Utilizing Overbets
I am always looking for another weapon to add to the arsenal. The last week or so I have been thinking more about overbets and how they can add some value to my game.
In the past I have only really used them pretty much always on the river. A typical situation:
Flop a set out of position to an TAG pre-flop raiser. Board has two of one suit. I will sometimes check/call the flop and the turn. If the flush card doesn't fall by the river, lead the river for my full stack. Very often I will get extremely thin call downs from semi-thinking players who put me on a busted flush draw. FWIW this play is not my standard play when flopping a set but I use it sometimes.
What are some other situations for using overbets? Who do you use them against? When is a really good time to shove the turn (other than when we are protecting 1 pair hands)?
Cheers,
Caddy
In the past I have only really used them pretty much always on the river. A typical situation:
Flop a set out of position to an TAG pre-flop raiser. Board has two of one suit. I will sometimes check/call the flop and the turn. If the flush card doesn't fall by the river, lead the river for my full stack. Very often I will get extremely thin call downs from semi-thinking players who put me on a busted flush draw. FWIW this play is not my standard play when flopping a set but I use it sometimes.
What are some other situations for using overbets? Who do you use them against? When is a really good time to shove the turn (other than when we are protecting 1 pair hands)?
Cheers,
Caddy
Comments
1. You opponent probably has a very strong hand taht he will not want to/is incapable of folding.
ie you have AK on a AAxxx board and your opponent is caling you down, decent chance he has a worse ace you can just bomb away. Lots of situations with straights: T876x u have J9, or if you have a flush on a board like that same thing. Weak players will think omg I has a straight that is a mighty fine poker hand! I call!
2. Opponent is just huge call station. pretty self-explanatory.
3. Any time your line looks bluffy. Like the example you gave. There are lots of situations where your opponent will check a marginal hand thinking he is inducing a bluff or you have checked to pot control or something and then can get a big bet called later in the hand.
There are probably lots of other ways to use it but they involve using it as a bluff sometimes too and it's not something I've really incorporated into my game. In fact very few players are able to really use it effectively other than as a typical measure to get max value from weak players I mentioned above so I"d just stick to that. Be careful using it against good players because if they know you never use it as a bluff they're not going to pay you off.
This doesn't make any sense?? Why would a player call you with no flush? They think you are bluffing?
I would think the optimal play would be to bet on the flop and turn to make the chasers pay to see another card. My preference is to build the pot from the flop and the turn. Why let the other player catch up?
2. Flush does not come.
3. I lead the river with my entire stack.
4. Villain has top pair top kicker or mid pair or some other marginal hand and thinks, "ZOMG! This bastard is trying to steal this pot with his busted flush draw, IMA make an expert call here and stack him."
5. Villain clicks call button and thinks, "Oops."
If you are very early in a SnG and pick up a premium hand, try just open pushing all-in. You'll either get a call from a worse hand or look like a maniac. Both of which are profitable.
Edit: Just like anything, if you overbet with the goods, you have to consider overbetting light too.
i totally agree with graham here. i rarely overbet a pot but if i do it is almost always in relation to my opponent (how he is playing and how he perceives me). if he's a calling station or if he can't fold top pair or equivalent(ish) hands then overbets are good. if my image is that i'm bluffing a lot/possibly on tilt then overbets are good.
it completely depends on the players involved. i'd never make a claim that "when i have so-and-so a hand and the flop comes so-and-so i should make an overbet" sort of thing. i think any reasoning along these lines in poker can be very dangerous.
1. I've flopped a straight or a flush with several players in the current hand. Overbet the pot I still ended up getting callers chasing straights and flushes. I knew I could only do that because, I play with LAG players that are calling stations.
2. Another time, I was playing this experienced man, I flop 2 pair, he flops trips...turns quads...river is a rag. I have AA666, he has 66662. Pot was about $130 before the river, this guy put $160 thinking I would pay off his quads...I showed him my ace and mucked. It was a good lay down, but it had me thinking....what if he missed his straight or flush or was drawing to a card to make his fullhouse.
Playing 1/2 NL lots, I've found that overbet becomes a very good tool to utilize.