I'm really struggling at the moment and its not variance, its bad play. I appreciate all advice offered to help me improve. Below are my 5 biggest hands from yesterday - I've added player information (extremely limited - I'm a new fast poker player with limited hand history) before each hand, and my thoughts after each hand. I've included hands that seem no brainers (like KK v AA) just in case my thinking is wrong where I don't believe that it is. I think hands 1 and 2 are straightforward, hands 3-5 are probably where I need to put some thought into it.
I've been watching and studying double2s "10 tips to get out of the micros" series - having so far watched video 1 twice (Steal more) and video 2 once (Fold less on the blinds) and am trying to implement what I have learned into my game.
Hand 1
Spoiler
I only have 21 hands history on the BTN and he has played 31/25
IPoker, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
SB: $5.29 (105.8 bb)
Hero (BB): $5.66 (113.2 bb)
UTG: $4.95 (99 bb)
MP: $6.23 (124.6 bb)
CO: $7.41 (148.2 bb)
BTN: $5 (100 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BB with K
K
3 folds, BTN raises to $0.15, SB folds, Hero raises to $0.60, BTN raises to $1.55, Hero raises to $5.66 and is all-in, BTN calls $3.45 and is all-in
Flop: ($10.02) Q 2 4 (2 players, 2 are all-in)
Turn: ($10.02) 7
(2 players, 2 are all-in)
River: ($10.02) J (2 players, 2 are all-in)
Results: $10.02 pot ($0.66 rake)
Final Board: Q 2 4 7 J
Hero mucked K K and lost (-$5 net)
BTN showed A A and won $9.36 ($4.36 net)
Spoiler
No sleep lost on this hand - it plays itself doesn't it? Its a coin flip - either I have Aces or I have Kings!
Hand 2
Spoiler
I only have 26 hands history on EP and observe he has played that 26/19
IPoker, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
SB: $5.04 (100.8 bb)
BB: $7.94 (158.8 bb)
UTG: $7.62 (152.4 bb)
MP: $4.95 (99 bb)
CO: $5.12 (102.4 bb)
Hero (BTN): $5.14 (102.8 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BTN with K
K
UTG raises to $0.17, 2 folds, Hero raises to $0.50, 2 folds, UTG raises to $1.57, Hero raises to $5.14 and is all-in, UTG calls $3.57
Flop: ($10.35) 4 K K (2 players, 1 is all-in)
Turn: ($10.35) J (2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: ($10.35) 6 (2 players, 1 is all-in)
Results: $10.35 pot ($0.69 rake)
Final Board: 4 K K J 6
UTG showed A A and lost (-$5.14 net)
Hero mucked K K and won $9.66 ($4.52 net)
Spoiler
Same as Hand 1. No sleep lost through getting it in bad. Don't care about the result (as sweet as flopping quads looks)
Hand 3
Spoiler
I only have 36 hands history on the BTN. Noting he has played 8/8 he looks likely to be a tight player
I also have 36 hands on the SB with stats of 18/9
I finally have a bit of history on a player! The BB has 189 hands and stats of 26/18
IPoker, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
SB: $8.92 (178.4 bb)
BB: $5 (100 bb)
UTG: $5.65 (113 bb)
MP: $4.95 (99 bb)
Hero (CO): $5.76 (115.2 bb)
BTN: $2.20 (44 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with T J
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.12, BTN folds, SB calls $0.10, BB folds
Flop: ($0.29) J 5 7 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.20, SB calls $0.20
Turn: ($0.69) 9 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.48, SB raises to $1.49, Hero calls $1.01
River: ($3.67) 2 (2 players)
SB bets $2.56, Hero calls $2.56
Results: $8.79 pot ($0.58 rake)
Final Board: J 5 7 9 2
SB showed 8 T and won $8.21 ($3.84 net)
Hero mucked T J and lost (-$4.37 net)
Spoiler
Within the context of where double2 has been focusing his videos, this looks an obvious raise. I have 2 broadway cards, and the BTN (my primary consideration from the CO) appears a very tight player. I can steal the button here.
My raise is 2.4BB which is my default raise from the cut off, and the size of raise I always make (again, in line with guidance on double2 video).
The SB, apparently a pretty tight player flat calls. I suspect his range would be better than my JTo
I flop top pair, mid kicker. I'm happy with that and believe I am most likely ahead. I want to get 3 streets of betting in if nothing changes and he is passive. (70% ish of pot a time)
He checks to me, I bet 20c into the 29c pot
He hits his gutshot. I don't think I considered the straight as an option for him at the time at all at this stage. What do I put him on? A raggy Ace maybe (not AJ which I would expect him to raise preflop). 2 broadway cards maybe. Something like JQ definitely a possibility.
Hes checked to me again, for the second successive street. At the time I'm happy to bet my top pair mid kicker for a second street. I think I stand by that now. He's shown no strength and there are a lot of potential straight and flush draws out there. I don't want to give away a free card.
To this point I would be happy with the decisions I've made this far - please tell me if I'm wrong.
Now I face the check race. Alarm bells set off! He's shown mega strength. It's either a complete bluff or he has me crushed. With hindsight I should have folded here I think! I didn't, I called. 
He bets the river and I call
Why why why? It looks crazy now (but its easy seeing his hand!). The only explanation I can come up with is maybe I put him on some kind of AdXd draw? And when the river was a blank....
