Many players wonder about what is an over pair in poker. Poker is a popular casino card game that is based on skill’s player. For a beginner, you might be a bit confused with the terms that involve poker. One popular term that we will cover in this article is overpair. So, before you decide to place your chips into the pot, let’s take a look at below.
Understanding What is an Over Pair in Poker
To answer the question about what is an over pair in poker, it is a basic term for a pocket pair that is higher than any card on the board or known as community cards. Overpairs often happen postflop and the term is not used for the preflop hands. When a player has K♥ K♣ on a board of 3♦ 8♣ 10♦ 10♠ J♥, they have got an overpair.
The probability of seeing the overcards on the flop increases with the size of the pocket pair (e.g., 5-5, 6-6, etc.).An overcard is any card, which is ranked higher than your paired cards. Having an overpair is a great spot to be in, however, it comes with some risks. For instance, if you have an overpair, you normally don’t have other draws to increase.
On the other hand, your opponents can have draws, two-pairs, and other hands that will beat your overpair.
Example of Overpair in Poker
Let’s get more familiar with what is an over pair in poker as a quick example. An ambassador for Partypoker, Jamie Staples, has a good situation unfolding in front of him. He is on the button with an overpair. It means that he is in an ideal position at the table with a strong hand.
Well, anytime you have an overpair, you will be ahead of lots of hands your opponents can have. Like Jamie, he has 10♥ 10♦, which is ahead of hands such as 3-3, 4-4, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, and any pairs of 5s such as A-5, 4-5, 5-6, 5-7, and other reasonable hands.
For what is an over pair in poker, we also need to remember some of the draws that he might be up against. There are 2 clubs on the board, that means when players continue to the turn, they might be on a flush draw.
The straight draws are less likely, but Jamie might be up against A-3 and A-4 sometimes. The 10♥ 10♦ is only behind a few hands such as 5♥-5♦, 5♦-5♠, 5♥-5♠, A-2, J-J, Q-Q, K-K, and A-A.
How to Use Overpair as Your Poker Strategy
When it comes to Texas Holdem of what is an over pair in poker, it is typically a strong hand. On the other hand, it will be less strong when it comes to Omaha. The clear strength of an overpair will depend on the following:
- How high the overpair is in rank (higher remains naturally better)
- The board texture (overpairs don’t like highly coordinated boards)
In Texas Holdem, good overpairs might sometimes be strong enough to play for stacks with (based on the stack depth). Meanwhile in Omaha, this is rarely the case unless the stacks remain shallow.
One of the most common mistakes which players make when transitioning to Omaha from Holdem is “overvaluing overpairs”. In many cases, a naked overpair will not be strong enough to play for 100bb stacks within Omaha.
Tips Playing Overpair in Poker
Now, you already understand what is an over pair in poker and the example of this term. If you think you will be interested in playing overpair in your next poker game, here are some tips you should consider.
1. Play Overpairs Quickly and Aggressively (Most of the Time)
You can play aggressively with your overpairs will do two major things for you. At the first time, your aggression will isolate one or two players, instead of several players. It means that your equity increases. After that, you will have a better opportunity of getting more chips into the pot, while you are ahead of your opponent.
2. Set Some Traps with Your Strongest Overpairs
Keep in mind, if you always take the similar line of what is an over pair in poker, you will be too predictable. You need to play with a mixed strategy, occasionally faking the strength of your hand. With this, you can have hands like to pair and middle pair to bet into you.
3. Avoid Playing Multiway Pots Out of Position with the Overpairs
You should never play multiway pots if you are dealt a good pocket pair out of position. Your equity is at its lowest, even with the premium hands. Try to lower the fields and decide a preflop raise size that will get you heads-up with an opponent.
The Problem with Overpairs in Poker
From what is an over pair in poker, it is a strong hand, however, they are never the nuts. An overpair is not even the 2nd, or 3rd-best possible hand on a flop. There is no question that you will be ahead most of the time, however, don’t overplay your overpair.
A lot can change when the flop is dealt and your overpair may not be as strong as it looks. New players sometimes always expect for the hand like Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces. It causes them to commit their bets to the pot, and sometimes with very low equity.
Here is an example hand to illustrate the risks of overplaying what is an over pair in poker:
- You hold Q♥ Q♦ and the flop is revealing 6♠ 7♦ 9♠
- You bet about 1/2 pot and other players raise. It is unlikely the have a straight, so you 3-bet
- Now, other players move their big chip stack all in
- This is a mistake, for Q♥ Q♦. It because any hand that your opponent will choose to go all-in with has a big amount of equity against your hand
- Most players will move all in with hands that are better than one pair
Conclusion
To sum up everything about what is an over pair in poker, it is a basic term for a pocket pair, which is higher than any card on the board. Before you decide to overplay your overpairs, learn the most common mistake to avoid a big loss.
