Big Overpair Leak. Please Help

SugarPush · #1 05-30-2005, 02:10 PM

Hello everyone,

I think that one of the biggest leaks in my game is playing overpairs. I have lost my stack on several occasions to a flopped set and I am not certain what to do about it.

This pot was raised and reraised so I put my opponent on KK or QQ maybe AA or AK. I completely discounted all other hands which I guess was a mistake. :-)

I think that my main question is: How do I push my advantage while minimizing my risk of going broke. I am starting to imagine sets in every corner.

Please take a look at how I played my hand and give me comments.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (8 handed) converter

MP1 ($77.5)
MP2 ($50.9)
Hero ($55.75)
Button ($81.44)
SB ($50.6)
BB ($44.7)
UTG ($208.19)
UTG+1 ($55.38)

Preflop: Hero is CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. SB posts a blind of $0.25.
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.50, MP2 raises to $3, Hero raises to $6, 3 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls $3.

Flop: ($13.25) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP2 bets $1, Hero raises to $12, MP2 calls $11.

Turn: ($37.25) 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
MP2 checks, Hero bets $20, MP2 calls $32.90 (All-In), Hero calls $12.90.

River: ($103.05) 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $103.05

Results in white below: 
MP2 has 5h 5d (three of a kind, fives).
Hero has Ah Ad (one pair, aces).
Outcome: MP2 wins $103.05.

kongo_totte · #2 05-30-2005, 02:33 PM

I think you'll find your over pair game alot easier if you raise more pre-flop. By min.raising like you did in the hand you give away maximum information and charging the minimum for it. If you'd had made it $10 pre-flop, all my money is going in on that board every single time. The min.raise put you in an awkward position. He has implied odds to call pre-flop so he could have any PP (of course, I high one is more likely to raise in the first place). I guess I pay him off in this hand aswell and make a npte he raised 5 5 in MP, but I´m definately making it atleast $9 pre-flop.

jman220 · #3 05-30-2005, 02:39 PM

Don't min-raise with royal pp's. Other than that, I think your play is fine, stacks being what they were, I don't see how you don't end up with that guy all in and you calling at the end. Overpairs lose sometimes, they win more than they lose and the times that you lose with your overpair verse their set will be made up by the times you win with your set verse their overpair.

SugarPush · #4 05-30-2005, 03:37 PM

OK, great I think I understand. This is really great advice.

Tell me if this sounds correct so that I can see if I understand. You are making a big reraise here for two reasons:
1) Remove implied odds for an underpair to call you.
2) Get information about your opponents hand. This can be really important for KK or QQ. If you make a big reraise and get called you can slow down with QQ or KK suspecting AA.

Does that make sense? In case 2) you try to get info so that you can minimize your losses on the hand.

phrosty · #5 05-30-2005, 03:57 PM

I have one question. What hands do you put your opponent on that call your reraise preflop and then bet out $1 and call $11? I think it's an obvious set. With no reasonable draws especially considering the preflop action what else could he have? Would he play kings or queens this way? I think one of the biggest skills you have to learn in NL is when to get rid of TPTK and big PP hands. At the very least do everything you can to keep the pot small.

amoeba · #6 05-30-2005, 04:01 PM

reraise more preflop so that you earn more the times they don't set on the flop and fold there.

once he calls your raise on the flop, I slow down.

sometimes I might even call his $1 flop bet there as it seems suspicious and you don't want something like 99 or TT to fold. you aren't really worried about draws as I don't see a straight draw hand calling your reraise preflop.