Overpair
A pocket pair higher than every card on the board — queens on a jack-high flop, for example. It is usually the best hand at the moment it is made, and just as usually the hand that loses the biggest pot of the session.
The difficulty with an overpair is that it is strong enough to bet three streets and never strong enough to be comfortable doing so. Against a passive opponent who suddenly raises the turn, an overpair is often drawing thin against a set or two pair; against an aggressive one, folding it is exactly the mistake they are hoping for.
Stack depth is the deciding variable. A hundred big blinds deep, an overpair is a good hand worth one or two streets; thirty deep, it is usually worth all the chips.
Related terms
Full glossaryFrequently asked questions
Should you always go all-in with an overpair?
No. Shallow stacks make it an easy stack-off; deep stacks make it a hand that often needs to fold to heavy turn and river aggression.