Low-Limit Lobotomy

I don't like to complain (too much) about bad beats. However, this rant is more about the pains of playing low limit poker more than anything. I will go on to happier, or at least more productive topics in a minute, but this one I had to share.

AA. Nice starting hand. Early position. I raise and EVERY person at the table calls. Flop comes K, 7, 2 rainbow. I bet, second position raises, EVERY person at the table calls. Turn comes a 4. I check, second position bets, EVERY person at the table calls. River comes with a 9. EVERY single person at the table calls a round of betting. The winner? Someone who limped in with K4. It wasn't the person in second position, he showed is 23 off-suit.

Now, I don't expect my aces to hold up everytime. That is certainly not my issue here. My issue is that EVERY single person at the table called EVERY single bet and raise. This happened to me with AA twice, with KK, with QQ, and with big slick. Apparently the only way to win a hand on these tables is to bet bet bet, hope everyone else folds, and hope that you luck out on the flop, the turn, and/or the river. At least that is what everyone at my table was doing. Is that poker? My favorite is when someone lucks out on the river, having called crap the entire time against monster hands, and when they suck out something, other players say "nh". Nice hand? NICE hand? OMG....

What are we, as conscientious poker players, supposed to do with that? I know, the easy answer is don't play low-limit poker. Great solution in a perfect world. Unfortunately, examples like the above aren't just restricted to low limit games, they are just more common.

I have been revamping my game lately, and am forcing myself to play lower limits than I normally like, due to beats like that mentioned above. I am trying to get into the heads of these players, to better understand what I am up against in tournaments and ring games against the weak - loose players. Using it as a learning experience, etc, etc.

But come on!

I suppose the answer is, you can't get into someone's head if they aren't using it.