How to play Overcards

Overcards are one of the most frequent hand combinations you will be holding after the flop. While they are not a made hand, they can be somewhat good if the situation is right, but they are also amongst the biggest trouble hands you can have.

Preflop: Hero is CO with A J
MP2 calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, BU calls, SB calls, BB calls, MP2 calls.

Flop: (10 SB) 6, 6, 2 (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, MP2 bets, Hero ???

A raise is not profitable here. UTG shows extreme strength with his bet into 4 opponents, so continue playing according to odds & outs.

1) How many discounted outs do you have?

It's a dry board and the UTG bets into more than 2 opponents, so you give yourself 3 outs.

2) How big is the pot?

The pot size is 11 SB.

3) How high are the costs?

There are 3 more players behind you, which you know nothing of. You can thus expect more than 1 SB in costs. UTG shows extreme strength with his bet, however, which implies that the others will raise less seldom since they won't expect themselves to be ahead and don't want to be 3-bet.

4) Comparison between pot odds and odds: deciding between a call and a fold

3 outs correspond to ~14.5:1 odds. You only get 11:1.1 = 10:1 pot odds, though. As you only have overcards and don't even know whether you will win if you hit one of them, it would be nonsense to even think about implied odds. This means you fold.

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A K
Hero raises, 2 folds, MP1 calls, 2 folds, CO calls, BU calls, 1 fold, BB calls

Flop: (10,5 SB) T, 8, 5 (5 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 bets, CO folds, BU calls, BB folds, Hero ?

You decided not to make the continuation bet on the flop and you have to make a decision now.

A raise is, of course, pointless. You can't see yourself ahead at this point, and you don't have a monster draw either, so once again you continue the hand according to odds & outs.

1) How many discounted outs do you have?

The board is quite dry again. The only possible (strong) draw is an OESD, and thus also some gutshots. MP1 bets against four players, so you can attribute yourself 3 outs on the 1-suited board. You also have a 2-gap-BDSD which is worth 0.25 outs. You can give yourself another 2 outs for the nut BDFD. All in all, you thus have 5.25 outs. You could round this down, but then you would completely lose the BSDS value.

2) How big is the pot?

The pot size is 12.5 SB.

3) How high are the costs?

You are last to act and thus only have to pay 1 SB.

4) Comparison between pot odds and odds: deciding between a call and a fold

5.25 outs correspond to ~8:1 odds, meaning you have an easy call with pot odds of 12.5:1.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 December 2011 11:10