Making bets larger than the pot

[Graham C]

I've come across a few of these recently and I always wonder what the bets about. 

Latest example

PokerStars Game #6193067251: Tournament #31066522, $20+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2006/09/06 - 16:53:53 (ET)
Table '31066522 53' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: Rolse_123 (3292 in chips)
Seat 2: RITTER88 (2940 in chips)
Seat 3: BIGGBLUFFS (3138 in chips)
Seat 4: corrigan14n (4790 in chips)
Seat 5: tractorman15 (4030 in chips)
Seat 7: AbOvEevry1 (760 in chips)
Seat 8: Graham0573 (2305 in chips)
Seat 9: buck21663 (9940 in chips)
Graham0573: posts small blind 50
buck21663: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Graham0573 [ ]
Rolse_123: folds
RITTER88: raises 100 to 200
BIGGBLUFFS said, "ty"
BIGGBLUFFS: folds
corrigan14n: folds
BubbaKGB is connected
tractorman15: folds
AbOvEevry1: folds
Graham0573: calls 150
buck21663: folds
*** FLOP *** [ ]
Graham0573: bets 200
RITTER88: raises 600 to 800
Graham0573: folds
RITTER88 collected 900 from pot
RITTER88: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 900 | Rake 0
Board [ ]
Seat 1: Rolse_123 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: RITTER88 collected (900)
Seat 3: BIGGBLUFFS folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: corrigan14n folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: tractorman15 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: AbOvEevry1 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Graham0573 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 9: buck21663 (big blind) folded before Flop

If he was playing a hand he was confident with, why bet that high?  He may have hit trips I guess, but feeling is that it's generally a bluffing bet or a bet with overcards that aren't pairing.

What's it all about?

[Bongo]

Is that the wrong HH?

[Graham C]

LOL Yes it is

changed it 

[Gamblor21]

he bet the pot silo???

[Graham C]

   Yeah he did, sorry, I just thought it was a big reraise without looking at the pot total.   Not the best example. 
Ignore me

[JungleCat03]

It's not that big a bet.

there's 500 in the pot preflop. you bet 200, a pot size raise for him is 900. He only raises 600.

There's lots of reasons why people overbet though. Sometimes it's jamming with a big draw where you want some folding equity and any smaller raise would commit you to put the rest of your chips in on the turn.

 For instance let's say he had AQc on this flop. The pot is definitely worth taking down so he might have overbet this and jammed with it so he's not left having to stick the rest of his chips in on a whiffed turn and he gets more perceived folding equity. And of course if he gets called he is likely to be a favourite if you just have one pair.

In this particular instance, it's hard to define his hand. You make a weak stab at the pot and he may have sensed this is weakness and decided to try and take control of the pot. I would prefer a bigger flop bet or even a check to a 200 lead. If you bet 3- 400 at the pot he now has to commit many more chips to the pot if he intends to bluff at it and it takes a much stronger move to blow you off the hand.

This is all player dependent though. If you know this player will fold to a small bet if he missed and only raise you when he has you beat then 200 is fine.

[Graham C]

Cheers JC  

[WonderHorse]

One reason for overbetting can be to, disguise your hand strength, if you overbet with a big pair or set it can bully people into a call with a marginal hand or TPTK who wouldnt belive you would play a big hand in that manner.

[Graham C]

sorry, what's TPTK?

[Bongo]

top pair top kicker

[NoflopsHomer]

Another great place to overbet a pot is when you have something like  in a multiway pot and the flop comes  which gets checked around and then the comes on the turn and you bet and get two or three callers, someone holding something like  will find it incredibly difficult to fold to a big overbet on the river.

[boldie]

Another great place to overbet a pot is when you have something like  in a multiway pot and the flop comes  which gets checked around and then the comes on the turn and you bet and get two or three callers, someone holding something like  will find it incredibly difficult to fold to a big overbet on the river.

I ussually bet more then the pot to stop people getting value. If I hit something on the flop other then the nuts and everynoe checks it to me I'll bet potsized or slightly more. Same on a board filled with a flush draw out there. You wanna hit it you're gonna have to pay for it I will not give you a cheap turn.

I will take the pot pre-turn quite a bit this way..even when I have F.A. as bets like these scare people off (atleast online)

[snoopy1239]

Speaking hypothetically, let's just say he did stick in a big bet, I still wouldn't deem in unreasonable. There is a flush and straight draw out there, so perhaps he wants to chase such hands away, or at least give them poor odds to hit.

On a sidenote, I thought your flop bet looked a bit weak and could have been raised off by a variety of weaker hands.

[M3boy]

I Like to overbet when I flop a set - then if called check the turn. They then set you in more times than not.

Overbetting your big hands pays off especially online

[Graham C]

OK I'll try and make some bigger bets at certain scenarios.

Out of interest, had I bet a decent amount and he still reraised on that board, would you call?