Perilous 2-pair Results

Hand 1

Full Tilt Poker, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players
BB: $52.30UTG: $38.10Hero (BTN): $60.70SB: $50.70
Pre-Flop: A J dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG raises to $1.75, Hero calls $1.75, SB calls $1.50, BB folds
Flop: ($5.75) J A T (3 Players)
SB checks, UTG checks,
Hero bets $4,
SB calls $4,
UTG raises to $21.75,
Hero?

Hero calls $17.75,
SB folds
Turn: ($53.25) 6 (2 Players)
UTG bets $14.60 and is All-In,
Hero calls $14.60 <--- Can't fold here
River: ($82.45) T (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: $82.45 Pot ($2 Rake)UTG showed A K (two pair, Aces and Tens) and LOST (-$38.10 NET)Hero showed A J (two pair, Aces and Jacks) and WON $80.45 (+$42.35 NET)

After the flop raise by the PFR, I took the one and only inexcusable action available - calling the raise. I know I'm calling off the rest of my stack regardless, and, even if by the slimmest chance, I had some fold equity, I should have sought it out with a push here. Also, I don't want the SB tagging along, so I need to raise again to ensure his fold. As for the PFR, I'm scared of AA, JJ, 1010, and KQ, which are all likely. He could also conceivably make this move with a hand like AK, AQ, KK, QQ, or even KJ. It's a wide enough range to make it a call. But I don't think this is an automatic call, and you know that in a hand like this, even if you're ahead, you will have to sweat some (possibly many) outs to take it down.

But that decision was easier than this one...

Hand 2

Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 15/30 Blinds, 8 Players
MP1: 1,560
MP2: 1,455
CO: 3,165
BTN: 1,440
Hero (SB): 1,410
BB: 1,500
UTG: 1,470
UTG+1: 1,500

Pre-Flop: (45) A 9 dealt to Hero (SB)
4 folds, CO calls 30, BTN calls 30, Hero calls 15, BB checks

Flop: (120) 9 A J (4 Players)
Hero bets 90, BB folds, CO calls 90, BTN folds

Turn: (300) 3 (2 Players)
Hero bets 200, CO raises to 400, Hero calls 200

River: (1,100) Q (2 Players)
Hero checks,
CO bets 1,050,
Hero?

Hero calls 890 and is All-In

Results: 2,880 Pot
CO showed 3 2 (a pair of Threes) and LOST (-1,410 NET)
Hero showed A 9 (two pair, Aces and Nines) and WON 2,880 (+1,470 NET)

I bet you didn't think I would actually win won both of these hands. Frankly, I was a bit shocked too. Especially this one. In my experience, calling a flop bet and then raising the turn shows a lot of strength. It usually means you either had a monster on the flop and now you're trying to build up the pot, or you had a draw on the flop that connected on the turn. That turn card doesn't connect much (A-3 is about it), so I figured he had me beat on the flop, with either A-J, JJ, or even 99. In the best case, he was holding either J-9 or A-3, or a he picked up a diamond draw.

And that's why the river card was disastrous. It connected any diamond draw, the 10-8 draw, and made AQ a better two-pair. So I made a Crying-turned-Smiling Call (still haven't found a good phrase for that), really expecting to be beat. And of course I was completely stunned to see an outright bluff. This hand made me realize that I really don't ever put my opponents on complete bluffs.

And, I'm still not even convinced that it was a good call. Part of me thinks it was a donkey call, and it just so happened to be the 1 time out of 5 or so that I was good there. I try to avoid being results-oriented, so what does everyone think? Was it a good call, or did I just get extremely lucky? Should I fold in that spot next time?

What I missed, and which would probably have made my river call automatic, was this hand, which occurred about 3 hands earlier, and doubled up my opponent:

Full Tilt Poker, NL Hold'em Tournament, 15/30 Blinds, 9 Players
CO: 1,560
BTN: 1,455
SB: 1,515
BB: 1,500
UTG: 1,500
Hero (UTG+1): 1,500
UTG+2: 1,500
MP1: 1,470
MP2: 1,500

Pre-Flop: (45) 7 5 dealt to Hero (UTG+1)
UTG raises to 90, 6 folds, SB calls 75, BB folds

Flop: (210) 7 4 J (2 Players)
SB bets 30, UTG raises to 210, SB calls 180

Turn: (630) T (2 Players)
SB checks, UTG bets 660, SB calls 660

River: (1,950) 9 (2 Players)
SB checks, UTG bets 540 and is All-In, SB calls 540

Results: 3,030 Pot
SB showed T 8 (a straight, Jack high) and WON 3,030 (+1,530 NET)
UTG showed K K (a pair of Kings) and LOST (-1,500 NET)

So the guy was basically a donkey. Donkey-led the flop and called a raise with just a gutshot. Then called a PSB with 2nd pair and a gutshot. Then hit the gutshot. Thank god I was able to deliver this guy a proper comeuppance for his idiocy.