Psychology 101: Why do I do this?

OK, I have been concentrating on my SnG playing, as my cash games have major leaks, well, all my games, but I am now going 1 at a time, with SnG being the focus now. But the cash tables call to me, and sometimes I answer.
So I am doing OK, up from $5 buy in to about $6.40 in2-5 nl, sb over $7.
I pocket AKs on the button.
1 caller, all others fold to me, I bet 25, sb raises 75,. 1 fold, I call. flop, Qs-Qc-Kd. sb $1, me raise $3 sb all in. Now here where the psychology in the title comes in. I am working on putting my villains on hands, and I put him on AQs or QJs although I had not been long at the table and had no real reads, he seemed TAG to me, but I had about 5-6 hands on the table so all real guess work. Here is where my SnG worked against me. I felt pot committed although I dont think that is relevant in cash games. And I must admit I was kinda married to my AKs and the flopped K and Qs by then. So what do I do? call his all in, he lays down the QTos (?why raise me PF?) and neither the turn nor the river help me. Bang Bang, im dead. As I had put him on trips, and my pot odds were not with me ( I am bad at pot odds and implied odds on the fly, any tips at getting stronger?) why did I not just bow out with enough buy in left to build on? Better yet, why did I not just call? This may be the wrong place for this thread (Learning poker - Rants - is there a thread called Jack-Ass Calls?) but I do this sometimes, think I put my villian on a better hand, bad odds, and I go for him anyway. I dont do it often, but it happens and I was up so not tilted.... Im not sure what my question is - maybe How can I learn to quit making stupid plays?

I know exactly what you mean fletch; I make the odd 'Jack-Ass' call when I know I am beat but get wedded to a hand - calling with AA to a very starighty board is my favourite way of sabotaging my bankroll.

Regarding your example hand, the play up to your flop raise is fine. If I have got my maths right you are calling $2.65 into a $11 pot, that's pot odds of 25%. If villain has a Q you are going to need some cards, a K, two A, J + T, etc. Chances of this are about 10%. That's a gap of 15%, that's too big a gap. We can close it a bit by saying that the villain will occasionally make this play with KJ, AK even JT, but probably not often enough to close the gap.

I know you are interested in the psychology of dumb calls not the maths, but I think the number crunching can help back up your instinct. It is very tough to fold a hand that has cost half your stack as we believe there is such a thing as 'pot committed' (it rarely matters). To fold in this situation:

1. Work out odds of calling as percentage - call/pot
2. Count your outs and double it for each remaining street
3. If the two figures are withing 5-10% then call, otherwise fold
4. Don't fall in love with pretty hands.

My only suggestion would to read books/articles discussing +EV and equity and the like. I've read several good ones here on CardsChat. Then read again and read again and again. I've made calls just like that too....or worse, but reading over these concepts again and again makes them become just natural thought processes which helps to avoid making plays. I think it's really just a different frame of mind.

I should clarify that I do not mean to say you are unaware of these topics, only that I've found reading and re-reading several times them has helped me. I find it helps reinforce good play.

first off... put your opponent on a 'range of hands'... key word 'RANGE'.
Secondly... stay the phuck aff the cash tables. (OR.. play the cash tables)
simple

hey, i play craploads of these microstakes games from 2nl to 5nl to 10c/20c fixed, 5 card draw, you name it, i am in. basically what i want to tell you is that you made the correct call there, the players on this low levels are very weak, sure he could have qj as you sayd, but than he just got lucky and outdrawn you. as far as i am concerned he could also have kj, or maybe even jj, or A10 or even AK.

with AK in my hand, and with that board i will make the call every time at 5nl and it will be the good call.