1. A card of a higher rank than any of the cards on the board.
2. A card of a higher 🧲 rank than your opponent’s pair.
“Over card” is a term which is frequently used in Texas Hold’em. It can be used 🧲 to refer to any card which is higher in rank than the highest ranked card on the board, at any 🧲 given moment. If the highest card on the board happened to be an eight, any card of nine or higher 🧲 would be considered an over card. If the highest card on the board were a queen, only King and Ace 🧲 would be considered over cards. If there is an ace on board, no overcards exist. Overcards are frequently referred to 🧲 as simply “Overs.”
The term “over card” is most commonly used in reference to one or more of a player’s hole 🧲 cards. Over cards are strategically significant because if you are able to hit a pair with an overcard it will 🧲 be top pair. Top pair can be a very strong hand in a Hold’em game, especially if you also hold 🧲 a good kicker. Some looser players may even call a bet on the flop with over cards only, in the 🧲 hopes that they will pair up on the turn. Occasionally, you will have the correct implied odds to call with 🧲 over cards only, but most of the time you will not. For this reason, chasing with over cards is usually 🧲 seen as a poor play and a sign of a weak or inexperienced player.
Sometimes, your opponent may call with overcards, 🧲 with the intention of bluffing at you on the subsequent betting round, whether the next card helps their hand or 🧲 not. This play is known as “floating.” Floating can be used effectively in all types and structures of Hold’em games, 🧲 and in both ring games and tournaments. Floating can be very effective against the right type of player, but it 🧲 can also be very dangerous, because it requires you to flat call a bet with nothing and to subsequently either 🧲 bluff bet or bluff raise your opponent. If you are called or played back at, the play can get very 🧲 expensive. Because the risks associated with floating an opponent are so high, you generally don’t want to try it unless 🧲 you are confident that you are in a situation where it stands a good chance at success. Your opponent’s style 🧲 of play can be a great predictor of whether or not they are susceptible to being floated. Players who play 🧲 extremely tight are vulnerable to being floated, because they are used to making tough laydowns when they face a large 🧲 bet. Still, you have to be careful floating this type of player; it can be dangerous because they often have 🧲 a very strong hand when they bet, and they may be inclined to call. Floating works best against players who 🧲 frequently bet out with draws or lead with weak hands. It is an advanced play usually made by strong players, 🧲 but you should not go overboard with it. You really need to pick your spots. If you get a reputation 🧲 for floating too frequently, you opponents will start to beat you by making tough calls or by playing back at 🧲 you. It is a play that only works well when your bets garner respect.
