Sickest of Bad-Beats

I recently started playing on UltimateBet, after picking up a free $50 bankroll (courtesy of yourpokercash.com) and have been trying my hand at the cash tables.

I played for about 2 hours the first night, at a 5c/10c NL Hold'Em table and came out only $1.60 behind. The following night was a 4 hour marathon that netted a profit of $8.60 (which, believe me, is pretty good going at these levels). I played only premium hands and had to be incredibly patient, folding about 50 hands in a row, at one point.

I have to say, it's gruelling stuff, unless you are lucky enough to pick up a decent hand against a loose player. I didn't get into any crazy situations and folded some major hands when faced with big raises.

Tonight has been a different story. About the 2nd hand in I picked up AJ (off) and put in the standard pot-sized raise; this attracted 2 callers. Flop comes down A-K-10 and I already have a funny feeling I am behind, so I check. To cut a long story short, it's checked down to the river and one player goes all-in for his last $3.90. Every fiber of me it telling me to fold, but I convince myself it's a bluff and call - of course, he has pocket KK.

So, I've done 1/4 of my stack early and play patiently for about an hour, raising when I have a hand pre-flop and not getting much action, until...

I'm in the cut-off with QQ. There's a couple of limpers, so I raise the pot. Suddenly the big-blind pushes all for all his chips; about $4.30. He'd done this a couple of times since joining the table and was bragging in the chat about stealing the blinds.

I can't lay down QQ, especially as I've had no action for so long and am looking to recover my previous losses. He flips up A-7 (hearts), and I am happy that it's not AA, KK or even AK.
I'm about a 65% favourite in this position and the flop was pretty good, 5-10-3.

The turn is another matter, a 4. This gives him an up and down straight draw and 11 outs.

I am still a strong 1/3 favourite in the hand, but in just about one of the sickest beats I have taken in a long time he hits his 8-outer on the river, with the 6.


How do the insanely stupid manage to get so lucky? I could probably have lived with him spiking an Ace on the flop, but to lose to runner-runner straight cards is ridiculous.

I am still at the table as I am writing this, and have slowly managed to get my stack back up above the starting position - but it's hard work.

Update: Just lost anothe $5 pot with QQ, what do you have to do to get a break?