Standard?

LAG opens the button to $7. SB calls. I make it $26 in the BB with 88. LAG folds but SB calls.

Pot $59. Flop [7h][3h] He checks. I bet $34. Standard?

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Not so standard

I raise to $7 with [Kd] UTG. Button calls.
Pot $16. Flop [Js][Th] I bet $13 and he calls.
Pot $42. Turn . I check...He checks behind.
Pot $42. River . I bet $23. Good? Bad? I suck?

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Are you insane?

SB completes. I raise to $8 in the BB with [9c]. He calls.
Pot $16. Flop [8d][5c]. He checks, I bet $11. He calls.
Pot $38. Turn . He leads $19 with $60 behind. I shove. Am I insane?

All 3 look good to me. On hand #2 I think I may be more like $45 in flop. I really, really, really like #3.

#1) Why is 88 a bad hand to 3 bet with? The LAG has garbage most of the time and the SB is just defending his blind. He probably has KTs or something.

I know I can call and try to hit a set which I do alot , but not against a LAG opening on the button. I agree my flop bet could be $40ish, but really didnt think he was going to call anyway. I might make the same flop bet with AA / KK in this spot.

#2) I think one of the reasons my win rate is higher than ever right now is because Im betting alot more rivers than I used to. I can think of hand after hand where I bet the river and get called (where I used to check) and those bets really add up. Im convinced that almost nobody bluff raises the river so unless Ive seen someone do it more than once, Im not going to worry about it. I like bet / fold alot more than I used to. I used to be afraid to bet because I might have to fold but it was costing me alot of money.