The story this guy is selling on the turn: I have a really strong hand all of a sudden, or maybe I slowplayed aces on the flop, but I don't want to check raise and win an extra bet. Not a terribly believable story.

The story I'm selling: I've had a really strong hand all along, and I'm not slowing down.

The only time you should tell the not-very-believable story is when you actually do have the hand.

Seat 1: MP2 ($19.50 in chips)
Seat 2: MP3 ($53.75 in chips)
Seat 3: Foolish ($55 in chips)
Seat 4: Hero ($87.50 in chips)
Seat 5: SB ($38.50 in chips)
Seat 7: BB ($23.25 in chips)
Seat 8: UTG ($39.75 in chips)
Seat 9: UTG+1 ($84.25 in chips)
Seat 10: MP1 ($20.50 in chips)
SB: posts small blind $0.50
BB: posts big blind $1
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to Hero
5 folds,
Foolish: raises $2
Hero: raises $3
SB: folds
BB: calls $2
Foolish: calls $1
----- FLOP -----
BB: checks
Foolish: checks
Hero: bets $1
BB: folds
Foolish: calls $1
----- TURN -----
Foolish: bets $2
Hero: raises $4
Foolish: folds
Returned uncalled bets $2 to Hero
Hero: doesn't show hand
Hero collected $14.75 from Main pot

I have a hand similar to that, but I play the foolish part and took it down. I'll find the hand when I get home and post it!

Here it is! Of course, since I was in the SB, they're more apt to believe I have a 2. I'm thinking in your situation, he was representing the 3.

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (7 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
UTG raises, MP1 calls, 2 folds, Button calls, Hero calls, BB calls.

Flop: (10 SB) , , (5 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG bets, MP1 calls, Button calls, Hero calls, BB calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) (5 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG bets, MP1 folds, Button calls, Hero raises, BB folds, UTG folds, Button calls.

River: (12.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, Button folds.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 3d 3c (two pair, threes and twos).
Outcome: Hero wins 13.50 BB.

Yeah, much different situation. Against so many opponents, UTG knows that AK or AQ probably isn't any good. He may have even had something like 99 or 88, and figured someone had to have the ten. It's good that you went for the check raise on the turn, which is much stronger than leading into him -- the story you're telling is more believable. I don't think I would have called on the flop though, after missing the set.

Norton, I think you actually got very lucky on your hand, or i've been getting very unlucky because they people don't fold when I play it like you and often they still showdown a cruddy pair or AK to beat me.

Also, what would you have done if he check raised you instead of betting out?

Well, I should mention that this was at crypto, which is a bit rockier than most places. People will actually lay down hands if they haven't hit by the turn.

You will get called down by a pair here some of the time. But it's important to note that, because of the size of the pot, this play doesn't have to work the majority of the time. The pot is $13 when he leads into me, on account of the BB seeing the flop. Even if it fails 7 out of 10 times, it's still profitable. It's also important to note that you have other ways of winning the pot than by pure bluff -- your outs may still be good, and you'll hit them around 12% of the time.

If he check raises, I'm gone. You're actually just barely getting odds to hit your overpair, but too often he's going to have aces or kings or a set or have you reverse dominated.