10 thoughts on “How to Play Poker When Facing MASSIVE Overbets (Poker Strategy)”

1. Great vid, Alec!

   I am not a pro, so my POV is tainted by inexperience, but I think this is another one that is all about image, like the last one. Some players do this with the absolute nuts, and some just do it to do – they get a thrill out of forcing other players to make huge folds.

   REGARDING THE PREFLOP ACTION
   In my opinion, the Preflop Bet is not a good move, but that is based on my tight preference in cash games and in tournaments.

   In the SB I would Just Call with virtually every suited and/or connected hand except the following; 77+, A-10+ (except those combos which include a heart (because Heart = Trap, so I would just limp with them).

   I would Raise enough for the First Potential Caller (BB in this case) to have to call a pot-sized bet, which would be $55 – $60 in this hand).

   As a result, I guess I never show up with J-10o in this spot, after raising, but so be it. I will consider adding a J-10 combo to my range in the SB as an opener for non-tournament play, but I am quite dubious of the idea at this point.

   REGARDING THE FLOP ACTION
   Anyway, as played, the Check on the Flop is fine; I would never fold the flop given my chosen raising range for a 25% pot-sized bet (you can discount all my hands I don't raise with since they would have just called); unfortunately this means I wouldn't have hearts in this particular instance, alas.

   Yes, I know this puts me in sticky spots sometimes with the darned underpairs when they upgrade to sets on the turn but are then horrifically crushed by JJ, but that is rather rare and laying me 5 -1 is a great way to milk me at the table given my personal raising range preflop in the SB. On the other hand, I feel I need to call with those hands with this great price because it helps keep my hand disguised on the turn and river, depending on how things develop.

   If I decided to raise with J-10o preflop would call with that hand, also; but I also make the Flop call with the intent to Check-Raise the Turn with a big part of my raising range (exempting underpairs to the J that do not improve, so 7s, 9s, and 10s in this spot).

   In addition, if a flush draw manifests on the turn I will open up with a 75% – Pot-Sized lead in order to charge potential flush draws (not because I have J-10o but because I want it to look like I have a powerful hand that would want to extract value from flush draws).

   REGARDING THE TURN ACTION
   As stated earlier, if I call the Flop it is with the intent to Check-Raise the Turn; however I will also lead out on the Turn in this situation since an obvious draw manifested. Note, that this also means all my 7s, 9s, and 10s will now be leading into boards that connect to nut-straights which I never connect to on this run out. This sometimes puts me in bad pickles, and it is here I would most likely see a 6x raise. 🙂

   Given my raising range my opponents can expect me to have 77+, A10+ if I lead the Turn.

   Assuming they have AJ (which would be a reasonable hand to run into here, along with KJ, QJ, J-10, J-9) then that means they beat the following combos;

   AK (7 combos, excluding nut flush draw)
   AQ (7 combos, excluding nut flush draw)
   A10 (7 combos, excluding nut flush draw)

   So I am bluffing with 21 combos

   They lose/chop to the following combos;
   AA (3 combos)
   KK (6 combos)
   QQ (6 combos)
   JJ (1 combo)
   88 (3 combos)
   AJ (2 combos)

   So, 21 value hands that beat/chop vs AJ

   I am Semi-Bluffing with the following hands (actually never on this run out, but lets assume my opponent doesn't know I trap with hearts);
   AKh, AQh, A10h (3 combos)

   On the other hand, I will check/fold with 7s, 9s, 10s since they did not improve on the turn.

   I know this is a bit nitty, but I don't want to be in a spot where I make a set on the river and get absolutely demolished by the odd JJ hand that limp/called preflop, the obvious and more likely flush, and if these underpairs improve they will always lose to JJ, weird straight combos (7 – J), which are going to be nutted straights so you can't even bluff them unless the flush also makes it, but even then your opponent might call you down with nut straights unless you go really big)

   So, based of this, you can see why I just can't reasonably put J-10o anywhere at this point, since I am always intending to check-raise somewhere, either on the flop or turn, based off texture.

