argh! some hands are just frustrating - could I have played this better?

In a very loose and aggressive $10/20 game with a half kill, I was in the Big Blind and looked down at pocket Kings.

It was a kill hand, so a late position player had posted the mandatory third blind.

An early position player limped, the next player raised, and three players called the raise, ncluding the "kill poster" and the small blind, and I made it three bets.

We took the flop 6 handed.

The flop came J, 9, 7, rainbow. I fired, three players called and the "kill poster" raised. The small blind cold-called, and I three bet. The pre-flop raiser folded, and the rest of the field called.

The turn was Ace, putting four suits on the board. I fired, everyone called.

River paired the jack, I checked, the player in front of the "kill poster" bet, and everyone folded to me. I called, and he showed K, J, suited in hearts, so he made trips on the river and won the pot.

My questionable moves:

Should I have 3 bet the pot with KK? My thinking was, in such a loose game, I am getting great value, and want to win a big pot. I also want to represent my big hand to discourage chasers. Raises from the blinds often command a little more respect than from other positions. I like the three-bet, though, smooth calling, then making a play on the flop would have been a great option.

Should I have bet the flop or tried to check-raise? Even though I three-bet pre-flop, showing strength, someone would have bet the flop, letting me check-raise. But, with possible straight draws out against me, and hoping a player with a jack would put me on AK and raise, letting me three-bet, I led into the field. Also, I wanted to drive out runner-runner draws, and make it clear that it was going to be expensive for anyone to see the river against me. I think check-raising would have been a great play, as it might have cleared a bit more of the field (though, there were a bunch of fish in the game), but I wanted to build the pot with my KK, so I liked betting, figuring to get raised and be able to re-raise.

Should I have bet the turn when the ace hit? Given my competition, it was likely someone was holding an ace. But, given my pre-flop and flop-betting, it was also possible an observant player would put ME on AA, AK, or KK. If I get raised, bummer. But, checking and giving a free card would be a disaster, given that there are a lot of possible draws.

I think the river call is automatic. Even though I put him on three jacks, I was getting 23 to 1 on my call.

As I tossed this hand around in my mind, I wonder if the winner of the pot played his hand well.

He cold called 2 bets pre-flop with KJs. Given the texture of the game, a common play. He called the raise pre-flop, pretty automatic, given the pot size.

He smooth called the lead-bet with top pair, 2nd kicker on the flop, then smooth called two more bets on the flop (it was raised and re-raised after his initial call).

He called on the turn after a scary overcard hit.

He bet the river when his card paired.

If I was in his shoes: I think his pre-flop play is a little loose, but not horrible. KJs is a strong speculative hand that can flop the nuts or a nut draw.

On the flop: I either play my hand fast or fold: I would raise on the flop to see where I'm at. Since many aggressive players will re-raise from the blinds with any pair from AA - 99, and also with AK or AQ, if I raise I can define his hand, and also see where the other jacks are. I can also charge any player with QT the maximum to draw against me.

But, he smooth called. Then, the action was raised and re-raised. At this point, I would be strongly considering throwing my hand away. Clearly, someone has any overpair to jacks -- or a set -- and given the board texture and number of callers, making two pair with his kicker (king) would likely make an opponent with QT an straight. His only outs are the two remaining jacks. And, if the raiser has a set, he will cap the action.

On the turn, he smooth calls when the ace hits. Now, I would have to throw my hand away. If the big blind was over-playing AK or AQ, he just got there (and, if he has AK, shares my kicker). If he has AA, he just hit the set, and I'm drawing dead. If he has KK, my kicker is crap, since hitting it makes him trips (and, as noted, makes a possible straight). And, someone could be slow-playing T,8 (having flopped a straight). Based on the betting, once the ace hits, my only outs are the two remaining jacks.

I may have overplayed my kings, and losing this pot stunk. But, I have to be glad that my opponent was willing to invest so much money with such a mediocre holding, contributing $120 to the pot in order to see the river card, which, unfortunately for me, was one of the two in the deck that could help him.

Given the size of the field, though, there were other bad river cards for my hand: On the turn, the board was: A, J, 9, 7. I think any K or 8 makes someone a straight, and it's possible that any 9 or 7 makes someone else trips. As it was, I was shocked that no one had an ace.