Slowplaying

Slowplaying!!

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Slow Playing!!!

Everyone has slowplayed a hand in the past and will do so again in the future. I will try to explain some strategies and situations to take advantage of slow playing.  Just remember that slow play can allow for your opponents to catch up and beat you in a pot that they otherwise may have folded to you but that is the dangerous line that is walked.

Slowplaying generally means to play a strong hand weakly on any single round of betting in order to intice your opponent into betting a one stage or another in the hand.  Unless you have a very good read on your opponents hand or you have the absolute nuts, generally it is incorrect to slowplay on the flop and the turn and allow your opponent to catch up.

Very few hands are actually correct to slowplay and dont actually come around that often.  For a slowplay situation to be correct or advised you would/should look for the following things:

1. Your hand must be very strong
2. You probably would chase all of your opponents out of the hand by betting and could potentially win a very large pot if you were to check your hand
3. The free card that you are giving your opponnents allows them to catch up a little, gives them second best hands that they will pay you off with.  Example straights vs. flushes
4. The free cards that you are giving your opponents has little to no chance of making your opponents a better hand or even giving them a draw to a better hand which will justify them making a marginal call with sufficient odds to crack your hand
5. The pot is relatively small - it is almost always incorrect to slow play when it is a large pot.  No need to be greedy when the pot is already of a larger size.  It is always better to put the chips in becuase they will likely be forced to call you anyways.

Here is an example when slowplaying would be correct:

You hold QQ and the flop comes:

In this situation you have flopped top set on a rainbow board and only a gut shot straight draw of any danger.  If you check and an A comes you might be able to get paid of by a player with AK who has made a much weaker hand that looks relatively strong.  Or the turn could bring a flush draw and get opponents chasing for the flush.

An example where the situation is ok for a slowplay but not perfect is below:  In any situation where it is not perfect for a slowplay it is almost never correct to slowplay the hand and allow your opponents the free card.

You hold 66 and the flop comes:

In this situation you have flopped bottom set against a flush draw and a straight draw.  In a case like this I would lean more towards betting or raising your opponents then just calling them and slowplaying your hand.  A lot of cards on the turn would not be good for you hand.

Another misconception if that you should always slow play the absolute nuts.  I would aggree that as a general rule this is the best way to play the hands especially if you hold all the best cards like A8 on an A88 board.  In this situation it is very unlikely that your opponents will have flopped much of a hand at the same time and give you and action. But you can bet your hand if you flop the nut flush and your opponents are willing to chase with the K of that suit or if you were the preflop raiser and they think you are continuation betting.  If they fold, no biggie, you were unlikely to make any money in the pot anyways.

Slowplaying can be very profitable but also very costly.  Pick your spots wisely and make sure you know and undertain your opponents!!

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