Few hands from todays session

[mike2405]

[b]Hand 1:[/[b]
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|[color:#C00000]saw showdown[/color]

MP2 ($65.05)
MP3 ($11)
[color:#C00000]CO ($0)[/color]
Button ($40.90)
SB ($16.50)
[color:#C00000]BB ($42.35)[/color]
UTG ($8.70)
UTG+1 ($16)
[color:#C00000]Hero ($49.15)[/color]

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 8, 8.
[color:#666666]2 folds[/color], [color:#CC3333]Hero raises to $2.5[/color], [color:#666666]4 folds[/color], BB calls $2.

Flop: ($5.25) 3, 2, 6 [color:#0000FF](3 players)[/color]
[color:#CC3333]BB bets $5[/color], Hero calls $5.

Turn: ($15.25) 2 [color:#0000FF](3 players)[/color]
[color:#CC3333]BB bets $14.5[/color], Hero calls $41.65 (All-In), BB calls $20.35 (All-In).

River: ($91.75) J [color:#0000FF](3 players, 2 all-in)[/color]

Final Pot: $91.75

I think the all in was a bit rash, but the near pot size bets made me suspicious (wrongly). Was it the right move, or was it a call or fold?

Hand 2:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (7 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|[color:#C00000]saw showdown[/color]

[color:#C00000]MP2 ($59.30)[/color]
CO ($10.25)
Button ($73.90)
[color:#C00000]Hero ($68.50)[/color]
[color:#C00000]BB ($0)[/color]
UTG ($20.08)
MP1 ($48.25)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, 5. UTG posts a blind of $0.50.
[color:#666666]1 fold[/color], MP2 calls $0.50, [color:#666666]2 folds[/color], Hero completes, UTG (poster) checks.

Flop: ($1.50) A, 3, 6 [color:#0000FF](4 players)[/color]
Hero checks, UTG checks, [color:#CC3333]MP2 bets $1.5[/color], Hero calls $1.50, UTG folds.

Turn: ($4.50) 7 [color:#0000FF](3 players)[/color]
Hero checks, [color:#CC3333]MP2 bets $4.5[/color], [color:#CC3333]Hero raises to $15[/color], MP2 calls $10.50.

River: ($34.50) 9 [color:#0000FF](3 players)[/color]
Hero checks, MP2 checks.

Final Pot: $34.50

Villain is 59/10 so I didn't think his hand was good, but at the same time neither was mine. A bit erratic again with the turn also giving me a straight draw, but really felt I could take him off the hand. A simple check/call would have done right?

Hand 3:
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (10 handed) Hand History converter Courtesy of PokerZion.com

saw flop|[color:#C00000]saw showdown[/color]

SB ($105.33)
BB ($10.77)
UTG ($75.56)
UTG+1 ($15.24)
UTG+2 ($12.25)
MP1 ($43.80)
[color:#C00000]MP2 ($50.25)[/color]
MP3 ($58.95)
Hero ($50)
Button ($10)

Preflop: Hero is CO with J, J.
[color:#666666]4 folds[/color], [color:#CC3333]MP2 raises to $2[/color], [color:#666666]1 fold[/color], Hero calls $2, [color:#666666]3 folds[/color].

Flop: ($4.75) 4, 8, 8 [color:#0000FF](2 players)[/color]
[color:#CC3333]MP2 bets $3[/color], Hero calls $3.

Turn: ($10.75) 3 [color:#0000FF](2 players)[/color]
[color:#CC3333]MP2 bets $6.5[/color], Hero calls $6.50.

River: ($23.75) 9 [color:#0000FF](2 players)[/color]
[color:#CC3333]MP2 bets $14.5[/color], Hero ??

Final Pot: $38.25

Over pair?

[minSim]

Hand 1:
The raise/All-in on the turn is actually not that big; Villain has only 20 left after his bet, so it's only a bit more then a minraise.
I think you're beat he're too often by 45, sets, 2pair, bigger overpairs. Only hands I see you beat is 55, 77 or a bad played A6.

You always raise 5xBB pre flop?

Hand 2:
I hate these spots. I'd probably raise preflop or fold. A call isn't bad I think, but it makes postflop a bit harder.
I think you are beat by a higher A here, so I don't like the turn raise.

Hand 3:
That's a hard one. It could be a 3-barrel bluff with Ax, but I'd say you see an overpair here often. That's why I'd RR preflop.
Calling it down is ok, but the river is a hard one as you probably only beat TT or a rivered A9 or a bluff. I'd fold.

I would probably have raised either the flop or the turn.

Brings a nice question though. Lately I have been trying calling down a lot of second pair, medium overpairs a lot and it ain't going well. I am guessing like hell on turns and rivers where I stand and have to fold a lot on river...
I used to raise flops a lot with 2nd pairs to 'know where I'm at'. I know that's the wrong reason, but it prefents me from making a lot of hard calls which eventually could get more expensive. Any thoughts?