two pair no good

Live cash game last night, not much going on for me. I'm about 10 big blinds down in the last hour. There are still god-awful players in the game and I'm trying to see some more flops. I limp from early position with Ace-Ten suited. We take the flop 100-handed or so.

Two pair for me - Ace-Jack-Ten. Two spades. I lead out big to protect from all the broadway. One caller in the blinds - a decent player, not great, maybe a bit too passive.

Turn is a five of spades. He checks, I bet again, he raises. My first instinct is to just go broke with my two pair ("two pair is a good hand!") but I check the board again. The flush just got there. KQ has been there the whole time. AJ beats me. Exactly what am I beating on this board that a passive player is raising for value? Uh, nothing, that's what. I fold.

The right move, I'm sure. I'm not thrilled with my bet on the turn - I could have checked behind and called the same bet size on the river, seeing a showdown from busted draws or aces that didn't two-pair, or JT. I would have still lost this PARTICULAR hand, but gotten to showdown with a showdown-worthy hand. A mistake, but not a catastrophic one.

Not much else to tell. I made one move on the night that worked out - I re-raised a player who was raising limpers, with Ace-Ten again, and took the betting lead. He folded on a broadway-ish flop (no ace, though). The rest of the night was trying to play pots with players who get all in preflop with King-Four suited and pocket eights (I kid you not - these are real hands) - I won a few small pots against them with ace high or middle pair but no fat value hands that would pay me off and make my night successful.

Next week we're doubling the stakes, just for fun.