1/2 strategy 1/2 hand analysis...

http://www.cardschat.com/hand/5973

I really felt like I could beat the SB. It wasn't anything concrete or solid, just a strong feeling in my gut. I just felt it and can't explain why. So after the other players were all-in and with their relatively short stacks I believed them, I was just after the SB.

As you can see, I had all but UTG beat on the flop. The turn only strengthened my hand against the remaining SB, and I was really hoping to boat up by having the remaining K, Q, or 9 pair on the river. Pre-turn I just felt like I could beat SB, but on the turn I felt like I could win the whole hand. Obviously quads are insanely lucky but...

Is it poor strategy to go after the big stack if you feel like you can beat their hand once the smaller stacks are all in? Sometimes it's more than a feeling, it's a conscious awareness of betting patterns, but other times it's just a strong feeling.