Using Overbets in Poker

In poker, there are various strategies aimed at maximizing profit, one of which is the use of overbets.

In this article, we will discuss the main situations where overbets should be used. Each of these situations requires a special approach and an understanding of opponents’ tendencies.

Table of Contents:

- Value-Betting Against Fish

- Extracting Value from Draws

- Maximizing Value from Strong Hands

- Bluffing Against Regulars

Value-Betting Against Fish

“Fish” are amateur players who come to poker for emotions and fun, not to win. They hate folding, whether preflop or on subsequent streets if their hand is at least somewhat connected to the board.

For them, bet size often does not matter, especially at micro-limits where the bet amounts are small. An overbet in these conditions does not put much pressure on the fish.

Sometimes, seeing a bet larger than the pot, fish might get curious: “Why so much?” This curiosity can prompt them to call. Thus, an overbet with a strong hand against a fish is an excellent strategy for maximizing profit.

Using overbets to bluff against such opponents is impractical: you will only increase the cost of the bluff without enhancing its effectiveness. Even fish who fold without a strong hand usually fold to smaller bets as well.

In Hand2Note 4 multi-player reports, I filtered all fish with a VPIP over 50%. Then, I filtered all situations where they called an open-raise preflop:

Thanks to easy reports navigation, we can quickly move to the scenarios where these players folded to a continuation bet on the flop:

By going to the “Bet Sizes” tab In the new report that appeared on the right, we can see that fish fold to bets from 75% to 100% of the pot, as well as to overbets, with similar frequency. Use this information in your game and increase your value bets against fish to boost your profits.

Extracting Value from Draws

If you are in position and have a strong hand on the turn on a wet board, an overbet will be the best solution. The opponent’s range may contain many draws, and both fish and many regular players dislike folding flush draws or straight draws, especially if they have outs to the nuts. They call in the hope of taking your stack if their draw completes.

By making an overbet, you worsen the implied odds for your opponent. Now they need to invest more money on the turn to win less on the river. Moreover, even if the draw completes, it will be difficult for them to extract value from you out of position.

In these scenarios, a call with a draw becomes unprofitable for the opponent over the long run. However, many players cannot fold a promising hand on the turn. This makes an overbet against a draw a very profitable action.

In Hand2Note 4 reports, I filtered situations where I open-raised preflop, made a continuation bet on the flop, and fired a second barrel on the turn. Using a custom filter, I selected coordinated boards with two flush draws and a straight draw on the turn:

Comparing the Action Profit of bets of different sizes in the “Bet Sizes” report, we see that overbets yield significantly more profit per hand than smaller bets.

Maximizing Value from Strong Hands

The stronger the opponent’s hand, the bigger the bet they can call. If you have the nuts on the river and believe the opponent also has a very strong hand they won’t fold, you should definitely consider an overbet.

This is especially true in cooler situations where you have the nut straight or flush, and the opponent might have a weaker straight or flush. Overbets are also suitable when your set on the river improves to a full house or quads, and the river card completes a flush.

In such scenarios, facing a huge bet, opponents, although they might suspect they are beat, will find it hard to fold. They are guided by arguments like: “My hand is too strong to fold” or “I didn’t chase my draw just to fold when it completes.”

By making a large overbet, you can win the opponent’s entire stack.

We opened-raised from the Cutoff with T9 suited, and the opponent on the Big Blind called. On the flop and turn, we made two large bets with the nut straight, and the opponent check-called twice. On the river, the board got even more coordinated, and they checked again.

This is an excellent situation for an overbet. Without a straight, it will be hard for the opponent to call, but if they have a 9, we can win a lot. Hand2Note 4 HUD shows that this player gets to showdown 39% of the time, so they will never fold the second nuts. Therefore, I prefer to make an overbet all-in to extract the maximum.

Bluffing Against Regulars

Bluffing at micro-limits is risky, but against certain types of opponents, it will be profitable. We’re talking about tight regular players. These opponents have low VPIP and PFR stats. They selectively enter pots and rarely get to showdown without a strong hand, reflected in a low WTSD stat.

Facing a very large bet when a scary card comes out that fits your perceived range, opponents with WTSD below 20% might fold strong hands like top pair, overpair, two pairs, or even a set.

However, even when playing against a very cautious opponent, when planning an expensive bluff, you should ensure that your line of play looks believable and logical to your opponent. This will increase your chances of success.

Overbet bluffs are suitable for situations where you called the opponent’s bets on previous streets, and a flush draw that was on the flop completes on the river.

Preflop, a tight regular player made an open-raise from the Cutoff, and we called with QT suited on the Button. On the flop and turn, in position, we called two continuation bets from the opponent with an open-ended straight draw. The Queen on the river completed possible flush draws and a straight draw, and the opponent checked.

I expect that with a flush, the opponent would have fired a third barrel, so they don’t have the nuts. Meanwhile, their range contains many hands like Kx and better, and with our pair of Queens, we won’t win at showdown very often.

From the opponent’s statistics, we see they reach showdown only 19% of the time, so they are capable of folding even strong hands.

Considering all these factors, the optimal solution will be to overbet all-in as a bluff. With such a large bet, we force the opponent to fold top pairs and overpairs, as well as exert maximum pressure on their two pairs, sets, and even straights.

An overbet in poker is a powerful technique, but it should not be overused. Use Hand2Note 4 to analyze opponent statistics, determine their tendencies, and find profitable situations for overbets.