Database Connection Pooling - Is the overhead really worth it?

Hey everyone, I've been thinking a lot about managing database connections efficiently, especially in high-traffic scenarios. Connection pooling seems like the standard solution, but I sometimes wonder if the overhead of managing the pool itself is always worth it, particularly for services that might have spiky or low traffic. What are your experiences with connection pooling? Do you implement it everywhere, or do you have specific criteria for when you decide it's necessary? Any pitfalls to watch out for when setting up or tuning connection pools?