My take on this hand is that everything was fine until he check raised me on the turn, and after that, everything was wrong! Fair comment? If that is right, can I ask, how strong a hand would I need to resist his turn check raise? Trips or better? Or a strong draw? How likely was he to have a diamond flush draw on the turn and the river? Anything else I should be thinking about?
Hand 4
Spoiler
No history on the SB - just 8 hands which are tight (and passive) 13/0
IPoker, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
SB: $4.87 (97.4 bb)
Hero (BB): $5.67 (113.4 bb)
UTG: $2.07 (41.4 bb)
MP: $5.14 (102.8 bb)
CO: $5.74 (114.8 bb)
BTN: $3.36 (67.2 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 6 9
4 folds, SB completes, Hero raises to $0.20, SB calls $0.15
Flop: ($0.40) 8 5 5 (2 players)
SB bets $0.05, Hero calls $0.05
Turn: ($0.50) 7 (2 players)
SB bets $0.05, Hero raises to $0.65, SB calls $0.60
River: ($1.80) T (2 players)
SB bets $2, Hero calls $2
Results: $5.80 pot ($0.38 rake)
Final Board: 8 5 5 7 T
SB showed T T and won $5.42 ($2.52 net)
Hero mucked 6 9 and lost (-$2.90 net)
Spoiler
He limps, I have nothing in the BB. I should probably check and see the flop? However I suspect that he has nothing and will fold to a raise, so I go 4xBB (Too big? 3xBB would be better? Though 3x would give him 2-1).
Looking at my database, I've faced an opening SB limper 37 times from the BB. Of those I raised 6 times and checked to see a flop 31 times. So my action here does seem out of character! (Of the other 5 I raised 3 times we still went to the flop - so I'm not getting folds!!)
Its shouldn't be a catastrophic situation at this stage though - I have position and it is still a pretty small pot.
I flop a gutshot, but its also a paired board, so I'm always fearful that I could be drawing dead (I figure the SB could have any 2 cards at this point)
The SB projects weakness (in my own small little world) with a minimum bet. I just call to see if I can hit my draw (pot is offering me 9-1 immediate odds) and to see what he does on the turn.
I do hit my draw, but must be cautious with the paired board and a 3 flush in clubs, with a card to come (I think a club on the river would increase my chances of losing the hand)
Villain again minimum bets - screaming weakness to me (or a draw) - I put in a large bet, presumably to protect my hand from another club on the river and a potential higher flush. With hindsight, I think I could probably value my 9c higher to be less afraid of a club on the river, but overall, its reasonable to have raised the turn with my straight I feel (I'm expecting to be told I'm wrong 
)
The 10d on the river probably seemed a safe card for me. I certainly don't put him on a pair of Tens, I feel I'm probably beating most 5's that he can hold. The flush is a possibility, but he's shown no real signs of that, and his blocking bet on the turn (and flop) implies he is trying to pot control and is weak, so wouldn't have hit the flush on the Turn. For similar reasons I think I can discount 88, 77, 85 and 75. I still think he is weak.
Then he overbets the river. What could he have? A high club (missed flush draw)? T5 is a strong possibility, based on my understanding of what he has done? As I already said, I don't put him on TT at all.
To be honest, with hindsight, I've no idea at all what to make of this hand. T5 is the only hand I can put him on that's beating me - but its more likely he has a missed flush draw? (High club) I don't know what to do different in this situation on the river again. The overbet suggests that he doesn't want a call...
I doubt I was "just unlucky" that he hit the river, but not quite sure what I should have done drastically different - more respect to a paired flop?
Hand 5
Spoiler
No history worth mentioning on the BTN (just 3 previous hands)
18 hands on the SB - 28/0
24 hands on the BB - 33/17
IPoker, $0.02/$0.05 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
SB: $6.36 (127.2 bb)
BB: $1.87 (37.4 bb)
UTG: $5.75 (115 bb)
MP: $6.57 (131.4 bb)
Hero (CO): $5.04 (100.8 bb)
BTN: $2.35 (47 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with 8 8
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.12, BTN calls $0.12, 2 folds
Flop: ($0.31) 2 3 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.21, BTN raises to $0.42, Hero raises to $1.57, BTN raises to $2.23 and is all-in, Hero calls $0.66
Turn: ($4.77) J (2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: ($4.77) 4 (2 players, 1 is all-in)
Results: $4.77 pot ($0.31 rake)
Final Board: 2 3 3 J 4
Hero mucked 8 8 and lost (-$2.35 net)
BTN showed A A and won $4.46 ($2.11 net)
Spoiler
Again, the preflop situation on this hand is very relevant to the first double2 video - against an unknown on the BTN, and with a decent enough hand in the cut off, my first goal is to steal the button. I put in my standard 2.4BB raise when it is unopened to me in the cut off.
The BTN calls and the blinds fold. Not really the goal - I am now out of position for the rest of the hand.
Not a bad flop for pocket 8s and I lead out. Villain minimum 3bets me. The pot is 94c and villain has only €1.81 in front of him. I shove. With hindsight, must be horrible! However my probable justification at the time - shoving removes positional disadvantage and his min 3bet suggests a drawing hand (or a monster?)? The small reraise definitely suggests he wants action.
But its pretty bad - he calls and I have 12% equity!
So where did I go wrong? What should I have done differently? The shove must be a mistake, but I'm not sure what to do instead - I cant fold can I? If I call, what do I do on the turn and the river?
