Hand 1 QJs
Preflop
I would also defend by calling.
Flop
Easy bet when checked to.
Turn
I would bet again for value and protection.
River
You improved to two pair, but the flushdraw completed, and the opponent bet very large. He is mostly saying, he has a flush, so I dont totally love this spot, but I do think, you are a bit to high in your range to fold. Its difficult to find natural bluffs in his range, but it is a low buyin, and sometimes people just do really weird things like randomly check-call the flop with KQ or AQ and then overplay top pair on the river. So for me this is a sigh-call, but I am not expecting to be good more than say 30% of the time, so raising is completely out of the question.
Results
You actually lost the minimum in this hand, and I think, both you and the opponent played it to passively. From his perspective its a pretty big failure to not get stacks inside, when he flop a set against top pair with 30BB effective. And even though you were coolered this time, you are also leaving chips on the table by checking back the turn, when you have the best hand 90% of the time.
Hand 2 QJo
Preflop
Facing an UTG open this is just a very easy fold. You are heavily dominated by his range, and there are 6 players left to act, who can all 3-bet, or 4 of them can overcall and take position on you.
Flop
Standard call.
Turn
Another standard call especially since you picked up an OESD to go along with top pair.
River
This was a great card for you, and when checked to I would bet for value trying to get called mainly by an overpair. You dont need to jam here, but if you bet small like 30% pot, an overpair will make the crying call, especially since people just hate to fold those big starting
hands like aces or kings.
Results
I am shocked, the river went check-check, when you both had trips. This is another one, where you would have lost more, if you had played postflop better. But its also one, where you created your own cooler by getting involved incorrectly preflop. Kicker domination is one of the main reasons, why we dont call a hand like this against an UTG open.
