I continue to see lots of hands posted on various Internet sites regarding the play of overcards. It is frustrating to raise with a good hand like A-K, only to have the flop miss you completely. I know a few players who have stopped raising preflop with hands like A-K or A-Q if more than two players limp in ahead of them. They argue that it is pointless, since they will have to catch something to win the pot, and most flops will miss them. I don't agree with this logic, but I can sympathize with their point of view.
The simple fact is that overcards should be folded in many low- and middle-limit games that are either loose-passive or loose-aggressive. In these "no fold'em hold'em" games, semibluffs rarely work. You will have to end up with the best hand to win, and your outs may be only to a pair, which may well lose anyway. When you do win, the pots tend to be small, because no one has anything. But when you lose, it is frequently because you turned or rivered top pair, only to lose to two pair or better. When this happens, you lose a lot. The other problem is that if you don't catch something on the turn, you normally have to fold, since the pot odds are usually not there to continue playing.
The following hands were taken from low- and middle-limit games. Because they are from live games, not all of the plays leading up to the problem in question are necessarily correct but they are usually reasonable.
Hand No. 1 ($15-$30 game): You are in the big blind with the K
Q. An early-position player limps in, the cutoff raises, and the small blind calls. You and the early-position player also call. There is $120 in the pot and four players. The flop arrives with the 3
3
2, leaving you with overcards and a backdoor-flush draw. The small blind bets. What should you do?
Answer: Fold. Your overcards are of dubious value when there is an open pair on the table in a situation like this one. You are being bet into with two players yet to act, one of whom is a preflop raiser. In the actual hand, the player called because he was getting 9-to-1 pot odds and figured he had six outs to top pair plus his backdoor-flush draw, which made his drawing odds less than 9-to-1. But the pot could easily get raised, costing him two bets to take a card off, and the vast majority of his outs are to a pair, which may lose anyway. The small blind had a trey, so the big blind was drawing dead to runner-runner.
Hand No. 2 ($15-$30 game): You open-limp from middle position with the Q J. Only the small blind calls. There is $45 in the pot and three players. The flop is 10 10
2, giving you two overcards. The small blind bets and the big blind folds. What should you do?
Answer: Fold. You have nothing and the pot is puny with only four small bets in it. All you have are some very weak runner-runner possibilities and two anemic overcards that complement the board. The open pair and the two-flush make everything worse.
In the actual hand, the player called, planning to raise his opponent on the turn if he caught a king, a queen, a jack, a 9, or an 8. He thought he could represent a 10 and "outplay" his opponent. He caught the 9 on the turn, giving him an open-end straight draw. His opponent bet, and he raised as a semibluff. His opponent three-bet him. He called, pressing on with his straight draw. The river was the 8, giving him a straight. His opponent bet, and he raised, having made his hand. His opponent three-bet and he made a crying call. His opponent won with the 10 9 for a full house on the turn. Before leaving the table in a huff, he chastised his opponent for being so foolish as to bet out on the flop with such a strong hand, and bemoaned his own "bad luck" in making his hand.
Hand No. 3 ($10-$20 game): You raise from early position with the A K after another player has limped in. Another early-position player and two middle-position players call. The cutoff three-bets, the button folds, and everyone calls to you. You cap the betting and everyone calls. There is $320 in the pot and eight players. The flop is 5 4 3, giving you two overcards, a gutshot-straight draw, and a backdoor nut-flush draw. It is checked to you. What should you do?
Answer: Check. None of your outs are clean and you have seven opponents. A deuce gives anyone with a 6 a bigger straight and anyone with an ace the same hand that you have. An ace gives anyone with a deuce a straight. Even a king may not be an out if someone has two pair. Some of these hands seem unlikely, but with seven opponents in a jammed pot like this, virtually all combinations are possible. A bet will get called every time, and frequently raised with a large crowd and big pot like this.
Hand No. 4 ($10-$20 game): You are in middle position with the A K. An early-position player raises and a middle-position player three-bets. You cap the betting. The cutoff and both blinds call, as do the other two players. There is $240 in the pot and six players. The flop is Q 7 3, leaving you with overcards. Both blinds check, the early-position player bets, and the middle-position player calls. What should you do?
Answer: Raise. I know it seems strange that I now advocate raising when you have no hand. But in this case, pot size overwhelms all other considerations. There are 26 bets in the pot and it costs you only one bet to call. You would certainly call, given the fantastic pot odds. Raising is even better because you may drive out players and increase your winning chances should you hit something. Your raise also may get you a free ride to the river. Keep in mind that you have shown tremendous strength up to this point with your cap and now a raise of the flop bet. Many of your opponents will fold because they will put you on pocket aces, pocket kings, or even a set of queens. Some of them fancy themselves as experts by "not throwing good money after bad," and other such nonsense.
Hand No. 5 ($20-$40 game): You limp in from middle position with the A 10 behind two early-position players. There is $90 in the pot and four players. The flop is 8 6 3, leaving you with overcards. It is checked to you. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. This is a ragged, rainbow board. It does not figure to have helped anyone. No one has shown any strength. You can win the pot outright and you have six outs to top pair if anyone calls, presumably with a better hand. The board is of such a nature that you don't rate to get check-raised, and you might get a free card later. The only downside is that you have three opponents, which, in my opinion, is right on the cusp between betting and checking.
Hand No. 6 ($15-$30 game): You are on the button with the A K. An early-position player limps in and a middle-position player raises. You three-bet, and both players call. There is $160 in the pot and three players. The flop is 9 7 5, giving you two overcards and a backdoor nut-flush draw. Both opponents check. What should you do?
Answer: Bet. You are the preflop three-bettor, marked with the best hand. You could win the pot outright by betting against only two opponents with this harmless board. There is a two-flush, but it is very unlikely that anyone is on a flush draw with only two opponents. No one led at the flop, which lessens the chance of an overpair. But your opponents might well put you on a big overpair, given your preflop three-bet. You may have the best hand if the preflop raiser has A-Q or A-J suited. If anyone calls, the turn may get checked, allowing you a free card if you wish.
Hand No. 7 ($15-$30 game): You limp in from under the gun with the A J. The cutoff and the blinds call. There is $60 in the pot and four players. The flop arrives with the 10 7 5, leaving you with overcards. The small blind checks and the big blind bets. What should you do?
Answer: Fold. I don't like an overcard call here. This is a small, unraised pot and your position is bad. You could call, only to get raised by the cutoff or the small blind. One of your overcards complements the board, putting three cards in a straight zone. Why get involved in a tenuous situation when your outs are only to a pair?
Editor's note: Jim Brier has co-authored a new book with Bob Ciaffone entitled Middle Limit Holdem Poker. It is available through Card Player.