$50 NL on UB. Table is quite tight and I have been stealing a bit, but villain has been at the table for two orbits only, during which I haven't played a hand.

Hand 1)
I have $50, villain has $40. I raise in MP with [Kh] to $2.50. Villain in SB is only caller.

Flop: [9s][2d].

Villain bets $0.50 into a $5,50 pot. I don't know what that means, and I guess it's a feeler bet, so I raise the pot. Villain calls.

Turn: . Villain checks. What to do here? What do you put him on? Unlikely he called with QT preflop, so I'm not that worried about the straight. JJ or 99 worries me most, but why would he draw attention by min betting the flop? A flush is possible. Still he hasn't shown any strength and I have my spade outs, so I fire $15 into a $20 pot. Villain calls.

River: . Villain moves allin for his remaining $16. Pot is $66 now, and I call reluctantly and out of sheer confusion. Villain takes the pot with KJ.

I wouldn't have a problem folding on the flop or the turn if he'd shown any aggression, but I had severe trouble reading him correctly. If he read me for AK then he certainly maximized his win, knowing (on the flop) that only an A could hurt him. But then he should have raised the turn...

The opponent in the second hand is fairly passive but doesn't seem to play crap hands.

Hand 2) I have $50, opponent has $60. I open raise with [Qc] in LP and get called by opponent in BB.

Flop: [Qs][8c].

Opponent bets $1,50. I raise the pot, opponent calls.

Turn: . Opponent checks, I check behind.
Is this too weak? I thought about betting but chose to take the free card.

River: . Opponent goes allin, I fold.

Any ideas? In both hands the betting pattern small bet- pot raise- call confused me. How is this to be interpreted in general?

Thanks, Pieter

First hand 6:1 I call here even on this nasty board.

Second hand all you have is middle pair, easy fold. He called your flop raise, probably intended to check raise the turn, and made a big suspcious bet on the river, likely with KQ JT AK a set. There are so many hands you are behind too that I don't believe middle pair could possibly winning.

These are the most frusterating hands in poker IMO, the monster draw that misses.

rdale, he had the nut flush draw in the second hand if you didn't notice. I think you did right by checking the turn and folding the river.

Hand 1, his bet on the flop looked weak but he called you so he either had the jack or the flush draw. what are people's thoughts on checking behind on the turn? You pick up top pair and the flush draw but it could have completed his draw. Depending on the river bet at that point would determine if I call.

Hand #1 it is very hard to put him on 2-pair here, IMO. That post-oak bluff can be a hard one to read. Lately I have been calling those small bets with the idea of raising on the next street. That way I represent a very strong hand.

I wouldn't check behind on the second hand with middle pair drawing to the nuts. I want to build the pot in case I hit... you basically have 14 outs if you put him on the K (9 clubs, 2 Q's, 3 A's). I might even be willing to commit my stack here.

In general I think the small bet and then call of a raise is usually a weak play indicating a draw. Those small bets are sometimes blocking bets. I almost always fire on the next street when an opponent calls my raise and I have a drawing hand or better.