What's wrong with my thinking?

PP NL H Tourney, $6 buy-in, only the 4th one I've tried, new to NL.

Play down to 5-handed. I have small to moderate stack, twice the BB.

Then get AA (finally!) UTG. I limp, hoping for raise, all fold to BB who checks.

Flop is JTx, 2 spades, he checks, I bet half-pot(1/4 his stack, I want him all-in), he calls.

Turn is 4th spade, I bet him all in, he calls, he has A2s for the nuts...

Should I have just tapped on the flop and be happy with smaller pot, was flop too coordinated for a BB? I think I just got unlucky...


Next hand(!) T5 in BB, free look at TTJ flop.

3 players, guy who beat me last hand who is now SB and middle player (MP).

MP bets minimum, we 2 call (I now only have 1.67 big bets left and want callers when I tap).

Turn is Q (not pretty, but with no pre-flop raises, I don't fear AK), I go all-in, both call. BB has AA, and river is...K! How could he call??

I think if went all-in on flop (only I big bet more than my 1.67 big bet all-in) he still would’ve called with a less threatening board and 2 chances to out-draw me anyway...

So was I too much in love with my AA and flopped trips??

Comments...

Thanks!

1. Bet much more than that on the flop (either way you lose he will call with nut flush draw) but 5 handed you should never have limped. Save that for 7 or more players. Raising and showing your hand if they all fold lends a lot more cred to the blind steals later on too.


2. What do you mean how can he call? He has an overpair and gutshot and you are more likely to have a J than a T (and even more likely to have next to nothing). Sure if you had made a huge allin bet it might have been correct to fold, but you had next to nothing left. He should call with A or K high, or an underpair in this spot so AA is a nobrainer.