There are plenty of poker players who just can’t bear the thought of folding their over pair – even if it can lose them big money! Still, many players lose out big with their over pairs in multi-way pots because they keep calling every bet. But knowing when to fold your over pairs in big pots can save you a lot of money in the long run. Here’s a look at when it is a good idea to fold an over pair in a multi-way pot:
You’re holding J-J in a $1/$2 No-Limit game while sitting in the big blind. You also have a $200 stack so you’re not hurting for chips either at this limit. Two players ahead of you limp in so you make a $10 raise, which is pretty sizeable at 5 times the big blind. Interestingly enough both players decide to call your bet and the flop is shown to be 9s-10s-7h.
This doesn’t exactly help your cause because there are now flush and straight opportunities on the board. But it’s likely that you have the best hand still and aren’t faced with pocket Q’s, K’s, or A’s because they would have re-raised you earlier. So you make an $8 raise which isn’t enough to make the other players run, yet enough to make them think about calling. Unfortunately, both players call again.
The turn is shown to be an 8d, which would only help someone with an inside straight. Even still, you’re not sure if your pair of jacks are still good at this point and you are out of position so you just check. One of the other players lays down a $12 bet and the following player calls.
You aren’t pot committed yet, and with two players in the pot still, your pocket jacks are probably no good so you fold. This turns out to be a good decision since the other player later turns over a set of 9’s which beats the other person who was playing a flush draw.
Well, you just folded the straight and lost yourself a nice steak dinner with desert.
And what strategy to use when in your poker room from 5 games 4 times on the board is 88 and again 8? And players with 78 or 89 hands going all-in? Or a player 10 times in a row going into all-in and he always get the best hand? What is the probability of these events? What you are telling a very good, just not in your Carbon poker room.