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Limit Texas Holdem : Slow Playing a Hand

What is slow playing? In poker, when you make a hand, you can either announce it immediately by betting/raising, or you can hide the fact for a while by calling/checking. The latter is called slow playing. You use this tactic when you want to keep action going until a later time when the bets will be doubled.

Benefit of Slow Playing

The benefit of slow playing in poker is, if it works, you win more money than you could have with the same hand, had you not slow played. If you unleash your monster too early in the game, and you scare off most or all players, then you win only a small pot. But if you wait until the turn or river when the bets are doubled, you gain more.

Danger of Slow Playing

The one big drawback to slow playing is this: If you keep other players active instead of trying to eliminate them, you risk someone else getting a better hand than you. For example, if you slow play a trip (three of a kind), somebody else may get a straight later on. Then your tactic would fail and you'd lose in the showdown if you went that far.

How to Slow Play

For the reasons given above, it is advisable that you should slow play only when circumstances in the poker table are favorable.

You can slow play if:

- You have already made an excellent hand - You are good at avoiding tells - The board looks unimpressive - You are in late position and no one has been aggressive

You must not slow play if:

- You are still drawing a hand and can be beaten - You are playing live poker and do not hide tells well - The board suggests someone else may have a better hand

If you make a great hand on the flop, say a full house, you can slow play. This is assuming no one can have a better hand. . When slow playing, call and check around before the flop. On the turn, you can check to other players hoping they will raise, then you re-raise. Otherwise you can simply bet and hope someone goes into a raising war with you.

Even with a full house, you should be wary. If you play low cards, your full house can still be beaten by a higher full house. For example, if you have a 3-3 pair and there is a Q-Q-Q on the board, someone with K-K would beat you. Further, the full house can defeated by other hands. This is why slow playing must be done selectively.