Would like feedback on how I played this.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed)

saw flop|saw showdown

UTG ($89.50)
UTG+1 ($49.50)
Hero ($50)
MP2 ($4.30)
CO ($15.25)
Button ($41.35)
SB ($48.25)
BB ($22.90)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
UTG calls $0.50, UTG+1 calls $0.50, Hero calls $0.50, 2 folds, Button calls $0.50, 1 fold, BB checks.

Flop: ($2.75) , , (5 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, UTG+1 bets $1.5, Hero calls $1.50, Button folds, BB folds, UTG calls $1.50.

I just called here and thought if the third card to the stright comes I'll play cautious.

I also hoped that someone might catch a lower set or top pair on the next card.

Turn: ($7.25) (3 players)
UTG bets $1, UTG+1 calls $1, Hero raises to $7, UTG calls $6, UTG+1 folds.

I now think someone's got to have a hand, so I've ramped up the betting. When he calls, I am convinced he has an Ace. My feeling was AK or AJ or AT because I think on AQ he would've raised. And a lot of folks play past the flop with an A overcard.

Actually, looking back on it of course AK was unlikely because he would probably have raised preflop.

River: ($22.25) (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $41 (All-In), UTG calls $41.

Because I have a full house, I've gone all-in confident I'll get called because he must have trip Aces and I was happy with my read on him missing the flop.

Final Pot: $104.25

Results in white below:
UTG has Ad 6s (full house, aces full of sixes).
Hero has 9s 9d (full house, nines full of aces).
Outcome: UTG wins $104.25.

Thats just unlucky as hell, although Im not sure why you bet $41 into a $22 pot. Of course this time it didnt matter. If you bet $20, hes going all in anyway and you have to call, but why did you bet so much?

I was convinced he had just trip Aces and he wasn't going to lay them down, so I thought I 'had' him exactly where I wanted him (lol). Whoops!

Is it bad to overbet the pot when you think someone's got a great (but in your opinion 2nd best) hand?

"Should have played it stronger, earlier?"

imho: Hell no!!! You played it just right.

It doesn't matter what you do once he hits two pair on the turn. All the $$ is going in and you're losing to the higher boat. Tough luck, full stop.

The only way you can win this hand is by betting him off of it on the flop. And of course that's a play you can't make on a flop like this. When you hit your set you have to feel great. You are way ahead, and you can't spend any time worrying about a runner-runner boat coming to beat you. Zat's vat ze bankroll ees for.

Just one more bad beat story you can save to tell your grandkids.

LOL!

Yeah, after looking at it from a percentage point of view he was a 20:1 dog on the flop to improve to beat me by the river. It's just that my natural first thought after this kind of hand is 'oh, I did something wrong because I lost'. I should stop that - I think I've got a mental problem with accepting bad beats for what they are - just plain 'unlucky'.

I'm still wondering why ice says he's not sure why I bet so much, mind..

If I was playing you, I would very likely fold an ace when you bet that much (not A6) but AJ, AT and maybe even AK is going in the muck. You want a call here from anyone with an ace.
I see guys play for their stack all the time when they have A7 and the board is something like TA6A4. They think their trip aces is good, but dont seem to realize that almost any other ace beats them.
AK, AQ, AJ, AT, A9, A8, A6, A4 and of course and set beats them.

So without a full house, Im probably not calling your huge overbet.

Ahh. OK. Thanks for the clarification.