[KramerTM]

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Hand 1 - It's hard to fault your play preflop - I'd definitely raise with that hand if folded to me. You can fold to the flop raise. You're behind too many hands in villains possible range and this isn't worth going all the way with. He's making a strong statement that you're behind.

Hand 2 - KJs is a hand I would recommend you fold facing a raise preflop. Many poker authors recommend the same. I recall a statement made recently by raptor that you need to play these hands or you're missing out on EV. I think that when your postflop play is a bit stronger you can add a few hands like this to call with preflop for a cheap price on occasion. You don't seem to be able to get away from top pair, though, so I wouldn't look for those hands just yet in your case. Postflop - after you are raised and UTG+1 cold-calls it is clear that you do not have the best hand here. You might be ahead of UTG+1 but it's not likely you're ahead of the button here.

Listen to the bets in both hands. They're telling you clearly that you are behind and you should fold. In hand 1 you didn't "think and push" but rather you pushed without thinking. You figured you had top pair and if someone had a better kicker then so be it. The bets in both hands told you that someone did, in fact, have a better hand. You just weren't listening - or you don't know how to listen for those clues yet.

It also appears that you overvalue top pair and you aren't very strong with postflop play. Refer back to the gap concept and starting hand values - the value of a hand is relative to your position and the action in front of you.

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Great response, BTW. Couldn't agree more with just about everything you said.