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Slowplaying

Slowplaying is checking or calling when you have a very strong hand that will most likely win the pot.  You slowplay in order to build the pot when the board is not dangerous or to keep people in the hand who would most likely fold to a bet or raise.  For instance, let's say you flop a full house.  If you’re playing against tight players you would worry that a bet might knock most of your opponents out of the hand.  Therefore you’d check or call, hoping they might improve on the turn which would allow you to bet for value, hopefully coaxing more money out of them.  You should never slowplay anything other than a very strong hand.  Trips is not a monster hand.  AA is not a monster hand.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people hold AA and not raise pre-flop thinking that they’re “due” a win.  They say that they’re afraid of knocking everyone out of the hand with a raise and want to build the pot.  The problem with their thinking is that although statistically they’re ahead pre-flop, by allowing more people to enter the pot cheaply their chance of being drawn out after the flop is much higher.  Against a few opponents AA is very strong.  If 6 or 7 players see the flop, the value of AA goes way down as someone will likely draw out on you.  Never slowplay unless you have a very strong hand. 

Never slowplay if the pot is huge.  Whenever the pot is huge and you think you have the best hand, bet or raise!  Try to win it immediately.  Your bet may at least protect your hand somewhat.  By betting you have the chance to knock out a couple players if not win the pot outright.  When the pot is huge don’t mess around, just try to take it.

Never slowplay if you face many opponents, especially if the pot is already huge!  If everyone and their grandma saw the flop, and you think you’ve got the best hand, then bet or check-raise!  A few years back I was playing 1/2 online from middle position with 9 8, the flop was Q J T .  I was even happier when I realized that 8 players saw the flop.  So on the flop, instead of raising an early position bet, I just called.  On the turn came a 7.  The river was another 7 but hey, I didn’t worry it, I mean I had a straight!  And I was due!  I hadn’t won a real pot all night and I just knew this one was mine.   Mentally, I had already added that huge stack of chips in the center of the table to my pile.  At the showdown a player from late position showed me his hand, four 7’s, quads!  I proceeded to tilt, and lost a lot of money fast.  If I’d played my hand correctly by protecting it, the late position player probably would have folded his pair of 7’s instead of calling 2 bets.  It could have saved me the entire pot.  Rarely will you see quads, but people will draw out on you if you allow too many people to stay in the hand.  Never slowplay if you face many opponents and the pot is large!    

The only time I’ll slowplay is if I have a true monster, or if for some reason I’m 99% sure my hand is going to win the pot and I think the chances of being drawn out on are very slim.  If I flop a full house with 3 timid, predictable players in the hand, of course I’ll slowplay.  When playing online, keep in mind that often it doesn’t matter if you slowplay or not.  If you’re playing low limits on Party Poker you might as well just bet for value as more often then not, you’ll have several players call you all the way to the river.  Only slowplay if you know you’ve got the best hand, and your chances of being drawn out are slim.

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