Quarterly Freerollaments and River Overshoves

Last night I set my alarm clock to wake up at 11:45AM because the good folks in the Stars Regulars Thread of the SSFR forum at 2p2 reminded me that the quarterly million dollar freeroll for Supernova+ VIPs was on Saturday. Waking up at 11:45 was painful, as I really like my sleep and typically do so from around 5AM to 2PM. It did prove to be a fruitful endeavor however as I managed to cash for a quick $400.

Unfortunately, the cash games were super dead while the tourney was being played because so many regulars were online, so it was difficult to have more than 6-8 additional tables going until folks started to bust and head out to do whatever they do on their Saturdays. I did play a later session when the games were decent, but definitely wish I could have put in a little more volume. Slacking off to watch the Stampeders game on TV didn't help the cause either.

During the late session, I was in a spot against a fish at a pot limit holdem table where I really wanted to overshove the river but couldn't because it was pot limit! When dealing with fish, it is not at all uncommon to find spots where overbet shoving the river (even if it's an obscene overbet - see second HH below) is by far the option with the highest expected value, simply because they're not folding hands of a certain strength or above period - but they also aren't going to raise without the nuts or close to it. Shortly after the hand in question, I found myself in a similar situation overbet shoving 125.5bbs into a 5.5bb pot at a 100NL table against a fish, in which I was hoping to be called by an A high one card flush (on a paired board versus my boat, obviously). He thought about it and called it off with the K high flush. The HHs in question are below:

PokerStars Pot-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (8 handed)
MP2 ($105.50)
CO ($107.15)
Button ($100)
SB ($144.25)
BB ($102.75)
Hero (UTG) ($100)
UTG+1 ($83.30)
MP1 ($100)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 7♠, 7♣
Hero bets $3.50, 5 folds, SB calls $3, 1 fold

Flop: ($8) 3♥, 4♣, A♣ (2 players)
SB bets $1, Hero calls $1

Turn: ($10) 7♥ (2 players)
SB bets $2, Hero raises to $15.50, SB calls $13.50

River: ($41) A♥ (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $39, SB calls $39

Here is where I desperately wanted to overshove, as I'm confident he's almost never folding trips and most definitely not a small flush, but is also never raising with them. Damn you pot limit!

Total pot: $119 | Rake: $3

Results:
SB mucked A♠, J♠ (three of a kind, Aces).
Hero had 7♠, 7♣ (full house, sevens over Aces).
Outcome: Hero won $116


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (8 handed)
UTG+1 ($107.55)
MP1 ($110.30)
MP2 ($79.55)
CO ($105.65)
Button ($100)
SB ($100)
Hero (BB) ($128.10)
UTG ($206)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 2♥, J♥
UTG calls $1, 6 folds, Hero checks

Flop: ($2.50) 3♣, J♣, J♦ (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks

Turn: ($2.50) 2♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $1.50, UTG calls $1.50

River: ($5.50) 6♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $125.60 (All-In), UTG calls $125.60

Total pot: $256.70 | Rake: $3

Results:
Hero had 2♥, J♥ (full house, Jacks over twos).
UTG had K♣, 7♠ (flush, King high).
Outcome: Hero won $253.70