[JrJordan]

Just a quick word on your game structure. With a $4 max buy in, the game is very shallow. That's only 40xBB... less than Party Poker. Maybe the next time you host a game you might recommend raising the max buy in to $6, or at least $5. It will give you better impled odds to loosen your starting hand selection.

Preflop: T8s is a pretty bad hand here for several reasons. You have very bad position with what is at best a drawing hand. There's only 6 people at the table, reducing implied odds. The stacks are very shallow, again reducing implied odds. Fold this guy preflop every time and you'll already be making a +EV decision.

Flop: This is why T8s sucks from EP. Other than a miracle two pair or straight/flush, you hit the best flop you possibly could. You have top pair on a rainbow, non draw board. The problem is, you have no idea where you stand on this hand. I'd probably bet closer to $.35 in this case. $.25 just seems too weak in this case and if he's LAG he could push you out of the pot.

Turn: His call is pretty suspect and now an overcard hits, not the worst one though. This bet comes down to a read of your opponent. Is he relatively weak-tight and would fold to a strong turn bet, or is he a calling station that you can't get off a hand for your life? If he's weak tight, I bet again around $.75 and hope to take the pot there. If he's a calling station, I check hoping to see a free river and win a small pot.

River: Another overcard comes and your opponent has called two bets already. You mention that you're trying to push out a mediocre hand right? The $.75 bet you make here is less than half the pot. Against a calling station like this guy there is no way he's folding here unless you were already ahead in the first place. I can't think of a decent hand that will call your bet, and still lose to you. You thought he had JT or overcards. Well, the only hand you beat now following that is AQ, which he would probably raise PF. Check and be willing to fold to any decent bet on the river.

A suited one gapper from early position is asking for trouble. Too many ways to lose it, and not enough ways to get it paid off. Fold it preflop from EP every time and you've already improved.