NL Day 2

[Jake (The Snake)]

I'm having a lot more fun playing NL so far... much more to think about and much easier to stay focused. The problem is, well, I'm not good. As you shall see, I have no shame.

Anyway, here are two questionable hands I have from today, along with my thoughts. Please also critique how I should be thinking through the hands...

Hand 1

Opponent is still relatively unknown at this point but seems on the loose side.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
5 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
Hero: $84
CO: $141.96
Button: $107.75
SB: $201.41
BB: $110.85

Pre-flop: (5 players) Hero is UTG with 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

I had been raising quite a bit and winning many pots with cbets on the flop. I figured A8s should be good enough to raise here, but honestly I have no idea.

<font color="#cc0000">Hero raises to $2.5</font>, CO calls, Button folds, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ($8.5, 3 players)

Cool, a pretty decent flop for my hand. I'll make a standard cbet.

SB checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $6</font>, CO folds, SB calls.

Could be an 8, maybe a straight draw, 2 pair, a set... what else goes here?

Turn: 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] ($20.5, 2 players)

Okay, just pulled ahead of 2pair...

SB checks, <font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $13</font>, <font color="#cc0000">SB raises to $41</font>, <font color="#cc0000">Hero ...</font>


Hand 2: Haha I suck.

Party Poker
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
6 players
Converter

Stack sizes:
UTG: $86.70
UTG+1: $124.45
CO: $135
Button: $100
SB: $129.90
Hero: $81.40

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is BB with Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
3 folds, <font color="#cc0000">Button raises to $4</font>, SB folds, Hero calls.

This guy had been pretty aggressive preflop. I figure I'm ahead of his range here, but I think I am overestimating the value of hands like AQo. Bad habit from limit. Should I be reraising this? Folding?

Flop: 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] ($8.5, 2 players)
Hero checks, <font color="#cc0000">Button bets $6</font>, <font color="#cc0000">Hero raises to $17</font>, Button calls.

On this board I figure I should be ahead often enough that a c/r will be profitable. Bad idea?

Turn: A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] ($42.5, 2 players)
<font color="#cc0000">Hero bets $25</font>, <font color="#cc0000">Button raises to $75</font>...

I guess I should know I am behind now. I couldn't fold though.