AJ, my favorite
 

River bettor is 45/0/1.2 over about 50 hands.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, MP calls, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls, MP calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(6 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, MP checks, <font color="#CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls, SB folds, BB folds, UTG folds, MP calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
MP checks, Hero checks, Button checks.

River: (7.50 BB) J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(3 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">MP bets</font>, Hero calls, Button folds.

Final Pot: 9.50 BB

Is calling the river here bad especially with someone else behind me? Neither of these guys seem particularly skilled.

Re: AJ, my favorite
 

give up on the flop

Re: AJ, my favorite
 

Everything in this hand is fine except the flop bet. Easy river call.

Re: AJ, my favorite
 

Is the flop bet poor b/c of the number of other people in the hand? For instance if there were only 2 other people in the hand would a continuation bet be all right here?
I guess this is an auto c/f?

Re: AJ, my favorite
 

[ QUOTE ]
Is the flop bet poor b/c of the number of other people in the hand? For instance if there were only 2 other people in the hand would a continuation bet be all right here?
I guess this is an auto c/f?

[/ QUOTE ]

The number of opponents you have on the flop is the problem. A c/f seems sensible, although the pot's big enough that if Button bets, I'd consider peeling so long as there wasn't a checkraise. (The more people that fold, the more I think about peeling.)

As played, the river is an easy call, I think. The river bettor may have whiffed on a turn checkraise, or he may have backed into a flush, or he may have decided he liked his Qx after all once you checked the turn, but there are other possible explanations (for instance, maybe he just hit a jack like you did).

Re: AJ, my favorite
 

[ QUOTE ]
Is the flop bet poor b/c of the number of other people in the hand? For instance if there were only 2 other people in the hand would a continuation bet be all right here?
I guess this is an auto c/f?

[/ QUOTE ]

Against 2 opponents I almost always bet, unless the board comes down really bad. Example: If I have AK on a J98 flop, im not betting against 2 opponents. Against 1 opponent I always bet. Against 3 opponnets most of the time I check, but on the right boards against the right opponents I will still bet. Example: If I had AJ on a Q54r flop against decent players I would bet. Against 4 opponents or more I almost never bet unless I think theres a decent chance my unpaired hand may be the best hand. For example: If I had AJ on a 882r flop I would bet against 4/5 opponents cuz theres a high enough probability that I could have the best hand. I will also sometimes bet into 4 opponents or more if I have two overcards to the board and I am last to act and I stronly believe I will not get checkraised on the flop and I will get my free card on the turn. This situation almost never happens online so its not worth talking about, but in some of the real life passive game where nobody knows how to play, this strategy can work.

If I were teaching a beginning player how to play overcards after raising preflop, I would just tell him, always bet against 2 opponents or less, always check against 3 opponnets or more. This strategy is certainly not perfect becuz poker is not this mechanical but it would be right more often than not.

Re: AJ, my favorite
 

I (like others) dont like the flop bet..i cant see you taking this down on the flop and i dont think the flop bet really achieves anything else.

Other than that its fine..played like the OP i call on the river, i think your good enough times to make it +EV here.