) raise less 1/2 pot when I have a hand I want to play in this situation.

I might even raise higher pre-flop; this seems like a really loose *home* game (6 callers; k5 calls on QQ4 flop) and we have a chance to add 280 chips (almost 10% to our stack without seeing a flop). I probaly make it 200-240 pre-flop and just hope for folds, I'll deal with one or two calls but I'd rather just take this down; if he makes it 120 here and the first player calls it's my experience they will virtually all call after this, and then you're in a shit spot out of position against 4-6 players with AQ and a juicy pot.

I thought your pre-folp bet was OK, Hell you hit! I think your flop bet could have been higher, but hindsight is 20/20, and you accomplished your goal (getting the field down thus reducing the chance of someone making a hand). When he reraises on the turn not much you can do but call or shove, he would have put you all in on the river anyway, and while a pair of kings would have been a concern I can't see folding them at this point on a loose table. This bozo called two raises with a weak K and nothing more. Typical bad beat story!

I just want to comment about my statement "He played correctly pf & flop". With 5 calling the BB ahead, in the small blind I'll often come along with atc (any two cards). Then with your min raise and all the callers, he had to call again. On the flop, I would have likely check/folded as the SB, not called the extra 80. So, my correction is that his flop call is highly questionable, but he's getting 7 to 1. Not good enough imo with his cards, that flop. He may have put you on a small pocket pair, or wasnt thinking of your cards at all.