Flopped Quads

I have been playing a lot of poker recently, both live and online, but there was one hand I played recently that has really stuck with me. Playing in yet another $6/90 player Turbo/Doublestack/knockout tournament online, I was in tight at the final table, probably putting me 4th with just 7 players remaining, and one very dominant chip leader.

I get dealt pocket Queens UTG. I still have enough chips to make anyone, even the chip leader, fold a marginal hand. I decide to limp in, hoping that someone else raises so I can re-raise, but no luck. Everyone else folds, and the BB checks.

The flop is Q-6-Q. JACKPOT!!!!!!

Or is it?

This is an unusual situation, you don't flop quads too often, so I quickly have to figure out what to do here. My opponent checks, and every instinct is telling me to check, hoping he'll sense weakness, and make a move for the pot on the turn. Then I think (this is what always gets me in trouble)

"Hmmm, maybe if I make a minimum bet, he'll think I'm trying to steal the pot, and re-raise me"

So I click the bet button, and fire out the minimum bet. We each have about the same amount of money, and he calls my bet. Now I know I've got him right where I want him. He's likely got an ace, thinking that it might be good here. He's already proved he's willing to put some money in the pot, the next card should be my big payoff.

The turn brings a meaningless Jack, and he immediately checks again. I pause, mostly for dramatic effect, because I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to wait a while, make him sweat, then place the minimum bet again.

"This time for sure, he'll re-raise me, positive his Ace-high is good. He will think it's a continuation bet, otherwise why would I keep the betting so low? He hehehehehehe. Ha hahahahaha." (imagine evil laughter, like Dr. Evil or Jaba the Hutt laughing as his brilliant plan is about to unfold with the brazen confidence that nothing could possibly stop him now)

My opponent folds.....

"Hmm, that didn't figure in to my plans"

I take down the pot, which is still significant, because the blinds are so high at this point, but I'm still left wondering where, if anywhere, I went wrong. The it hits me.

"You idiot, you should have checked on the turn. Your flopped quads, there was no card in the deck that you were afraid of, why not let him see a free river, maybe let him think he caught a very lucky card."

Of course, there was a possibility that my opponent could have caught a card on the river to make a Royal Flush, but if you're gonna play poker worried about odds like that, you're never going to win money gambling.

It also occurs to me that a check on the turn would have shown even more weakness than a minimum bet. It would have looked like I was surrendering, hoping to just show-down the cards, and would likely fold to any bet on the river.

Frustrated by my play of a hand that should never be frustrating, I finished in 4th position, collected another $36, and my total is climbing back towards my peak of $150. Still not too shabby considering I stared off with $0 and 2700 player freerolls, but I'm starting to think winning $10,000 to pay for my buy-in at the main event of the WSOP is about as likely as flopping 4 of a kind and thinking you misplayed the hand...