Hello everyone - by way of introduction I have been lurking for ages, never posted, felt it was about time I did.

I am a pretty mediocre player to say the least. My exposure to poker until a couple of years ago was just the occasional home game with some close mates (£10 buyin) and I thought I would do a bit of online play to try and sharpen up my game and practice what I had learned in the Harrington books. I started playing a few $1.50 SNGs, didn't do too badly but didn't really know what I was doing so I tried playing some cash games and got myself a HUD. I played about 20k hands at 1/2, made a very small profit, decided I'd give it a go at 2/5 at the start of this year, felt all at sea at first but have stabilised somewhat and here I am. (My success rate in the home games hasn't changed one iota).

I've heard that getting involved in the forums and posting advice on other people's hands is a great way to learn and I'll be doing that, but here are a few hands of my own which have puzzled me for various reasons. I've got some other hands up my sleeve for another day (for example hands facing donk bets, which always confuse me), but here are some out of position hands. All advice gratefully received - go easy on me...fish bruise easily...by the way of these six hands I won three and lost three, so not (all) moans or bad beat stories. I've "stopped" some hands before they finished to avoid showing what happened.

Hand 1
Poker Stars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (6 handed) - Converted at http://www.handhistoryconverter.com/

UTG raiser is an ultra-nit. No useful information on the button.

SB ($5.54)
Hero (BB) ($5.91)
UTG ($3.82)
MP ($5)
CO ($5.05)
Button ($7.08)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, K
UTG raises $0.10, 2 folds, Button calls $0.10, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.05

Flop: ($0.32) 2, J, 7 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks

Turn: ($0.32) Q (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks

River: ($0.32) 7 (3 players)
Hero: ?????

Thoughts: I obviously played this very passively on the flop and turn - the original raiser is ultra-tight (should I therefore be folding pre-flop?). Given that, I thought my turn check was prudent (AA-JJ and AJ would have bet flop, AK and TT unlikely to call and AQ beats me) so I'm OK with the check - I think. How should I play the river?


Hand 2
Poker Stars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (7 handed) - Converted at http://www.handhistoryconverter.com

Button is 24/10 (63 hands). 71% fold to cbet off very small sample.

MP2 ($5.07)
Hero (CO) ($8.89)
Button ($5.48)
SB ($5)
BB ($5)
UTG ($5.43)
MP1 ($5.60)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A, 6
3 folds, Hero raises $0.15, Button calls $0.15, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.37) Q, K, 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.21, Button calls $0.21

Turn: ($0.79) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.46, Button calls $0.46

River: ($1.71) A (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1.25, Hero: ?????

Thoughts: Advice sought on all three streets please. With hindsight I'm worried that the flop and turn bets were a mistake. I find the river a tough spot though - I checked hoping for a check back, and his bet says that he isn't scared of the Ace. To be honest the whole hand is a mess - how should I have played it better?


Hand 3
Poker Stars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (8 handed) - Converted at http://www.handhistoryconverter.com/

Once again little information on opponents but both on the tight side.

Button ($5.68)
SB ($5)
BB ($1.12)
UTG ($5.35)
Hero (UTG+1) ($5.12)
MP1 ($5)
MP2 ($5.01)
CO ($5.23)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J, J
1 fold, Hero raises $0.15, 2 folds, CO calls $0.15, Button raises $0.60, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.45, CO calls $0.45

Flop: ($1.87) 9, K, 7 (3 players)
Hero checks, CO checks, Button bets $0.75, Hero calls $0.75, CO calls $0.75

Turn: ($4.12) 3 (3 players)
Hero checks, CO checks, Button checks

River: ($4.12) J (3 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $0.80, Button raises $4.33 (All-In), Hero: ?????

Thoughts: in quick-time this was DOESHEHAVEAFLUSHIHAVEASETOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGPANICATTHE DISCO. In slow-time the check-back on the turn throws me - and with it being a 3bet pot, how many flushes can he realistically have apart from AQ and some bluff-squeezing 98s or similar? Could he also have KK?


Hand 4
Poker Stars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (7 handed) - Converted at http://handhistoryconverter.com/

BB ($3.11) - not enough HUD data for any meaningful conclusions
UTG ($2.10)
MP1 ($0.49) - fish (small sample)
MP2 ($2)
CO ($2.04) - appears to be LAG (small sample)
Button ($5.20)
Hero (SB) ($1.98)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, K
1 fold, MP1 calls $0.02, 1 fold, CO raises $0.04, 1 fold, Hero raises $0.13, BB calls $0.12, 1 fold, CO calls $0.10

Flop: ($0.44) 3, 10, Q (3 players)
Hero bets $0.36, BB calls $0.36, CO calls $0.36

Turn: ($1.52) 8 (3 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $0.80, CO calls $0.80, Hero: ?????

Thoughts: this was very early in my poker days when I didn't want to raise so much with KK that everyone folded. Now I would 3bet a bit larger. I'm happy with flop, would maybe go a touch larger. But when both opponents call I'm in a bit of a pickle. What to do on the turn?


Hand 5
Poker Stars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (7 handed) - Converted at http://handhistoryconverter.com

Again at the time I played the hands I had very small sample sizes, but UTG shaping up to be very aggressive (50/50 from 14 hands) and button passive (22/9 from 23).

