(Excuse any obviousness and correct any idiocy please )

I've been playing a lot of hands recently at $10NL and I've noticed that the amount of play back I get after a cbet or value bet really changes based on the size of the bet when it's 1/2 pot vs pot sized.

Obviously this is a way generic overview and depends on the texture of the flop, peoples cards and who's in etc. but people seem to be a lot more willing to call the 1/2 pot size bet than the full one. I guess that's pretty obvious.

What really struck me was that my line of thinking had been, in general, to bet the larger, pot-sized bet in 2 cases: when I'm probably really ahead and when I'm probably really behind.

My thinking at this point has been either I'm way ahead, I really hope someone calls or raises because it'll help inflate the pot, or I'm probably behind, I hope this show of strength scares them off.

I'm starting to realize/think I'm just a donk doing this. The times I do get called or raised with the nuts I'm happy - but this is probably a smaller % of calls than I'd like and I'd get more value out of a smaller bet called more often. The times I get called or raised with the bluff then I'm spewing chips (and I'm way too often continuing the strength bluff on the turn - sure it nets me some pots but overall this must be a huge leak for me?)

So now I'm thinking it makes more sense to bet smaller with the nuts for value, and with the big bluffs since it looks more like value, and any cards I had beaten anyway will probably fold whether it's a 1/2 pot sized or full pot sized continuation.

That being said can I ask for feedback in the following situations, I'm convincing myself that I'm probably playing them all incorrectly at this point. (They're all situations I'd typically put a pot sized bet in right now)

Assume I'm on the button. One limper, and I raised to $0.40 with

BB calls, and limper calls.

What would you do on the flop, assuming it's checked back to you and that you all have roughly equivalent stacks at $10, 25/15 players, and the pot standing at roughly $1.20 with;

1) - This one I think I'm probably ahead, but there are lots of combinations out there that could beat me (AK, AT, other xT combinations that hit on later streets or broadways hoping to hit the straight) but I also think there're more I'm ahead of at this point.

2) - This one scares me so I'm half hoping to take it down now but I'm also half hoping to at least see another spade without paying any extra, and hopefully not a full house. As I'm typing this I'm wondering why in the hell I don't just check this one in general.

3) - This is a situation I'm just hoping for calls or raises.

Thanks for reading, and I'd appreciate any feedback, discussion, any thing