Making an 'Over-bet'

An over bet in poker occurs when a player bets more than the value of the pot. There are a number of reasons why a player might do this. They might have little understanding of the game - in particular risk vs reward. Many players just won't understand that they are risking more than the size of the pot, which under normal circumstances is not the right thing to do.

Moving on to the intentional over bet - there are a number of reasons this can be a good play. These can be deceptive plays that use the over bet as an effective strategy to extract more chips than you would otherwise have won had they bet pot or less than. If your over-betting the pot, you need to be careful as to when you do it. An over bet can look like a weak play which could encourage a call by top pair or similar. Of course if your holding the goods, this can be a good play, especially if you think you might get a call.

Over-bet for protection

It is also common to occasionally over-bet the pot when you're trying to protect your hand. If you know your ahead and you have callers on a dangerous board - sometimes you want to close out the action and take down the pot. The downside if you get called by a player needing to catch is that sometimes they'll hit and win the pot. On the plus side, they're paying a premium to see the next card - that's still a result. On other occasions the cards will fall your way.

Bluff Over-bet

The bluff over bet can be effective when used at the right time. Used in the wrong spot and that's your dinner money gone. There are two main ways that you can take down a pot in a hand of poker. Firstly you can have the best hand at showdown or you can bluff everyone out of the pot pre showdown.

This is a risky move as if you run into a hand, you're in trouble. This over bet is effective even if a player hits top pair with a good kicker. Good players often will make what will look like a good lay-down.

Donk Over-bet

There will also be times when your up against a donk player. These could be good spots to over bet the pot, especially if you put them on a hand. They will be far more likely to call. As a general rule of thumb - the weaker the player, the more you can splash the pot more than you normally would.