Overcall:
++++++++++ HAND 1 ++++++++++
To begin with we have a sample hand where Hero shouldn’t overcall himself. These are situations where Hero could possibly beat one opponent (because he could be bluffbetting), but because there are one or two additional players, Hero has to hold a hand that beats more that a bluff. As the players, who have already called, have to have a hand better than a bluff (except complete fishes that will call the river with 7 high). In the first hand we only know the big blind with whom we have played several hands. We know that he plays unpredictably and weak. The other players are unknown to us.
Preflop: Hero is BU with K♠, K♥
MP2 calls, 2 folds, Hero raises, SB calls, BB calls, MP2 calls.
Preflop: We make a standard preflop raise with the second best starting hand.
Flop: (8.00 SB) 9♦, 8♦, 7♦ (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, MP2 calls, Hero raises, SB folds, BB calls, MP2 calls.
Flop: The flop is very ugly and dangerous for our hand. The unpredictable big blind bets and MP calls. We should raise to chase out the small blind. Maybe he folds small diamond cards or a jack with which he would have a gutshotdraw.
Turn: (7.00 BB) 2♣ (3 players)
BB checks, MP2 checks, Hero bets, BB calls, MP2 calls.
Turn: The turn brings a good card because no draws have arrived and the two normally doesn’t help anyone. We bet to protect our probable second best hand.
River: (10.00 BB) 2♦ (3 players)
BB bets, MP2 calls, Hero folds.
River: On the river the fourth flushcard hits and the unpredictable big blind bets again. If we only had him as our opponent, we should call the bet because this player is able to bet a weak pair or a T respectively 6 with which he had a draw to a straight (which didn’t arrive) to bluff us out of the hand. However, because MP called, we should fold in this position. Certainly MP could be a fish that calls with a random weak pair without the flush and hopes to be ahead. In this case we would fold the best hand. In my opinion this happens too rarely. In most cases at least one player has a weak flush so that a call would not be profitable. Especially the passive way of playing from MP indicates a weak draw (even if many fishes play their pairs passively). Hence we fold on the river.
Final Pot: 12.00 BB
++++++++++ HAND 2++++++++++
In the following we have examples where we don’t want players to overcall. Meaning situations where we raise on the river and don’t go for overcalls. In principle the following factors should apply.
We have a strong made hand and think that we are ahead in most cases and even appreciate a three bet on the river.
The board allows for many draws (straight, flushdraws), no draws arrived on the river and the style of playing of our opponents indicates that they were on a draw. These Players wouldn’t call a single bet with them still holding an incomplete draw, unless they have made a pair. Due to this we wouldn’t normally get an overcall in the first place.
The pot is big and our weak opponents call with any hand until the showdown, meaning they call two bets with marginal hands to come to a showdown on the river.
In the following hand examples we play on a loose table where our opponents basically don’t fold their pairs.
Preflop: Hero is UTG with Q♣, Q♦
Hero raises, 3 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, 2 folds, SB calls, BB calls.
Preflop: We raise with QQ and four players call.
Flop: (10.00 SB) Q♥, 9♥, 2♣ (5 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, SB folds, BB calls.
Flop: The flop is very nice. We hit the highest three of a kind, but there are many possibilities for straights (OESD for JT, gutshots) and a flush. Therefore we raise the bet from the big blind immediately to protect our hand. It is a big mistake to slowplay your hand in this position!
Turn: (9.00 BB) T♠ (4 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, BB calls.
Turn: On the turn we will be behind against KJ. This hand is rather unlikely though. It wouldn’t make sense if the big blind would bet his gutshot on the flop. We raise again to protect our hand against the following players and to extract the most money from weaker hands. Often the continued bet from the big blind is a medium strength or weak pair or maybe the last queen in the deck that doesn’t want to give us a free card. In total we are ahead too often in this position to fold, so we raise.
River: (17.00 BB) A♠ (4 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, BB calls.
River: The ace on the river doesn’t change our situation. We were behind against KJ on the turn as well and this hand would have caused more action on the turn. Only AA has us beat but is probably unlikely due to the action preflop. We raise as players behind us will call with marginal pairs anyway (they are loose), respectively, hands that had a chance of making a flush won’t call the bet. Our hand is strong enough to raise again, a call for an overcall would cost too much money in the long run.
Final Pot: 23.00 BB
