Help with 2 hands at 50 NL

Please let me know if you would have played these differently. (Results in white).

PokerStars Game #6311736525: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2006/09/16 - 20:57:39 (ET)
Table 'Prokne III' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: Holland_Jon ($26.60 in chips)
Seat 2: The Jezus ($73.30 in chips)
Seat 3: Aquarius 75 ($46.50 in chips)
Seat 4: chas2148 ($44.40 in chips)
Seat 5: amazinmets73 ($74.85 in chips)
Seat 6: sexygolfer67 ($12.20 in chips)
Seat 7: aaronosu ($62.25 in chips)
Seat 8: Isabelle G ($23.35 in chips)
Seat 9: AlexAllen02 ($41 in chips)
Isabelle G: posts small blind $0.25
AlexAllen02: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to AlexAllen02 [4c 4h]
Holland_Jon: calls $0.50
The Jezus: folds
Aquarius 75: folds
chas2148: folds
amazinmets73: folds
sexygolfer67: calls $0.50
aaronosu: folds
Isabelle G: calls $0.25
AlexAllen02: checks
*** FLOP *** [4s 5c 2h]
Isabelle G: bets $0.50
AlexAllen02: calls $0.50
Holland_Jon: raises $1.50 to $2
sexygolfer67: calls $2
Isabelle G: folds
AlexAllen02: calls $1.50
*** TURN *** [4s 5c 2h] [Ks]
AlexAllen02: checks
Holland_Jon: bets $3
sexygolfer67: raises $3 to $6
AlexAllen02: calls $6
Holland_Jon: raises $6 to $12
sexygolfer67: calls $3.70 and is all-in
AlexAllen02: raises $13 to $25
Holland_Jon: calls $12.10 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [4s 5c 2h Ks] [Jc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
AlexAllen02: shows [4c 4h] (three of a kind, Fours)
Holland_Jon: shows [Ac 3c] (a straight, Ace to Five)
Holland_Jon collected $27.65 from side pot
sexygolfer67: mucks hand
Holland_Jon collected $35.75 from main pot



PokerStars Game #6311688624: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2006/09/16 - 20:53:23 (ET)
Table 'Seppina II' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 2: Miggo ($47.45 in chips)
Seat 3: Tiny Monkey ($49.50 in chips)
Seat 4: DJ_MTC ($21.55 in chips)
Seat 5: Pejarox7620 ($21.90 in chips)
Seat 6: AMAZ1NG ($160.15 in chips)
Seat 7: scorpionfish ($43.25 in chips)
Seat 8: AlexAllen02 ($47.50 in chips)
Seat 9: KBalint ($59.10 in chips)
AlexAllen02: posts small blind $0.25
KBalint: posts big blind $0.50
USANAMACK: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to AlexAllen02 [Ah Kd]
Miggo: calls $0.50
Tiny Monkey: calls $0.50
DJ_MTC: folds
Pejarox7620: calls $0.50
AMAZ1NG: folds
scorpionfish: calls $0.50
AlexAllen02: calls $0.25
KBalint: raises $1.50 to $2
Miggo: calls $1.50
Tiny Monkey: calls $1.50
Pejarox7620: calls $1.50
scorpionfish: calls $1.50
AlexAllen02: calls $1.50
*** FLOP *** [Ks 4d 8c]
AlexAllen02: checks
KBalint: checks
Miggo: bets $3
Tiny Monkey: folds
Pejarox7620: folds
scorpionfish: folds
AlexAllen02: calls $3
KBalint: folds
*** TURN *** [Ks 4d 8c] [Kh]
AlexAllen02: checks
Miggo: bets $7
AlexAllen02: raises $8 to $15
Miggo: raises $27.45 to $42.45 and is all-in
AlexAllen02: calls $27.45
*** RIVER *** [Ks 4d 8c Kh] [6c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
AlexAllen02: shows [Ah Kd] (three of a kind, Kings)
Miggo: shows [4h 4c] (a full house, Fours full of Kings)
Miggo collected $99.90 from pot



Results oriented question in white:

Could I have gotten away from these hands or is this just normal variance? I've been trying to be very careful in big pots like this, but I got stacked on both of these and am wondering if I would do the same thing again.
In the first one I just have trouble hitting my set and then giving someone credit for the unlikely A3 holding or a bigger set even though the betting fits that. AK also seems pretty likely here.
In the second one I was trying to just complete the SB with AK to hide it's value and I thought it was going to work great on this board. At this level I could easily see someone playing it this way with a K and a worse kicker.

Hand #1 - sometimes re-raise that flop. When the K showed on the turn, the flop-bettor Re-raised you saying that the K either helped him or his hand is already made. Most of the time I have to pay that off, but if the stats and my read is right for the villian, sometimes I lay that down. You played it ok though.


Hand #2 - Stop limping with A/K. On the flop I will often re-raise to see where I stand. With so many limpers pre-flop I don't trust my TPTK as much.

Hand #1 - I'd get a lot more money in on the flop
Hand #2 - Tough to get away from w/o a read

#1 call call is alright on the flop. But, when the turn is reraised and called you need to smack that to see where you are.

#2 You check raised the turn and he pushed. That tells me he is not afraid of the second K. I can find a laydown here without a read otherwise. I would have raised preflop and tried to get this down to 1 or 2 opps though.

Originally Posted by AHiltz

But, when the turn is reraised and called you need to smack that to see where you are.

are you really wanting to see where you're at? are you folding this hand?

Both of these hands are both VERY hard to fold.

Originally Posted by martindcx1e

Originally Posted by AHiltz

But, when the turn is reraised and called you need to smack that to see where you are.

are you really wanting to see where you're at? are you folding this hand?

I can find a fold here sometimes. The majority of the time no, but sometimes yes.