when hand reading fails

[Sephus]

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (6 max, 5 handed) converter

Hero ($101.25)
SB ($296.15)
BB ($247.5)
UTG ($87.5)
MP ($183.7)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.5.
UTG calls $1, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $6</font>, SB (poster) calls $5.50, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG folds.

Flop: ($14) Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">SB bets $10</font>, Hero calls $10.

Turn: ($34) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, Hero checks.

River: ($34) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
SB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $20</font>, <font color="#CC3333">SB raises to $50</font>, Hero calls $30.

Final Pot: $134

player seems to be on a roll, he is pretty decent from what i can tell but on the loose side. he is not really tight preflop.

i had no clue what he had on the river. no clue.

should i have played this faster, hoping to get the max from a hand like KdQ? i felt like if we went nuts on the flop i was most likely getting in behind. i checked the turn because he was pretty aggressive and getting raised was going to make me uncomfortable, i hoped he would bluff the river.

[amoeba]

if he is decent I don't expect him to checkraise bluff the river.

I think you must call river.

[elus2]

if you don't expect him to bluff, why must you call?

[Malachii]

I'd raise the flop. You have an overpair and the nut flush draw. That's huge. I'd raise it to 30$.

On the turn, I'd check behind, because you could have just been outdrawn and you don't want to get checkraised. On the river, I'd call and/or value bet it if he checks. That checkraise was really weird on the end... I'd call it just out of curiousity, but I don't think he's bluffing at this point.

[elcap]

I agree with Malachii 100%. I think you have to raise this flop. First, you have a very strong hand that doesn't dread a reraise (it doesn't necessarily welcome one either but I think you win about %40 of the time, even against 2 pair). Second, you get some information and take control of the hand. Once you raise if he calls, I do check behind on the turn without a diamond because at that point, with one card to come, you don't want to get raised. Then I proabably call/ value bet river if no diamond coemes.