Poker Classic Over Reach Hand - Two Parties (wink)

$.25/$.50 NL Hold'em cash game, 10 player table, most everyone with $40-$60, I have $54 and change and in late position I'm dealt:


UTG bets $1.50, two mid player call the $1.50, very fast, I am next to the button, and I decide to thin the field, thinking the two callers have mid pairs slightly higher than me and I don't want them in and lose the hand, set over set. I raise to $5.

Snap call by all 3 players. $20+ in pot now.

Flop is almost perfect:



UTG checks (putting on AK or AQ), next player checks (my thinking is 5's or 8's and afraid to bet). The next player bets half the pot, around $10.30. I think he has 10's or 9's (no higher)

I think for a minute and decide to just call, trying to get the others to stay or re-raise, but that fails to materialize, and they fold quickly.

The turn is:



Crap-fire, just what I put him or her on. He pushes all in and I call hoping he has over pair to board, but not the 9's.

River:



Not the worse card in the world, if he or she had Q's, they would probably have re-raised pre-flop or check-raised me on the flop.

They turn over:



Whewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Fun stuff this game.

Your thoughts on how to play differently, no reads on any players, sat down probably 6 or 7 hands earlier, no one familiar to me.

 

i would have just called preflop since last to act in fear if i raise and the original raises jams all in then i have to fold and not even see the flop...cash tables with small to mid pp's i tend to want to small ball the pots and see flop cheaply......as far as gettin ur 6 on the flop, even if they make the set on turn or river ur gonna be paying them off because the strength of ur hand........just my thought on preflop action since ur new to table and not many hands in they as well dont have a read on you....

 

I'm a terrible cash game player so not sure I would have had the guts to raise in that spot. I am calling one bet though to see if I can hit the set. I'm likely pushing all in after the pot raise and it would be my luck to have villain fold - not getting the proper value from my hand! I'm still learning though!