This is not a rant or complaint at all. I'm here to show you to learn from my mistakes. First, the hand:

PokerStars Game #1228648650: Hold'em No Limit ($0.50/$1.00) - 2005/02/17 -
04:10:15 (ET)
Table 'Ostenia' Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: MOR_C ($92.75 in chips)
Seat 2: spacejam08 ($36 in chips)
Seat 3: navalaviator ($45.45 in chips)
Seat 4: TCL1 ($79.30 in chips)
Seat 5: Kess IV ($88 in chips)
Seat 6: Dolla Banks ($126.40 in chips)
Seat 7: KiD[ReD] ($120.65 in chips)
Seat 8: sunshineskye ($45.70 in chips)
Seat 9: jellomold2 ($113.85 in chips)
navalaviator: posts small blind $0.50
TCL1: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to KiD[ReD] [Kh Kd]
Kess IV: calls $1
Dolla Banks: folds
KiD[ReD]: raises $3 to $4
sunshineskye: folds
jellomold2: folds
MOR_C: folds
spacejam08: calls $4
KiD[ReD] said, "what did u get first hand?"
navalaviator: folds
KiD[ReD] said, "as in cards"
TCL1: folds
Kess IV: calls $3
*** FLOP *** [5s 6h Kc]
Dolla Banks said, "got lucky and caught 9 full of Q on the turn and he caught
his straight to the king at the same time"
Kess IV: checks
KiD[ReD]: bets $2
spacejam08: calls $2
Kess IV: calls $2
*** TURN *** [5s 6h Kc] [4s]
Kess IV: checks
KiD[ReD] said, "ah..."
KiD[ReD]: bets $5
spacejam08: folds
Kess IV: raises $5 to $10
KiD[ReD]: raises $5 to $15
Kess IV: calls $5
*** RIVER *** [5s 6h Kc 4s] [8d]
Dolla Banks said, "emtied his pockets"
Kess IV: bets $10
KiD[ReD]: calls $10
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Kess IV: shows [7h 8h] (a straight, Four to Eight)
Dolla Banks said, "flop came 9-10-9"
KiD[ReD]: shows [Kh Kd] (three of a kind, Kings)
KiD[ReD] said, "nh"
Kess IV collected $66.50 from pot
Dolla Banks said, "he had kj"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $69.50 | Rake $3
Board [5s 6h Kc 4s 8d]
Seat 1: MOR_C folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: spacejam08 (button) folded on the Turn
Seat 3: navalaviator (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: TCL1 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: Kess IV showed [7h 8h] and won ($66.50) with a straight, Four to Eight
Seat 6: Dolla Banks folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: KiD[ReD] showed [Kh Kd] and lost with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 8: sunshineskye folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: jellomold2 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I'm pretty sure my mistake was on the flop here. $2 was too low. My thought process was:

"I want to milk him for as much money as I can."

I did see the 2 sequenced cards, but quickly dismissed him as on a straight draw, because of the PF bet.

Even though the pot was not large at this point and it's a great time to slow play, I still think the correct move was to bet a few dollars more - perhaps $5. He was relatively new to the table so I didn't have a great read on him.

I'm questioning my turn raise, but think it was 'questionable' at worst..

Anyhow, he played the hand very well, except for perhaps the preflop call (it was only him, me, and another in the pot).

I asked him why he only bet 10 on the river, and why not more like 15 or even 20, and he said he thought I had less than 3 of a kind..

Hmm.. now I'm thinking I could have folded on the turn here.. but my main mistake and mistake to remember was of my low flop bet.. the only downside to betting more on the flop would be not that he might fold, but that if he called a higher bet, I'd be even less inclined to be put him on a straight there, and would play even more aggressive...

What do you experts think?

I'll agree 100% that I'm very bad at playing games that my BR doesn't fit. I'm very bad at that. As for not being good enough for .5/1, or $20 SnG's or $10 SnG's, I'll let you believe what you want. There's no need to argue about such a thing.

P.S. I'm glad you're reading my PL entries. I'm honoured

It was closer to $1200 I made from the tourneys in that 2 week period. I lost the majority of it from playing very bad on ring tables. In the long term, I'm a slightly losing player (use PokerLedger.com people - you'd be surprised!) because I often lose a large chunk of change from temporarily moving up in limits on something I call 'delayed' tilt. This is how I lose my money.

As for people being on block, I never had Mike on block - I talk to him all day everyday. Jon is rarely blocked by me.

Anyhow, I'm trying to really win at these .5/1 tables, primarily because of something Black Man said in a post about a month ago.

What about here? Only thing I can think of is reraising maybe 1 or 2 bucks more than I did on the flop..

*********** # 2 **************
PokerStars Game #1228782449: Hold'em No Limit ($0.50/$1.00) - 2005/02/17 -
06:53:32 (ET)
Table 'Ostenia' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 4: bjflam ($35 in chips)
Seat 5: Kess IV ($76.25 in chips)
Seat 6: VikPl ($47.85 in chips)
Seat 7: KiD[ReD] ($83.60 in chips)
KiD[ReD]: posts small blind $0.50
bjflam: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to KiD[ReD] [9d 9h]
Kess IV: folds
VikPl: folds
KiD[ReD]: raises $2 to $3
bjflam: calls $2
*** FLOP *** [9c 5h 7c]
KiD[ReD]: bets $2
bjflam: raises $5 to $7
KiD[ReD]: raises $5 to $12
bjflam: calls $5
*** TURN *** [9c 5h 7c] [8d]
KiD[ReD]: checks
bjflam: bets $5
KiD[ReD]: calls $5
*** RIVER *** [9c 5h 7c 8d] [4d]
KiD[ReD]: checks
bjflam: bets $5
KiD[ReD]: calls $5
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bjflam: shows [6h 6d] (a straight, Five to Nine)
KiD[ReD]: mucks hand
bjflam collected $48 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $50 | Rake $2
Board [9c 5h 7c 8d 4d]
Seat 4: bjflam (big blind) showed [6h 6d] and won ($48) with a straight, Five to
Nine
Seat 5: Kess IV folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: VikPl (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: KiD[ReD] (small blind) mucked [9d 9h]

I listen to Mike regarding strategical decisions, but not regarding bankroll limitations - but we already discussed that. I don't listen to you or Jon for other reasons

Heh, by mentioning the $20 SnG's you made me wanna play one, so I just did, and won it I'm still new to them after moving up from the 2 table $10's, so still getting use to them..