Overcard play
 

This is one of the toughest things I am trying to learn. How to play overcards. Any thoughts?

SB 38.18/3.64 in 55 hands
BB 34.88/2.33 in 43 hands
UTG2 53.33/6.67 in 15 hands
CO 44.19/0 in 43 hands

PokerStars 0.10/0.20 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, CO calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, SB calls, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (10 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls, SB folds, BB calls, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (7 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
BB checks, UTG+1 checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls, BB folds, UTG+1 folds.

River: (9 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO folds.

Final Pot: 10 BB

Re: Overcard play
 

Being a weak player on the River (but trying to be better) I would have checked the River.

I think you played great. I owuld have checked and folded the river to a bet. Hi card is not normally a winner and yo haveto wonder what CO is holding on to - probebly not a flush draw and if it was - your dead.

Some MIGHT say bet but - geez - you can only carry a bluff so far.

Re: Overcard play
 

I think you got extremely lucky. I would have checked this flop and hoped that the CO didn't bet, then go from there. You have 0 piece of this flop here, and K-high usually isn't the best hand here.

Re: Overcard play
 

I don't see how you can jam these overs here on this board. King high isn't ahead here so there's not even value in a bet here a pretty large portion of the time. And a semi-bluff only works if you can get everyone to fold along with possibly improving. I don't see how he accomplishes that here on this turn and river against these players.

I'd need to see some fairly high "Fold To Turn Bet" percentages to try this play again on the turn. But I wouldn't have even bet this flop so...

Re: Overcard play
 

I wouldn't bet the river. The only person you'll make fold is someone with a busted draw, who probably would have checked behind you anyways.

Re: Overcard play
 

As mentioned, you got extremely lucky in this hand.

Betting every street here is seriously overplaying overcards. The # and type of opponents you have here is the reason.

Re: Overcard play
 

grunching.

I think you got lucky here that everyone folded. IMO, the flop bet doesn't even make sense. You have a backdoor straight draw, but it is tainted due to the 2 to the flush on the board. The only reason to bet here is to get a free card on the turn, but since you have people behind you, it may not even buy you a free card. Turn you have to check here. River bet is spewing IMO.

Re: Overcard play
 

I don't mind the flop bet to try and get the button.

(Especially if you're planning to call a bet anyway and your opponents are passive.)

Re: Overcard play
 

I like it all except the river bet - I would check/fold against a passive opponent and check/call against an aggressive one.

If you were in early position I would not like the flop bet, but 3 of your opponents have already shown weakness and the board is fairly ragged. On the turn I fire one last shot because the flush possibility will scare off some opponents.

Re: Overcard play
 

I like the play. You led out with a standard continuation bet after the flop. On the turn you had enough equity with your draws to bet again. You were fortunate to win this pot but when it is heads up and you showed strength the entire hand, it may be worth a steal attempt.

On the turn though, it could be worth forgoing your small advantage at that time and waiting to see what the river card is. This could trap many opponents into other draws and you may have won a slightly bigger pot. There is a section on this in SSHE that applied to the flop/turn but you could use it in the turn/river as well.