What is Overlay in Poker?
Let’s say you have organized for a birthday party at your home. On the day of the event, only seven of your expected 10 guests show up. You still have three prizes to give, but now, the odds of more people walking out with a gift have greatly increased due to the three absent participants. Although a little vague, such is the concept of overlay tournaments in poker.
People participate in poker tournaments from all over the world, and around the clock. If you are a person looking to play a game of poker online, the most important factor you should consider before enrolling for a tournament is going to be the pot value. No player would want to even think of investing their time and money in a game not knowing what they might get in return. This is an important point in understanding how overlay poker tournaments work. Poker rooms announce buy-in rates, predict the number of players that could potentially participate, and then accordingly estimate a pot prize value.
What Exactly is Overlay Poker?
For example, if a game of poker has a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000 and a buy-in of $100. Then, if on the day of the event, 90 people show up. This would generate a contribution of $9,000. The poker room contributes the remaining money for the pot, which in our example is $1,000. This leftover amount put by the host to compensate for the lack of participants and meet the pot prize requirement is called as an overlay in poker. It refers to the gap in the collective buy-ins and the guaranteed pot prize. Overlay poker tournaments are an excellent way for players to maximize their chances at a profit as lesser players always stand for a higher chance of winning more value.
BRM Benefits of Overlay Poker
Overlay tournaments are beneficial for players’ BRM (Bankroll Management) since the amount of investment in comparison to the possibility of winning the pool prize money is significantly lower. These might come at a price for the hosting room, but for the players, it is one of the best possible choices to play from. For those playing MTT (Multi-table Tournaments) there is nothing quite like overlay tournaments because, in a lower field, you’re in for a big prize and a hefty payday.
Best Way to Find Overlay Tournaments
While aiming for multi-tabling with overlay tournaments, the best way to hunt for them is to browse through unpopular websites since they’ll usually not have enough for players as per what they calculate. When playing with sites like Spartan Poker, you’ll have to wait for a little, and set out at the oddest of hours to find yourself some overlay tournaments as, during the peak sessions, you’ll rarely find empty slots.
Traditionally speaking, you are only likely to find overlay tournaments while playing online and not in person. This is because a digital platform offers much more volatility in playing sessions, whereas the ones you’d play physically have a fixed number of people that ensure they join the table. Either way, overlay tournaments are a great find for any poker player, rookie or professional and playing more of those will only benefit your BRM and offer more ways to win the pot. So sign-up to Spartan and join us for your first real money poker game!
