NL5 ~ Aces // Value river bet

I also have a really similar hand to the one played,

PokerStars - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 4 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BB): $10.92
CO: $12.89 (VPIP: 27.60, PFR: 22.92, 3Bet Preflop: 6.06, Hands: 199)
BTN: $6.55 (VPIP: 24.09, PFR: 20.00, 3Bet Preflop: 9.27, Hands: 401)
SB: $3.00 (VPIP: 22.86, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 36)

SB posts SB $0.02, Hero posts BB $0.05

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.07) Hero has A♠ K♦

fold, BTN raises to $0.12, fold, Hero raises to $0.40, BTN calls $0.28

Flop: ($0.82, 2 players) K♥ 7♥ 9♦
Hero bets $0.45, BTN calls $0.45

Turn: ($1.72, 2 players) 4♠
Hero checks, BTN bets $1.00, Hero calls $1.00

River: ($3.72, 2 players) T♠
Hero bets $1.17, fold

Hero wins $3.57

On the second hand you can bet turn too. Why give free cards to draws?

I think those are not that similar. In the first hand I can understand the turn check but not in the second one.
One similar thing is that I don't understand your river donks.

In the first hand you are making a small block bet but actually you could be maybe check folding? I don't expect villain to barrel much as a bluff here and you usually don't get calls from weaker hands. Now I think villain called you because your line looks like total bluff.

I'm not sure how good these fancy lines really are

Originally posted by la55i
I think those are not that similar. In the first hand I can understand the turn check but not in the second one.
One similar thing is that I don't understand your river donks.

In the first hand you are making a small block bet but actually you could be maybe check folding? I don't expect villain to barrel much as a bluff here and you usually don't get calls from weaker hands. Now I think villain called you because your line looks like total bluff.

I'm not sure how good these fancy lines really are

it's not really a fancy line.
on the river in the first hand, we don't want a check giving him the option to make a big 2/3 bet and bluff us out. Betting small gets value from a wide range and although it may be an exploitable play, this isn't a concern. We also hold the blocker to flushes, and when we bet-call the turn he could even check back strong kings that we would miss value from. The bet is strange, he's getting good pot odds to make a hero call and our line doesn't make too much sense.

As to the second hand, we are sat over 100bigs and i don't want to play for a huge pot OOP. I want his range as wide as possible, and if i barrel i'm giving him a chance to fold his weaker kings (it is a 3b pot). he also might barrel a FD he might of called then bluffed the river with if he missed.
But what do i know, i play NL5 and need help on the thought process