First Post - 2 hands; your comments please

[TJD]

I am still a beginner in this game (only 3 months) so I am not always sure what to do. These 2 hands got me thinking.

HAND 1

I have 44 and call in middle position after 2 limpers. It is a $2/$4 loose/passive on line game. 6 in for unraised pot.

Flop is perfect - NOT!

AAQ

I am ready to fold but it is checked round.

Turn is a 4. Unbelievable.

SB bets out 1 call, 2 folds, I raise and the player behind folds. SB calls, other guy folds.

River blank, SB bets, I raise, he calls and I win the pot. He had A9

I would never consider trying to CR or slow play trips in this sort of game with 5 opponents.

In the same vein, I never even considered just calling his turn bet to pop him on the river.

Am I wrong here? Was he just unlucky? His comment on the end was "bad start losing with trips :-(" I did not have the heart to tell him that a bet on the flop would have won the pot for him.

HAND 2

I have AsQh in a similar game. UTG calls, fold, I am next and raise in order to reduce the size of the field. On occasions a raise preflop does lose some customers in this game but it is very variable.

My plan works perfectly; 7 of us see the flop for 2 bets :-)

Flop is Jc7s2s

Check, check, UTG bets, and it is up to me. 2 good overcards and a b/door nut flush draw. I think I need to stay in with 14 SB in the pot but should I raise? In essence I have nothing. I could already be drawing dead without perfect/perfect.

I decide to just call and see what happens. One drops out. 6 see turn of Qc

UTG bets; NOW I raise with top pair top kicker and no idea whether I am good. At least with a double big bet there will be some folds(surely) and I might get popped to let me know where I am. SB and UTG call.

River Ac. so I have 2 pair

SB bets, UTG folds. I think I am dead to the flush but I have to call. He might have just hit 2 pair himself.

I lose to 5c3c.

Now, IF I had raised the flop would he have stayed? No idea.

Comments would be appreciated.