Slow-Playing

By slow-playing, I am referring to situations in which you have a powerful holding and are playing it weakly by either checking or just calling in order to get additional bets on later streets. You are being deceptive because you want to maximize the profit potential of your hand. As is the case with check-raising, many players become quite fascinated with this play and will routinely slow-play any powerful holding they have. But, as is the case with so many hold'em decisions, the texture of the board, the number of opponents, the previous betting actions, and your position become the dominant considerations in deciding whether or not to slow-play. The following seven hands taken from live-action play discuss some of these slow-play situations.

Hand No. 1 ($10-$20 game): You limp in from early position with the A J. The small blind also limps in. There is $30 in the pot and three players.

The flop is Q J J, giving you a set of jacks. Both blinds check. What should you do?

Answer: You should not slow-play. There is both a two-flush and two big cards to a straight on the table, so if your opponents have anything, they will call. You cannot afford to give free cards to potential flush draws plus all kinds of open-end and gutshot-straight draws like A-K, A-10, K-10, K-9, or 10-9. You might even be giving a free card to someone with a lower pocket pair who could hit his two-outer and fill. Bet your hand.

Hand No. 2 ($20-$40 game): You are in the cutoff seat with the Q Q. An early-position player and two middle-position players limp in. You raise and the button plus both blinds fold. Everyone else calls. There is $190 in the pot and four players.

The flop is Q 7 5, giving you top set. Everyone checks to you and you bet. The early-position player raises and your other two opponents fold. What should you do?

Answer: Call. This is a hand you can slow-play. You have only one opponent, you have position, and a reraise does not protect your hand any better vs. a flush draw. He will call.

Hand No. 3 ($30-$60 game): You limp in under the gun with the Q J. Two middle-position players and the small blind also limp in. There is $150 in the pot and five players.

The flop is 10 9 3, giving you an open-end straight draw. Everyone checks. The turn is the K. Both blinds check, you bet, and everyone folds to the big blind, who raises. What should you do?

Answer: No, this is not a trick question, and yes, you really have the nuts. You should reraise and not wait until the river. You could get counterfeited at the river, which could kill your action. If a queen or a jack shows up, your opponent may not even call if you bet the river, but he will call your reraise here on the turn if he has two pair or a set. If a blank comes on the river, he will probably make a crying call with his two pair or set when you bet the river.

Hand No. 4 ($20-$40 game): You are in the cutoff seat with the A J. An early-position player and two middle-position players limp in. You raise and everyone calls. There is $280 in the pot and seven players.

The flop is J J 5, giving you a set of jacks. Both blinds check. The early-position player bets and the two middle-position players fold. You raise, and everyone folds to the early-position player, who reraises. What should you do?

Answer: Slow-play by just smooth-calling, don't make it four bets. Your lone opponent most likely has the case jack with a worse kicker than yours. Now that it is heads up with you having position, you should let him lead on the turn and then lower the boom.

Hand No. 5 ($10-$20 game): You are in the small blind with the 8 8. An early-position player and a middle-position player limp in. You call. The big blind now raises, and everyone calls. There is $80 in the pot and four players.

The flop is Q 9 8, giving you bottom set. What should you do?

Answer: Don't slow-play. Bet and hope you get raised so that you can reraise. With three cards in a playing zone plus a two-flush, you need to make sure that the flop is bet and no free cards are handed out. You may well get raised by some guy on a come hand, or by someone with just top pair.

Hand No. 6 ($10-$20 game): You are in the small blind with the K Q. An early-position player and a middle-position player limp in. You call. There is $40 in the pot and four players.

The flop is K K 4, giving you a set of kings. What should you do?

Answer: Slow-playing looks right here. There is no two-flush or straight draw on the table for anyone to be hanging around with, so you are not giving up much if it gets checked around. If someone bets, you can call and then plan on check-raising on the turn. Given the absence of any raise preflop, your queen kicker is quite powerful.

Hand No. 7 ($20-$40 game): You are on the button with the 10 10. An early-position player, a middle-position player, and the cutoff limp in. You raise, the small blind folds, and everyone else calls. There is $210 in the pot and five players.

The flop is K 10 3, giving you middle set. The big blind checks. The early-position player bets and the other two opponents call. What should you do?

Answer: Raise. This is not a good time to slow-play your set. It is a raised pot with lots of players, and the flop contains two cards in a playing zone (a king and a 10). You don't want to give a cheap card to a bunch of gutshot draws or someone with Q-J. Focus on protecting your hand, not on trying to finagle an extra bet downstream.