Low end of a OESD on the flop - is it correct to bet here?

Basically is the bet on the flop the right play here given the small pot? Is this a situation where you want to semi bluff with the idea of:
a) winning the pot straight away, or
b) making any marginal hands fold, or
b) getting a free card on the turn.

Would it be better to check raise?
Or would it be better to check and wait for the turn?
If the hand had been raised before the flop and the pot was larger would it be correct to now make the semi bluff bet be a better play?

PokerRoom 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed) internettexasholdem.com

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. MP1 posts a blind of $0.50.
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP1 (poster) checks, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, Button calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, MP1 folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB calls.

[POKhER]

Take a free card, your bet has no value, You don't have a made hand.

[HouseCalls]

I like your bet here.
You may be ahead (SB only put in 1/2 bet; others just checked preflop). If you are behind (most likely to pair of Q or K) you still have 9.5 outs (8 OESD; 1.5 BDFD) to a winner. Given 9.5 outs you are 3.8:1 to catch a winner. With 5 SB in the pot this bet is for value.

I do have a question for the vetrans here. Is this a true semi-bluff? I thought that meant you had to have some sort of a hand say A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] here where you have bottom pair plus a flush draw.

[Koss]

First off, you don't have the "low end" of the OESD. You have the only OESD. Any time JT connects to make a straight it will be the nuts. Plus you have a backdoor flush draw. Your bet is both for a semi-bluff and for value. Your bet is fine. Now you have the option of taking a free turn card, which you probably should.

[Koss]

[ QUOTE ]
Take a free card, your bet has no value, You don't have a made hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's value if he can get 3 or more calls. It also has the potential to win the pot outright in some cases, and buy him the button so he can take a free river.

I don't bet here. Folding four opponents is pretty unlikely, especially with a Q and K on board; marginal draws don't concern you that much, as you'll be winning with the nut straight (or perhaps a 3rd-nut flush) when you win; the free card play is questionable here with two to act behind us.

Check-raising depends on who bets, and how many call. If MP1 bets behind you and everyone calls, great, raise. If the button bets and there are a few folds, best just to call.

(Grunch - there aren't any other replies as I start typing this)

I put this in PokerStove. You don't provide any reads, so: I put the BB and the poster on any random hand, the SB on the best 40% (really 38.5%) of hands (any suited, any broadway, any pair) and the button on 20% (any broadway, any pair, any suited ace).

You're about 30% and the button is almost 26%.

You don't need to knock players out with a strong draw, you need to see more cards inexpensively. I don't see how the raise can be for value with such a small edge. Check.

Against 4 other players you rarely can get all to fold for one single bet on the flop, + you dont have the position for the free card play + you dont want hands like A5 to fold

However your bet is fine anyway but for another reason. You have at least 9 (1 for BFD) outs and and there are 4 other players in the pot giving you good pot equity

L

Boy, we sure don't have agreement here. I tried putting the button and the SB on a wider range of hands (e.g. suited connectors for the button, any ace for the SB) raising their "percentages of hands played" to 25% and 45% respectively. It doesn't change things dramatically.

I'm a beginner with like 8,000 hands at the penny tables. You should be suspicious about whether my posts are correct.

Can others explain their reasoning about betting with what looks like a drawing hand?

Edit: I "crossed in the mail" with larjan. I'll have to think about that reasoning.

Betting with 8 outs to the nut straight (twice) is to build the pot in case you hit one of them. That will happen ~32 % of the time, and thus your pot equity is 32%

If you bet and get 4 callers, you are contributing with only 20% to the pot, while winning it 32% of the time.

In theory that should be a winning proposition. In practice, as 3 players folded in this specific hand, it might not always be so straight forward.. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]