[andyfox]

First hand: I would have bet the flop. There's a flush draw, a straight draw and a pair on board. You might get some good action here, plus it makes the pot bigger to entice more sticking around on the turn and river.

I suppose one can always find a reason to slow down on the river without the nuts, but since the button had capped, there's reason to believe he also had a 9, effectively giving you the nuts, since I agreep pocket kings is highly unlikely.

I like your play on the second hand. Interesting how players seem to steam in Vegas compared to L.A. They make "good" laydowns instead of "bad" calls.