Some Memorial Weekend Hands 3/5 NL

Played some interesting hands this weekend.  I thought I'd post to see what you all think. 

1) EP limps, MP limps, BTN limps, I rai to 35 with AQdd from BB EVERYONE calls (of course it's memorial weekend! or probably because I should've raised bigger)

Flop ( 145) 963r

all checks

Turn ( 145) 2d (gives me the nuttiest flush draw)

I check, checks to BTN who bets 75, I called all folds.

River K (no flush)

I check he bets 125, I called.... with AQ high?

This villain just sat down actually so I don't know much about him.  My river call might be a bit risky but further thoughts might help.

Thoughts?

2)  Begining of the session.  No reads on this particular villain.  He has a huge stack, old asian gentlemen.  Might be categorize as a more of the gambler type asian guy instead of the nitter asians.  That's all i know.   

I rai J9ss EP to $20 and get a BB caller $600 deep

FLOP ( 40) AhJh9, he check/calls 35

Turn ($110) 5h, he leds for 80, i called

River ( 270) 3c he bets $200  Hero? tanks and folds? 

I'll reveal the results and my adjustment thoughts for hand #2 after a few replies. 

I'll leave it at 2 for now so this post isn't too long.  Thanks in adv guys!

Hand 1:

I think you can make a case for raising bigger pre but $35 seems fine.  Flop check is good.  I don't expect to have much fold equity OOP against three players.  Although we don't rep anything I would probably just lead smallish on the turn and hope to take it down.  The other players should have bet the flop if they hit anything big and the 2d doesn't really change much.  Then if called we still have overcards and a flush draw.  I don't really like check/calling turn though because we give them another chance to take the initiative and basically have to hit our hand or hope they check back river with worse to win.  I can see why you check/called the river.  His hand makes absolutely no sense for value unless he was bluffing the turn with K high and rivered a pair.  So I can't really fault you for calling here.  In general though I would just be giving up without any specific reads on villain.

Hand 2:

Tough spot.  Vs a straightforward opponent I think we can fold river pretty comfortably, possibly even the turn if we have a good read on him.  Against a gambler type who plays looser though I think turn is a mandatory call and river is pretty close.  I think I'm still folding though.

We should expect him to C/R flop with two pair+ and sometimes draws.  Since the Ah is on the board it greatly reduces the number of flush draws he can have.  I think it's important to call the turn because he can lead here with hands like AxQh.  I don't really know if we can expect hiim to bet the river with a hand like that though.  He may just check with the intention of calling but hope that you check it back with worse.

I wouldn't expect the button to be betting the K with hands like 44, 55, 77, 88, 9x, 6x. So if he has a hand its likely 45, 22, Kxdd, K6ss, random K high turn bluffs, 23, 62. The thing is though, I don't see many guys start bluffing right away when they first sit down. I think a lot of guys would be content to check turn with a flush draw here so I think I'm going to give him credit for having a hand even though when the K hits it really narrows the number of value hands he can have... Also depends on just myinitial impression of the guy and how he carrys himself/handles his chips etc.

Second hand seems like it could go either way, just go with your read. Just make sure you have a plan when you call the turn, not "Im not sure where im at but maybe Ill make a boat". More like "Im going to call the turn and if a brick hits and he bets big im going to fold, but if he bets small Im going to call"

I'd call on both hands. The first hand is an easier call than the second. With the AQdd hand, it looks like you're only beat by 45, 22, and K hi flush draws. He will have those hands pretty often, but I still think he's bluffing enough to make that a call on the river. The second one is a bit tougher. The villian is playing the hand strong and is certainly representing a flush. The good part is that you only really need to beat a flush, though. He seldomly has 2 bigger pair. So I'd pay off the river since it's flush or nothing, and I think you'll be good close to 1/2 the time on the river. 

Joe,
That's something I've been tangling a bit lately in my poker game.  I was very aware that I lose only to a flush, occassionally AJ.  And I did know that the flush combos are very few.  However, I went with the "give villiain the benefit of the doubt" unless seen otherwise mentally as I don't think people are capable of having bluffs in that range. 

But this can also go the other way, call and then see his hand and then get a better read on him in the future.  I think this might've been the most profitable path now that I think about it. 

And I'd fold both.

None of this means anything as this line is not a bluff from an old man asian or not.

On hand 1, i like the raise size pre.  I actually like cbetting into the field and planning on barreling depending on the board run out.  If they call the flop with a small pair, how much heat can they take on the turn and escpecailly on the K river.  As played, it's close because he seems polarized when the K hits the river but that smacks your range as well.  It's difficult because we're playing our hand face up.  It depends on reads from this point IMO.

On hand 2, I don't like opening J9s from EP.  I'm pretty sure it's not gonna show a profit for you in the long run.  There's no balancing in these games so you can just open premium hands from the first spots.  As played, i like calling turn and folding river.  When we call turn we show we have top pair + and i don't think he's thinking he'll get us off of that because it's not easy to get folds in these games.  So when he bets river, I think we're beat.  

Hand 1 - Never calling. Ur hand is face up and he should at least have a pair most of the time.

Hand 2 - Preflop is good cause 3bets are not polarized. I never see oop opponents rep flushes. I think ur decision should be made on the turn whether ur calling 0 or 2 streets but never one vs an unknown.