Two largest $$$ scores ever...

Within 5 minutes of each other!

I had just sat down to this table when, 5 hands in, I'm dealt the following:
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (8 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com

Hero (UTG+1) ($23.10)
MP1 ($31.32)
MP2 ($38.22)
CO ($18.07)
Button ($25.99)
SB ($29.61)
BB ($27.35)
UTG ($25)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with Ah, As
1 fold, Hero bets $0.75, 2 folds, CO calls $0.75, Button calls $0.75, 2 folds
From the beginning, I had decided I was either going broke here or going to die trying... I am not going to be pushed off these Aces.

Flop: ($2.60) 7s, 2d, 9h (3 players)
Hero bets $1.50, CO raises to $3, Button calls $3, Hero raises to $6, CO calls $3, Button calls $3
I probably should have raised more, here. I likely gave CO better odds to make a call; $1.50 into $2.60 pot swells to $8.10 and only raise another $3.00 on top which is less than half pot. I smelled total weakness, though, and did not want the two folding to a shove / too big of a bet.

Turn: ($20.60) 10h (3 players)
Hero bets $5, CO raises to $10, Button raises to $15, Hero raises to $16.35 (All-In), CO calls $1.32 (All-In), Button calls $1.35
I bet $5 into $20 HOPING for a raise, which I get, and, given the play, I am not laying down AT ALL here.

River: ($64.62) 4s (3 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $64.62 | Rake: $3

Results:
Button had Qd, 9d (one pair, nines).
Hero had Ah, As (one pair, Aces).
CO had Jc, Qc (high card, Queen).
Outcome: Hero won $61.62
WOW. Top pair, okay kicker + backdoor flush for button and he's throwing all in? For CO, a TURNED inside straight draw + two overs and he's throwing all in as well? It turns out, there were 4 real outs to the turn (16%) and 8 real outs to the river (16%)! Talk about getting your money in WAY good.


Probably 15 hands later, same table, different players:

Full Tilt No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (9 handed) - Full-Tilt Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.com

Hero (MP3) ($60.62)
CO ($31.27)
Button ($38.61)
SB ($24.75)
BB ($50)
UTG ($3.93)
UTG+1 ($29.06)
MP1 ($25)
MP2 ($27.46)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with Ks, Kh
UTG calls $0.25, UTG+1 bets $1, 2 folds, Hero raises to $3, 1 fold, Button calls $3, 3 folds, UTG+1 calls $2
Trying to isolate with the second nut hand, pre-flop.

Flop: ($9.60) Kd, 8d, 5c (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $4.25, 1 fold, UTG+1 calls $4.25
Not going to slow play my set. I have flopped the nuts (so far, but that can change quickly). What does UTG+1 have that could raise pre flop and call a 3 bet, but check / call a half pot flop bet? The only thing going through my mind is AKo.

Turn: ($18.10) 4c (2 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $15, UTG+1 raises to $21.81 (All-In), Hero calls $6.81
If he has AK, is it AcKc? Set over set?

River: ($61.72) 3s (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $61.72 | Rake: $3

Results:
UTG+1 had Kc, Qd (one pair, Kings).
Hero had Ks, Kh (three of a kind, Kings).
Outcome: Hero won $58.72
That KQo must me a tough hand to get away from, out of position, pre-flop!!!

Okay. Short little lecture: I'm not going to claim not to even limp KQo from early positions, because I do that on occasion. However, I am going to claim that if you do RAISE from UTG+1 with KQ (a marginal hand to start with) and when you are faced with a 3 bet from a middle or later position, you should drop the hand right then & there. You have no idea where you are in the hand for later streets. KQ looks good, but it will get you in a lot of trouble, primarily because you are forced to play the hand out of position. There are quite a few hand combos that dominate this hand, mainly AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ. However, any pocket pair is [at best] 50/50 with you, so why stick around without knowing whether your King or Queen is good? Just drop it and save yourself the money.