Overcards...I'm Confused!

[Dave H.]

I have read and reread the SSHE section on how to play overcards and I'm still confused. Any help would be appreciated.

In general, I'm supposed to assign 1.5 outs to each overcard. Let me do a simple example to help explain my confusion.

Let's say I'm playing $2/$4 limit. I have K [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and I'm, let's say, in middle position. I call a single bet and there are 4 other callers including both blinds.

So that puts 5 bets in the pot. Now the flop comes up ragged...7 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 3 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Looks to me like a good time to play my overcards. But, with only 5 bets in the pot and only 3 outs (2 overcards at 1.5 outs apiece), my pot odds aren't even close. That's where my confusion comes in...i.e. with 3 outs, I need about 15 bets in the pot for justifiable pot odds, do I not?

Further, assuming I'm not already incorrect, if there are, in fact, the requisite 15 bets in the pot, that probably means that several people have pretty good hands and all I have is two overcards...doesn't seem too smart to continue in that situation.

So where is my thinking/analysis going wrong??

Thanks for your help.