CO ($2.09)
Button ($1.88)
Hero (SB) ($1.98)
BB ($0.78)
UTG ($1.92)
MP1 ($1.96)
MP2 ($0.74)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, 10
UTG raises $0.07, 3 folds, Button calls $0.07, Hero calls $0.06, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.23) 3, 10, 9 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.14, Button calls $0.14, Hero calls $0.14

Turn: ($0.65) 4 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $0.24, Button calls $0.24, Hero calls $0.24

River: ($1.37) J (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button bets $0.74, Hero: ?????

Thoughts: one from my very early days - I'm not sure I'd be calling PF these days even with nearly 3/1. Should I lead out this flop? As played I feel I'm getting sucked into a bigger and bigger pot thanks to passive play and a mediocre hand but with pot odds that are too good to let go of things. By the time the button bets just over half pot on the river, I've now got 2 pair but there are all sorts of hands out there which beat me.

Hand 6

Poker Stars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (7 handed) - Converted at http://handhistoryconverter.com

Button shaping up to be a LAG off a small sample.

BB ($2.05)
UTG ($3)
MP1 ($2.10)
MP2 ($2.50)
CO ($2.81)
Button ($4.91)
Hero (SB) ($1.98)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, A
4 folds, Button raises $0.06, Hero calls $0.05, 1 fold

Flop: ($0.14) 10, 2, J (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.08, Hero raises $0.24, Button calls $0.16

Turn: ($0.62) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.34, Button calls $0.34

River: ($1.30) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $0.70, Hero: ?????

Thoughts: I was on a bit of a downswing when I played this hand, and had tightened up. With hindsight, I'm not a huge fan of calling with AJ OOP and I would now 3bet this for value. I flop TPTK on a dangerous board and I don't have a diamond for insurance. To donk or to check-raise? He calls my check-raise which is scary...but he doesn't raise - should that affect the range I put him on, and how should it affect my play on the turn? The Queen is a bad card on the river and checking seems clear, but could he be betting with a busted draw or with a hand like KJ for thin value, or does he just have too many hands that are ahead?

Thanks in advance...

try not to post too many hands at once

1) looks good, would c/c the river, we have showdown value and there's not much in utg's range that'll call a bet when behind
2) looks good but i'd probably check the turn, we've taken a stab but it's not worked and now we've got a draw, let's just try to realise that cheaply, not really sure what we beat on the river
3) it's the micros and we have a set, sigh. what is CO donking with? that looks awfully like he's trying to get whatever he can with a weak flush or a straight, that button's jammed over the top is a concern, he's 3b pre so there's probably not too many flushes in his range but it could be a bigger set, idk
4) we've got a pot sized bet left on the turn and the king high flush draw, sure there's some horrible spots where we're drawing dead or one guy has a made hand better than ours and the other guy has the Ac, but i'd just gii

1. KQ. Fine/standard. Check-call the river if you face anything less than a PSB. If villain bombs it, you can fold.

2. Fold A6o pre. I'd only play A8o+ in the CO. Betting or checking the flop and turn are OK. I prefer making small bets when OOP on this board. As played, fold. If villain's river bet had been smaller, I'd consider calling, but here's it's just a fold. JTs and FDs all got there, and you can't beat AQ, KQ or 22 either.

3. JJ, check-fold flop. Villain 3-bet pre and is betting into two players. You should only continue with Kx and flush draws. Calling with a hand that only has 1 clean out is not going to be profitable. Either bet-fold or (as played, check-fold) the river to that scary action. You pretty much need the stone cold nuts to beat everyone in a spot like that.

4. Go bigger pre with KK. Either check the flop and be cautious, or bet and commit. Once you've bloated that pot, you should just go for it, I think.

5. JT. Probably fold the turn. Villain is showing a lot of strength by betting twice multiway. He's rarely going to do that with anything you beat, and there's also another player that's sticking around. What are you hoping will happen on the river? Almost no river cards or actions are good for you.

6. AJ, don't check-raise the flop. It's actually a reasonable spot for a small donk bet to prevent villain from taking free cards for a flush draw. As played (checking the flop), it should just be a standard call down, not a raise. You shouldn't be playing a big pot OOP with just one pair on that board. Shut it down when he calls the check-raise and try to get to a cheap showdown. Don't call the river. Your hand is quite low in your range. (You can have flushes, sets, and maybe some straights.) One pair, which isn't even top pair on the river, can be safely folded.

H1 is fine, could bet small on the turn.

H2 is a mess, just fold it preflop.

H3 K high flops are extremely in the favor of 3bet ranges and since it's 3-ways you can let this go, especially since you
block a ton of bluffs like JTs and QJs.

H4 You have a potsized bet left and although J9 gets there you have the club. There were going to be a lot of nasty turns when you bet this flop so either bet flop and go with it or check and pot control.

H5 Don't love the flatcall pre, would rather 3bet, but it can't be that bad. On the turn if it's heads up you could call, with it being 3-ways you are likely to be drawing to 3 outs or less. On the river since you got there it would be criminal to fold.

H6 3bet preflop.