   If the board does not improve to an obvious flush draw (say, an off-suit 6 hits), then I will stick to my Check-Raise strategy (which will result in my opponent facing pretty much the same decision he would have to make if I led).

   If my opponent also checks then we will see a river and I get to re-evaluate and decide whether to make a strong bet to rep a premium hand, or to check-fold/call depending on how things resolve.

   REGARDING THE RIVER ACTION
   Therefore, I can honestly say I just don't end up in this spot on the River, facing a 6x Overbet with Top Pair – Weak Kicker on this runout.

   All that being said, I would fold to some of my opponents and call others, based on their image, assuming I had AJ in this spot (or, I guess, J-10o, but I really don't see how I ever end up with that hand here).

   All AJ is (or J-10o for that matter) is a bluff catcher in my opinion. Alec thinks a Call is correct, and sometimes is certainly is. It is all about my opponent, and if I Check-Raise the Turn and they still bet into me with such a huge holding – I guess I have to fold the vast majority of the time.

   The trouble is, with J-10o, my opponent could be 'bluffing' with QJ and still beat me. I am just not a strong enough player to want to put myself in situations where I make the correct read that my opponent is bluffing, but still lose because their bluff beats me (and I would consider a 6x shove by AJ, nevermind QJ, a bluff on this board *vs. me specifically*.

   Anyway, feel free to pick my logic/line apart. 🙂

2. After 5 cards he could have trip jacks, trip eights, full house, no flush, trip 3's might be a likely bet or trip jacks and any variation of pairs and don't forget Quad 8's.. Trips are unlikely but possible. Flush is not possible. Full house is possible after a pair hits. I would bet it would be trip jacks or trip 3's or even a pair of jacks and maybe 2 pair(jacks and 3's). That is my guess and I am sticking to it. In any case it is a WAG. All you can ultimately do is bet your hand and hope it will be enough to win. Don't go all in unless you are ready to lose it all. Don't cry if you do. Just get up and shake their hand and walk away even if they laugh at your DA. We have all done it and it always hurts. Don't be like that cry baby on World Poker Tour that is the poker brat. I forgot his name. I am old and I forgot. I am entitled. lol.

3. I would also say that if you are not sure as the game goes on and someone loads the boats.(I call it swooping when someone has a large pot and throws down a big bet) If you do not feel that you have a strong hand fold and live to play another hand. There will be more hands. Live to play another hand instead of letting your ego make you think you can win. It is better than being broke. A good strategy is bet good hands with small amounts and bad hands on small amounts so they can catch you bluffing so when a big bet from you comes they will be more inclined to bet. If people are not betting against you go to a passive betting strategy by checking and only betting when your table mates bet. Then when you take their money they will not see it coming.

4. You call here. I'm not sure heros table image, but they've shown weakness and they have to keep that in mind. The bet was too large. You want a worst hand to call

5. Is anyone else baffled by the limp call pf and then massive overbet otr from AK?

6. I bluffed the river while eating a sandwich all loosey goosey on my phone. Somehow the guy called. This game is hard!😖

7. I could never call in this spot, even though my gut screaming he is bluffing I just feel that you will hardly ever find yourself in a spot like this it's so much easier to just let it go and when you do find yourself in this situation when you got DEENUTZ you get all the money back from folding plus more. I suppose when you have a huge bankroll you can call these spots all the time and eventually break even or make some profit but calling in these spots will absolutely break an amateur player

8. Why not check raise on the flop to see how strong his bet really is. If he calls is the same as check call. You still dont know or he'll re-raise if he really has a good hand. Probably better than JJ

9. FYI tried to download the "Free" Hand Reading System….after numerous clicks and repeated entry of name and email and then being sent to yet another advertisement page, I gave up 🙁

10. I'm just blown away by the idea that somebody overlimped from the button with AK and then overcalled a raise from the small blind with 3 way action. Seems like a no brainer raise from the button and a no brainer squeeze after the fact no?

Comments are closed.