Slow Play Only When Correct To Do So
Posted by Mal | February 2, 2010 | Posted in: Articles | Comments (1)Slow playing a hand in poker is to deliberately appear weak and check so you induce more calls or raises from your opponent when you hold a strong hand. Betting looks strong and often an opponent will fold out of position when faced with action. There are many instances in Texas Hold’em where betting is correct. Too many weaker players check when they are strong and bet when they are weak. You will have heard the saying “weak is strong, strong is weak” in poker in regards to fish poker strategy. Slow playing should only be used when the time is right.
When you were learning how to play poker do you remember when you had a pair of Aces and you raised and everyone folded? You probably felt robbed, that was your chance to win a big pot! The next time you looked down at your hole cards and found Aces you decided to limp in, that way you are guaranteed at least a hand with the big blind. Unfortunately this strategy is flawed. It is an easy trap to fall into by raising with hands like AQ, TT, 99, AJ, KQ folding everything else and then limping in with Queens, Kings and Aces. It is a very transparent way of playing poker.
Remember that AA, KK, QQ are only one pair. In the poker hand rankings they are way down the list. They are good starting hands, but note their name, they are good for starters. Most of the time you want to see an improvement, or a great flop texture for your pair. Because you do not get these improvements or favourable flops all of the time you need the instances where you take down the pot uncontested and therefore raising is correct with these hands pre-flop. By giving an opponent a free look at the flop if they miss they fold. You earn the blind only in this spot where you could have denied them a free chance to hit the flop by raising.
Further into a hand with any hole cards your opponent’s tendencies and what you know about them becomes important. Whenever you slow play you allow the opponent to draw the next card as you are effectively waiting until the next street to make your move to build the pot, hoping that your reasons for building the pot are disguised by your slow play. This card could, of course, improve your opponents hand so their bet may not be a steal.
If you have the absolute nuts then slowplaying is fine. Think about what your opponent believes about you. If you always fire into the pot then slowing down suddenly and then betting later on indicates real strength, especially if the card drawn in the meantime is a blank. Your actions must be as believable as possible given your own style and the flop texture.
If you have anything less than the best hand possible then slowplaying can be a way of extracting the true strength of your opponent. Let’s assume that the board is Qh-6h-8h-3d and you hold Kh-Jh for the second nut flush. After check-check on the flop your opponent checks to you on the turn and you check back slowplaying the hand. The river is a 3h. This is a really bad card for you. Your opponent could have the full house (unlikely, but possible) or hold the Ah for the nut flush. As you did not have the best hand your slowplaying has made it possible that you are beat. Your opponent may have called a bet on the flop and turn with Ah-Qx and now hold the nut flush. If they hold this hand a bet on the flop and turn bet was the only way you could win the pot with their miracle card hitting on the river. In this instance, they may only call a bet due to their own fear of the full house.
ABC poker strategy recommends you to play your strong hands strongly and check when you are weak, throwing in the odd bluff to keep your opponents guessing. Sometimes playing poker in a straight forward way is deceptive in itself with online poker becoming so creative these days.
By Malcolm Clarke
Well Gary can ship the chips to me on Full Tilt. Username : garethwitty