Overbetting

This article will look at the concept of overbetting the pot in poker. By definition, overbetting occurs when there is a bet that is greater then the current size. It is a situation which doesn’t occur often because as a general rule most players will bet 1/2, 2/3 or the pot size, however it’s a strategy which is used in the game, so it’s good to know how to deal with the situation or when you adopt the strategy yourself.

Dealing with overbetting can be confusing because players will use it as a pure bluff to get fold from fairly strong hands on scary boards, as well as being used for value, to extract the maximum amount of chips when you know your opponent likely has a strong hand as well but will not raise the bet.

Whether or not you should overbet when you have a monster hand is debatable. Depending on what game you are playing in, it may be worthwhile, but generally speaking I don’t think it’s a great play because big bets are usually an indication of a strong hand, I don’t see any reason to turn your hand face up and let everyone know you have a huge hand when there is a small possibility you are bluffing. You want to get value from weaker hands, and when you make such a huge bet you are making it difficult for someone to call.

One situation where it can be a good play is when the action gets to the river, you know you have the best hand, and there are potential missed draws which villain may think you have. In this situation, overbetting can be profitable because they will put you on a bluff. But for the most part, I don’t think overbetting for value is an optimal play. A hand I played at the casino in a $1/2 game will explain why.

I was dealt 99 in MP and limped in after there were a few callers. There were 7 players to see the flop and the pot size is $14. Flop is 235 rainbow and one of the players first to act overbet the pot to $35. This player had been playing fairly straight forward up until this hand. It would make absolutely zero sense to do this as a bluff, why would someone risk so much to win a small pot? So all the player has done here is polarize their range to a monster hand like flopped set or a straight, and I made no hesitation and folded. If instead the player was to have bet 2/3 pot, well then I would have been inclined to call with my over pair to the board. In this situation, overbetting lost value for my opponent. Everyone else folded but he showed his hand, which is another mistake, but that is a topic for another article.

In summary, in the majority of loose passive games, overbetting is a mistake it is rarely done as a bluff and you are only repping a monster.

Click here to visit Bodog Poker – Still accepting US Players!

Click here for more Poker Strategy articles