Poker Strategy - Playing An Overpair

Texas Holdem Poker Strategy Articles

Playing Overpairs in Pot Limit Texas Hold em

Pot limit Texas Hold em has similarities to both fixed limit and no limit Texas Hold em, but its betting structure, which allows you to raise the amount in the pot at any time, gives it a flair that differentiates it from both games. Some players feel it gives you the best of both the fixed limit and no limit worlds. Just as in fixed limit and no limit Texas Hold em, situations will arise over the course of the game, which are important to play correctly if you are to be a winning player.

A strong and concealed hand
One of the situations that occur from time to time in all Texas Hold em games is flopping an overpair. For example, you have JJ and the flop

comes 8 4 9. You have probably raised before the flop with this hand, so there may already be a substantial pot. This means that you can make a healthy bet on the flop here and it is usually correct to do so. The board does not look particularly threatening, so players may assume you are making a continuation bet with two big cards and not give you credit for a hand as strong as you have. In addition, pot limit games often have a number of players seeing the flop with speculative hands, since it is usually cheaper to do so than in a pre-flop raised pot in a no limit game. Therefore you may have a number of players who hung around with marginal hands who then caught a piece of the flop, such as pairing 9's or 8's. These types of players will often call your bet, more focused on their pair than what you might have, and you should try to take advantage of that fact.

When you meet resistance
As with any other form of poker, how you handle flopping an overpair will depend in part on your read of your opponents. If you bet the pot and are raised, you will have to decide if your opponent is trying to run you off the hand assuming you flopped nothing, if they are on a semi-bluff, or if they got lucky and flopped a set or two pair. Hopefully you have been observing your opponents for awhile and will have enough information to make this determination. Keep in mind that although you have a strong hand, it is still just a pair, and if folding seems right, it is okay to go with that instinct.

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