Slow-Playing, and Why it's Time to Stop Doing It

Part of the thrill that many recreational players seek in playing poker is the opportunity to lay a great ambush on their opponent and soak him for a ton of chips. In other words, many of us enjoy the feeling of not only beating our fellow players, but of doing so in surprising and merciless glory. Thus, slow-playing was born.

I rarely recommend that you slow-play any hand except for very specific reasons and in certain circumstances, neither of which have anything to do with glory or, more importantly, your ego. Slow-playing is used for the purpose of winning more chips in situations in which being aggressive right out of the gate can't accomplish this goal.

Example of a Slow Play That Went Bad

Your hand: Q Q

Position: Early

Action: You limp in to encourage callers. Five people call, including both blinds.

Thoughts (of the chronic slow-player): The pot's looking to get big. I have a great hand and no one has a clue.

Flop: Q 7 6

Thoughts (of the chronic slow-player): Patience. I'll ambush on the turn and catch them all for a double bet.

Action: It's checked to you, and you check. It's then checked all around.

Comments: Keep in mind, you have most of the queens. You should realize that many players will be afraid of betting with second or third pair. This flop is a very dangerous one on which to give a free card.

Turn: 9

Comments: Imagine the following hands that may be in there against you …

8 5, J 10, A 2, 8 6, 7 6

Suddenly, everyone's got a reason to see the river when many of those hands wouldn't have called a preflop raise nor a flop bet.

Action: Seat No. 1 checks, Seat No. 2 bets, you raise, Seat No. 5 calls, Seat No. 8 calls, button mucks, Seat No. 1 check-raises, and everyone calls.

Thoughts: What happened? There's no way he has a straight, is there? God, pair the board, please.

Comments: What happened is, you let everyone develop a hand and now you're trailing.

River: K (the nightmare is fully realized)

Action: Seat No. 1 checks, Seat No. 2 checks, you check, Seat No. 5 checks, Seat No. 8 bets, Seat No. 1 calls, Seat No. 2 mucks, you …

Comments: How do you like your set of queens now? Can they be any good? No, but with 30 bets in the pot, it seems like a bad idea to muck, doesn't it.

Action (continued): You call, Seat No. 5 check-raises (ugh!), Seat No. 8 calls, Seat No. 1 mucks, you …

Comments: … muck, I would hope. This is a bit of an overblown example, but still very real and common. Players love the idea of being sneaky and making a big move unexpectedly. I suggest dropping that whole mentality, as it is based on ego.

Example of a Good Slow Play

Your hand: Q Q

Position: Early

Action: You raise. Everyone folds except the big blind.

Thoughts: I'm glad that I slimmed the field. Big pairs do well heads up. Let's see what develops.

Flop: 10 7 2

Thoughts: That's a junk flop. Perhaps giving a free card may induce my opponent to take a shot at the pot.

Action: It's checked to you, and you check.

Comments: Your opponent might have a pair, but there's a good chance he has very little. He called a preflop raise against a known solid player (you). Realize what his hand might look like. If he has a pocket pair, checking behind him may cause him to put you on two big cards. You're setting him up to bet out if a rag peels off.

Turn: 9

Comments: A bit of concern is in order with the cluster of midrange cards. Still, I would feel very confident that your queens are winning.

Action: Your opponent bets out. You raise. He calls, because he knows within your arsenal there is a bluff-raise in this spot. After all, you are an aggressive winning player and have developed that image.

Thoughts: His call means he has something, and possibly picked up a draw. Assuming that he is an OK to good player, I wouldn't put him on the 10. He probably would have bet the 10 on the flop to see where you were at. I'd put him on A-7 or A-9, and maybe 8-7 or 8-8.

River: 2

Comments: Don't freak out. Part of being a winner is the courage to bet despite the risk that you just got outdrawn.

Action: It's checked to you. You bet.

Conclusions

It doesn't matter what happens after that. You got an extra bet into the pot and coaxed a decent player into staying with a marginal hand longer than he should have. That's what a good slow play accomplishes. There's no ego, no glory. If he mucks on the end, you quietly muck without showing.

The more players there are in the pot, the less I even consider slow-playing. I want to bet, raise, and create pressure. What can be sweeter than hearing the words, "Good raise, I would've turned the nut straight," when you hold pocket kings? Top-level slow-playing is an issue of feel and timing. Never seek to "really burn" your opponent. Take a more detached stance and decide how to play your hand based on building the biggest pot while chronically increasing your chance of winning it. In other words, get the stragglers out or make them pay for their gambling ways.