$6-12 with 1/2 kill live limit table, 10 handed. Wanted to get some thoughts.
Unless noted, everbody else folded preflop. My image if anybody was watching was very tight as I was getting colddecked since I sat down, I had only played one hand out of about 20, which is why I chose my preflop play in the first hand.

HAND 1:
Dealt to me in MP:

UTG+1 (good player, i.e. capable of laying down a hand) raises to $12, I three-bet to $18, button (no read at all) coldcalls the $18, UTG+1 calls, everybody else folded. [I don't want to focus too much on the preflop play, I know it is controversial, but I really must have looked like a total rock which is why I did it against this specific player.]

Flop:

UTG+1 checks, I bet $6, button calls, UTG+1 calls.

Turn:

UTG+1 checks, I check, button checks.

River:

UTG +1 checks, I ?????

Should I have followed through on the turn , or would that just be chip spewing??? I essentially gave up on the hand on the turn.
Do you bet the river here???

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HAND 2:

Dealt to me in BB

preflop: everybody folds to MP1 (strong player) who limps first in for $6, everybody else folds, SB calls, I check.

Flop (3 handed):


I check, MP1 bets $6, SB folds, I call.

Turn:

I lead $12, MP1 calls.

Rive:

I lead $12 (???)

I put the MP1 on a small-medium pocket pair, two boradways, or a decent A preflop (but not AJ-AK, he would definitely raise those - I have played with him before). He is not limping with trash like say 6-8 suited or 67o in other words.
Do I raise preflop?
I lead out on the turn trying to get a better A to fold representing a flush.
Is this correct?
Is the river bet correct or is this chip spewing?

Thanks in advance!!!

When I play live which is not so seldom, I tend to wait a little while before coming up with my final read. My first impressions of players, which I get in the first hour of play, aren't always correct because of a shortage of information or an abundance of it. I played a guy in Tahoe who I swore I saw show down the nuts in the first 45 minutes of play and that's it, and wasn't coming in preflop, but the next hour, I guess he was 'catching cards' and played about 80% of his hands past the flop...and lost all the money he won the first hour plus his original buyin, showing down crappy hand after hand as well. I just tend to wait on what I notice a little longer before I use it to my advantage.

If you have more of a read on the UTG player in Hand 1 or the MP in Hand 2, share that in your original post. Give a description of how tight/loose and how passive/aggro opponents are to better define the situation and the other lurkers will give you some spot on info.

Hand 1 I am checking behind on river.

Hand 2 you have to either bet out or check raise that flop. Lets find out where we stand right now. I dont like check call here at all. There is no way I can fire at river either. You represented a flush on the turn and he didn't care. He probbly has a high club in his hand. I think this is a clear check/fold (pot is not that big). Maybe folding is weak, but I'll eat my hat if you have the best hand here.

Well, hoping for a few more responses on my new forum here but at least the quality is high, so there is hope yet!
You all made some very good points.

The first hand I agree that the preflop play is a bit sketchy, I would NEVER flat call here, as I would always raise or fold with this type of pocket pair after a raise. I really felt I could bully the guy and phyto was right, I was itching to get in a pot.
The cold call really threw me - I wouldn't expect anybody to cold call 3 bets in this game without a great hand.
It looks like the consensus is that I played it fine postflop, the UTG+1 showed 99 and the coldcaller mucked (!) unclear what he could be justifeid calling with - likely a little pair or suited connector and gambooooooling. I'm sure I would have indeed won on the turn if it was headsup as I intended and bet, such is life.

The second hand the consensus is I screwed up, and I agree. I put the guy on a pocket pair or medium A preflop and so therefore just called. Strong arguement to raise noted.
On the flop, my feeling was to go into check call mode against this agressive strong player (I didn't really state that he was aggressive in the original post - should have). I kinda felt that if he had a pocket pair he would keep betting it, so figured I'd make the maximum against him just letting him bet it - and if he had a betterA than minimize my losses.

When the flush card hit, I felt like if I bet out I might get him to fold a better A, wasn't planning this move on the flop but just kinda improvised. He had Qh10c and took the pot with the flush. I played this very strangely for me so wanted to post as I thought the hand was interesting - I think again I was playing a bit differently because I was so card dead and normally would play this much more aggressively.

I'm working my way up to playing $10-20 1/2 kill and this table was the usual 10-20 players as they hadn't gotten that game started yet. I kinda find myself psychologicaly playing a bit differently sometimes since I know they usually play higher than me. It makes no sense - I should just play my usual game, but sometimes go into check/call mode as these guys can be really aggressive with nothing. I need to make sure I keep up the pressure in hands like the second one. I think there is some occasions for going into check/call but it should be rare and far between.

edit: and obviously someone decribed as strong should not be limping ifrst in with q10o - this was a very abnormal holding from playing ~ 5 hours with him.