A Serious Question, well...Two Serious Questions

I'm really getting tired of the horrendous players I'm coming up against on Stars at 1/2. I lost a $44 pot to some dink who called me to the river on an inside straight draw. I had top two pair...

POKERSTARS GAME #1292898521: HOLD'EM LIMIT ($1/$2) - 2005/03/02 - 11:54:33 (ET)
Table 'Sorga' Seat #8 is the button
Seat 2: Dromen ($14.50 in chips)
Seat 3: martinbh ($8 in chips)
Seat 4: cool713 ($41.25 in chips)
Seat 5: foldie2005 ($31 in chips)
Seat 6: Lexxi 44 ($43.50 in chips)
Seat 7: Vahrus ($20 in chips)
Seat 8: Tiburon41 ($15 in chips)
Seat 9: Pete_thePuma ($18.50 in chips)
Seat 10: Aahz ($67.75 in chips)
Pete_thePuma: posts small blind $0.50
Aahz: posts big blind $1
Vahrus: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Tiburon41 [Ah Tc]
Dromen: folds
martinbh: folds
martinbh leaves the table
cool713: calls $1
foldie2005: calls $1
Lexxi 44: calls $1
Vahrus: checks
Tiburon41: calls $1
Pete_thePuma: calls $0.50
Aahz: checks
*** FLOP *** [Ts Ac 8s]
meathead joins the table at seat #3
Pete_thePuma: checks
Aahz: checks
cool713: checks
foldie2005: checks
Lexxi 44: checks
Vahrus: checks
Tiburon41: bets $1
Pete_thePuma: calls $1
Aahz: folds
cool713: calls $1
foldie2005: calls $1
Lexxi 44: calls $1
Vahrus: calls $1
*** TURN *** [Ts Ac 8s] [5d]
Pete_thePuma: checks
cool713: checks
foldie2005: checks
Lexxi 44: checks
Vahrus: checks
Tiburon41: bets $2
Pete_thePuma: folds
cool713: calls $2
foldie2005: folds
Lexxi 44: calls $2
Vahrus: calls $2
*** RIVER *** [Ts Ac 8s 5d] [4d]
DRABAR has returned
cool713: bets $2
Lexxi 44: calls $2
Vahrus: folds
Tiburon41: raises $2 to $4
cool713: raises $2 to $6
Lexxi 44: calls $4
Tiburon41: raises $2 to $8
Betting is capped
cool713: calls $2
Lexxi 44: calls $2
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Tiburon41: shows [Ah Tc] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
cool713: shows [6h 7h] (a straight, Four to Eight)
Lexxi 44: mucks hand
cool713 collected $44 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $45 | Rake $1
Board [Ts Ac 8s 5d 4d]
Seat 2: Dromen folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: martinbh folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: cool713 showed [6h 7h] and won ($44) with a straight, Four to Eight
Seat 5: foldie2005 folded on the Turn
Seat 6: Lexxi 44 mucked [As Js]
Seat 7: Vahrus folded on the River
Seat 8: Tiburon41 (button) showed [Ah Tc] and lost with two pair, Aces and Tens
Seat 9: Pete_thePuma (small blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 10: Aahz (big blind) folded on the Flop

...All I could think is, "There's no way ANYONE calls all the way to the river with 67." No way possible. No flush draw, no straight draw until the turn. Nothing. Caught NO FLOP. And he just keeps calling. In this entire losing streak, this has been how to beat me. Fish. That's pretty much the ONLY way to beat me. I've only been pushing premium hands and generally only when I have something. I've cut down on the semi-bluffing, mainly to preserve chips, and I haven't pushed hands where I don't hit. I play my good hands fast, have my opponent beat, and he sucks out on the river. It's been ridiculous. I'm at the point where I don't need to catch cards anymore. I just need my opponent NOT to catch a 2-outer.

I've lost 13 hands at showdown in this streak for a total of -123.50. I've lost with AK, AQs, AJ, AT, A4s, (to 97o with a pre-flop raise from the button, with 4 spades on the board), KT (twice), TT, 88, and 66. The pairs? Flopped sets twice. Lost to bigger sets. Bigger sets that in both cases were rivered.

Horrible luck. Just horrible.

If it wasn't for luck, I'd win every hand... ---Phil Hellmuth