raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (10 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. UTG+1 posts a blind of $2.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 (poster) checks, Hero calls, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, CO calls, Button calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, BB checks.

Flop: (5.50 SB) 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero calls, CO calls, Button folds, BB folds.

Turn: (4.25 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, Hero calls, CO calls.

River: (7.25 BB) A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">UTG+1 bets</font>, hero?


the table was uber passive and uber loose PF, and have been good at sticking around for a while on hands. Should I have also raised the turn, the river, or just continue to go for the overcall by the CO?


I know the PF limp was a bit ambitious, but the table had been constantly being 6 or 7 handed to the flop

Re: raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

First, I would've folded this PF. Then I would've raised the flop.

But since you're asking about the river, man raise that guy. There is no way in hell you're behind here. The only holding your behind to is T8.

Re: raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

I'd raise the turn. If CO has an 8/9 or something like T6/T7 he's probably calling anyway. The river is a definite raise.

Actually I'd usually just raise the flop here. They won't believe you anyway.

And yeah...the preflop limp I could do without.

Re: raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

In the game you describe, UTG+1 will always pay you off, and CO may call 2. Go for the raise.

Re: raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

Three handed this is a very standard river raise. The player behind you will drop often to one bet, and you'd love to get reraised by the player in front of you so you can cap. The player behind might call two cold anyway. Calling down so far has been excellent to keep from shutting out players, but you need to put the gas on at some point.

Re: raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

There isn't much point in going for an overcall on the river here, we're likely to get that 1 bet from UTG+1 if we raise anyhow, so we might as well open up the betting some more and hope the CO makes a loose call, or that UTG+1 re-raises. By trying to get the overcall we just let the CO close the betting, and reduce their opporuntity to make errors.

An example of going for an overcall would be if we were not sure we are ahead, because we get the same value when ahead but at a reduced cost. This is obviously not that situation as there is only 1 (unlikely) hand that beats us.

Re: raise the river, or go for the overcall?
 

This is a super-easy raise. By getting an overcall you net 1 BB max. By raising you net 1 BB min, mostly. You might get more though and you can't do it by calling.