Poker Articles

Slow-Playing

The term slow-play, meaning to conceal the strength of a hand by checking and hoping to entice a bet behind you, has long been associated with the term sandbagging, which gives the word a negative connotation. In fact, the list of rules posted on the wall at many home games often includes one that states: “NO CHECK-RAISING.” The “logic” behind this rule was that not allowing check-raises would keep the game sociable, preventing friends from deliberately fooling other friends and taking their money. While the creator of this rule had good intentions, he must not have realized that he was subsequently taking the “poke” out of “poker!”

Fortunately, slow-playing is no longer an outlaw in the poker world, and is instead seen as a legitimate and powerful weapon to have in your arsenal. Being able to recognize situations that merit employing the slow-play and properly executing it can often be the difference between a lucrative session and a break-even one. It is critically important that you understand when you can safely opt to slow-play a hand, and when you should play the hand aggressively; not knowing the difference can cause you to lose a big pot, that in hindsight, you could’ve easily won. First, lets examine which hands are good candidates for the slow-play tactic.

Before the flop, there are really only two hands that I would consider making this move with: aces and kings. The idea is to limp into the pot in very early position (under the gun, preferably), hoping that one of the players behind you will come in for a raise, enabling you to blindside him with a re-raise. Try this play when you have one or more loose aggressive players behind you, who are likely to make a pre-flop raise when entering the pot. Generally speaking, unless you are relatively certain that a loose player will raise behind you, I would recommend playing aces and kings fast; both of these hands are hard to get away from and lose much of their value as more players enter the pot.

After the flop, the number of hands you can successfully slow-play increases dramatically. Again, your ideal opponent is a loose aggressive player who takes stabs at a lot of smaller pots when he senses that everyone else is weak. The number of players in the pot should also influence your decision to either slow play your strong hand, or be the aggressor. The fewer the players, the better, as there will be less of a chance that someone has a hand that can outdraw you. Let’s say you limped into the pot in early position with pocket 9’s and a loose player who has position on you makes a standard raise of three times the big blind. The big blind is the only other player to call and the action is now on you. You decide to call and are very pleased with the K 9 2 rainbow flop. The big blind has checked to you and you are considering how to proceed.

Before you decide to make any move at the poker table, you should consider your table image and how that might affect the success of your play. If the other players view you as a conservative player, betting your set of 9’s here would immediately reveal the strength of your hand and you would likely win a small pot. If you’ve been involved in many pots and think that your opponents have taken notice, a bet might be a profitable move here, as your opponents could put you on a bluff or a weak king. In any case, let’s say you have been playing tight, and decide to check your hand, hoping to induce a raise from the original bettor. As planned, he makes a pot sized bet and the big blind folds. Now you have another decision to make. If he’s bluffing, do you just call his bet and hope that he bluffs at the pot again on the turn? Or, if you think he has a king in his hand, you could raise him now and hope that he plays back at you. They’re all good choices at this point and your slow-play worked to perfection.

If your opponents have witnessed you make this play in the recent past, they will have labeled you a tricky player and be reluctant to bet after you’ve checked to them. Be very hesitant before slow-playing a strong hand against three or more players; in fact, having the nuts or close to it is probably the only scenario in which I would take the slow-play route. Also be weary of any likely draws your opponent may have acquired on the flop, even if you currently hold the best hand. Allowing your opponent to see a free card here can spell disaster; make it expensive for him to chase his flush or straight. Chances are, if he calls and misses, one more big bet will bump him from the pot on the turn. Anytime you hold the stone cold nuts, you should at least consider slow-playing your hand for value, but be sure to mix things up to keep them guessing, because that’s what it’s all about.

By Garry Gates
Poker Expert