top pair and stuff

[augmented 0]

okay, we're in a home game tourney, there are like 10 players out of 11 left, we start with 10 dollars in chips, i had about that much. blinds were 20 and 40 cents.so i'm 2 off the button, with KQ offsuit, there were maybe 2 limpers, yeah, 2 limpers in front of me, i decide to limp. now mr. donk, josh, on the button, raises the blind 50 cents, pretty much a pointless raise, he can do this with any pair or something as bad as Q10, both limpers call and i see no reason not to call, so i do as well. so this is a decent pot now, i guess like 4 bucks in there.the flop comes K54 with two spades i think. the early limpers check to me, and i bet two bucks. half the pot. the button min raises me. now, this tells me he has a hand, but he could have jacks, queens, KJ, K10, a lot of hands i can beat, and he didnt raise me very much. i was worried that i was behind, but i thought folding was too passive. i called.turn was a blank. i checked. he bet 2 more dollars. so i'm like crap...but still he didnt bet enough to get me out. i called. this left me with like 4 dollars.river was a blank. i checked and he checked.thoughts?

[kristianlinnell 0]

I think the critical decision came on the flop. Your call there induced another small bet on the turn that induced you to call etc. In my opinion he could be doing one of two things. Pricing you in with a big hand. That fits the small raise preflop (or does it, you should know that player well enough to know) and the minimum reraise on the flop. If thats the case you're liking drawing to 5 outs (presuming he has AA as opposed to KK, considering you have a King in your hand and he raised). AK is also possible but you'd definately expect a bigger raise preflop with an ace high hand. More likely it seems is that he's feeling out your commitment to the pot. He's raising, wanting to be seen to be active and aggressive, but he's keeping the pot as small as possible. That could mean a high pair up to QQ, or as you said, KQ, KJ, KT, maybe K9s. Once you get to the turn, only a donk would bet what he did without a king or better in his hand. My guess, considering he's mr. donk is that he has AK, followed by KJs.

[Drwnded 0]

i'd define my hand on the flop here, by betting out more, say a pot-sized bet when checked to you on the flop. you're then telling everyone you have an king. if he then reraises you, it's decision time - push or fold, depending on your read of your opponent.