Playing big pocket pairs

[topspin]

Two hands from tonight. A pretty uncertain part of my game has been figuring out what to do with big pairs against aggression -- not only are they hard to lay down in of themselves, but usually the pot is pretty huge and laying good odds.

I'd appreciate some feedback on whether I could have taken a better line anywhere, or if the play was standard.

Hand 1: Paradise Poker 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, MP2 calls, <font color="666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, BB calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero caps</font>, MP2 calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (24 SB) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif, 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 5/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB calls, UTG calls, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero 3-bets</font>, MP2 calls, SB folds, BB calls, UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 caps</font>, Hero calls, MP2 calls, BB calls.

The defining point in this hand is probably Hero's action here. A raise essentially pumps the pot to the point that I'm tied to seeing a showdown, whereas folding leaves a bad taste in my mouth with the large pot. Would a flat call be better? At the time this seemed like either raise or fold.

Turn: (21 BB) 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero calls, MP2 calls, BB calls.

River: (25 BB) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero calls, MP2 calls, <font color="CC3333">BB raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, Hero folds...

Final Pot: 32 BB

Fold the first time around? Call? I'm pretty sure I'm not best here anymore.

--

[b]Hand 2: Paradise Poker 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K/images/graemlins/heart.gif, K/images/graemlins/club.gif. MP2 posts a blind of $0.25.
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="666666">1 fold</font>, MP2 (poster) checks, CO calls, Button calls, SB completes, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO calls, Button calls, SB calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(6 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, CO folds, Button folds, SB calls.

This differs from hand 1 in that it's only a single bet to me this time. I assume a raise is standard here?

Turn: (10 BB) 7/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG+1 calls, MP2 calls, SB calls.

River: (14 BB) 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls, <font color="CC3333">UTG+1 raises</font>, MP2 folds, SB calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 20 BB

[b]Fold the first or second times around? Both were crying calls ... the second seems more egregious than the first.

[young nut]

First hand: Horrible horrible laydown for 1 more BB in a 30+ BB pot. Regardless of how you played the other streets, you should not lay this hand down for 1 more BB. You need to read Ed Miller's post about calling with seemingly beaten hands in big pots on the river.

Second hand...not bad, hard to fold that river without any reads.