Struggling at NL, hand review anyone?

[Gridlock]

I have recently converted from LHE to NL and am now dabbling at the 50 and 100 NL at Party Poker. Actually Im doing quite fine, and have had some pretty neat results. However I find myself in situations, wich I believe to be very basic for a NL-player. Still I am a bit uncertain of what do to do in some of these situations. These hh's are from todays play and while I believe nothing is particulary special with these hands I still need a little guidance. So feel free to flame me if appropriate, im looking for honest opinions here.

1. Nothing special here. It's the little details I need help with not the overall performance in this pot. Preflop raise correct? Leading on the flop?

***** Hand History for Game 3428020820 *****
$50 NL Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, January 24, 10:27:30 EDT 2006
Table Table 64999 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button

Total number of players : 10
Seat 3: BANKROLL100K ( $54.55 )
Seat 4: xXJAL1Xx ( $22.60 )
Seat 5: Gridlock ( $96.95 )
Seat 6: uvrugby ( $43.05 )
Seat 8: Penderic ( $76.90 )
Seat 2: paramonoV ( $31.75 )
Seat 9: smileNpoker ( $50.08 )
Seat 7: A7X_KiLLeR ( $81.60 )
Seat 10: iampokerpat ( $39.10 )
Seat 1: Politik_Al ( $48.50 )

uvrugby posts small blind [$0.25].
A7X_KiLLeR posts big blind [$0.50].

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Gridlock [ 8c 8s ]

Penderic folds.
smileNpoker calls [$0.50].
iampokerpat folds.
Politik_Al folds.
paramonoV folds.
BANKROLL100K calls [$0.50].
xXJAL1Xx folds.
Gridlock raises [$3].
uvrugby calls [$2.75].
A7X_KiLLeR folds.
smileNpoker folds.
BANKROLL100K folds.

** Dealing Flop ** [ 8h, 4s, Jc ]

uvrugby checks.
Gridlock bets [$4.50].
uvrugby calls [$4.50].

** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]
uvrugby checks.
Gridlock bets [$10].
uvrugby raises [$20].
Gridlock raises [$25].
uvrugby is all-In [$15.55]
Gridlock calls [$0.55].

** Dealing River ** [ Th ]

2. Here im facing an very aggressive player. He has stabbed at several pots, bluffed a lot and been extremely lucky. I felt he was just pushing around as usual and decided to make a stand.

***** Hand History for Game 3428183439 *****
$50 NL Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, January 24, 11:30:09 EDT 2006
Table Table 65124 (Real Money)
Seat 8 is the button

Total number of players : 10
Seat 4: Adohra ( $335.27 )
Seat 5: tjt140 ( $136.72 )
Seat 6: sting ( $172.50 )
Seat 10: thanhngavc ( $41.60 )
Seat 9: Gridlock ( $65.15 )
Seat 1: iron__duke ( $5.75 )
Seat 7: ZorbaHigh ( $51.20 )
Seat 8: wardo6945 ( $21.58 )
Seat 2: dp652 ( $49.50 )
Seat 3: benkaufman ( $49.50 )
Gridlock posts small blind [$0.25].
thanhngavc posts big blind [$0.50].

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Gridlock [ Kd Ad ]

iron__duke folds.
dp652 folds.
benkaufman folds.
Adohra calls [$0.50].
tjt140 calls [$0.50].
Gridlock raises [$2.75].
Adohra calls [$2.50].

** Dealing Flop ** [ Td, Jd, 7s ]

Gridlock bets [$5].
Adohra raises [$10].
Gridlock_ raises [$52.15].
Adohra calls [$47.15].

** Dealing Turn ** [ Jc ]
Gridlock is all-In [$5]
Adohra calls [$5].

** Dealing River ** [ Qc ]

3. This is a problematic hand, but I believed I played it accordingly. Also there is more to this one; villain has been playing passive preflop and I have seen him on several occasions just calling raises with big hands (qq, kk, ak, aa). And while I believed he could possibly have a set of jacks I felt queens or kings were very likely holdings as well. Thoughts?

***** Hand History for Game 3428198560 *****
$50 NL Texas Hold'em - Tuesday, January 24, 11:35:31 EDT 2006
Table Table 65124 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button

Total number of players : 10
Seat 4: Adohra ( $268.62 )
Seat 5: tjt140 ( $114.64 )
Seat 6: sting ( $172.50 )
Seat 10: thanhngavc ( $40.85 )
Seat 9: Gridlock ( $128.30 )
Seat 1: iron__duke ( $5 )
Seat 7: ZorbaHigh ( $51.20 )
Seat 8: wardo6945 ( $42.21 )
Seat 2: dp652 ( $52.90 )
Seat 3: benkaufman ( $47 )

benkaufman posts small blind [$0.25].
Adohra posts big blind [$0.50].

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Gridlock [ As Ah ]

tjt140 folds.
iron__duke: u were close to 2 to 1
sting folds.
Gridlock: yeah
ZorbaHigh raises [$2].
Gridlock raises [$6].
thanhngavc folds.
iron__duke folds.
dp652 folds.
benkaufman folds.
Adohra calls [$5.50].

ZorbaHigh calls [$4].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ts, Jc, Tc ]
iron__duke: i got a calculator to run it
Adohra checks.
ZorbaHigh checks.
Gridlock bets [$15].
Adohra folds.
ZorbaHigh is all-In [$45.20]
Gridlock calls [$30.20].

** Dealing Turn ** [ 8d ]
** Dealing River ** [ 5s ]

[Bo G]

Hand 1. Played to trap with 6 x BB raise with position (I like that to vary my play rather than limping with mid pp). Once you hit a set you are playing for stacks. He might have a set of 4s or 7s but have seen guys with AA or KK just cold call pre flop raiser and go hard on flop (which he didnt do so I dismiss this). If he hit a set of Js pay him off.

Hand 2. Very nice push on 2 over cards, nut flush draw and nut straight.

Hand 3. Like you said he could have JJ but I would say he has QQ even more.

[Gridlock]

Thanks for your reply, good to hear I did some things right at least. In hand 3, he actually held the mentioned queens

[harmisajedi]

#1. correct play, although id rather check on a relatively safe rainbow flop w/ my set rather than lead into it. if your read is correct & he's holding an op, you can rep aj w/ a check-raise & make him think he's extracting value out of you, not viceversa...

#2. 100% correct play. you're statistically ahead of virtually anything except flopped trips--nut flush draw, two overcards & a gutshot as well.

#3. 100% correct play. it's next to impossible to put somebody on a ten here, (unless somebody called your 12xbb re-raise w/ tt & hit quads, in which case you tip your hat & pay the man like a slot machine.) i'd actually have him on aj, since plenty of idiots make extremely marginal calls w/ it hoping to hit their 3-outer on the flop.