Posted by Reid | Posted in Poker | Posted on 02-12-2013
Slow play is really a term used in poker – specially Texas Holdem – for attempting to lure your competitors into making a big wager so which you can trap them and take down a big pot.
It really is usually used with a extremely great pre-flop hand such as pocket Aces on Kings. Rather than betting huge, the sluggish gambler will sit back and limp in (call or check) as if he does not have a hand worth wagering, hoping that an opponent will have caught a lower pair or a straight draw and will come in with a big wager.
It is a classic poker manouever and one which has won a lot of money for poker gamblers down by way of the ages, but it has lost it’s effectiveness. The basic reason for this is that everybody is now slow betting their large hands so it really is virtually expected.
So how do you use this circumstance to your advantage?
If you catch a big palm, you have to arrive out wagering. Rather than attempting to tempt your competitors into making a move so that you can come in more than the top, produce the wager yourself. Now most amateur players baulk in the thought of this in case the rest of the table folds and they "waste" their huge hands, except in reality you will usually constantly obtain a few wagering action from somebody.
By wagering your major hands instead of slow betting it, you happen to be performing a double bluff since most individuals would slow wager on it. Your competitors will usually assume you happen to be bluffing and you will acquire a number of wagering action and ultimately win much more money.
The other reason you need to wager is that when you do not wager, you might be allowing your opponents a free look at the cards and every single time a card is turned over they might be converting a losing hand to a winning one.
There’s only one predicament where it will often pay to slow wager on your hands – when you flop an absolute monster that nearly can’t be beaten. As an example say you might be dealt Ace, 4 of clubs and the flop is Queen, 10, 9 of clubs. You’ve just flopped the nut flush and you are pretty a lot unbeatable. OK anyone could have a pair of Queens, Tens or 9s and catch a fourth on the turn or river, or they might be holding the King of clubs and catch the Jack for a straight flush, except the odds of you not succeeding are now remote.
This is the time to slow bet on your hand. You can find all sorts of hands that any individual else could possibly be holding to produce them think they are in a excellent position here; two other clubs, a straight draw, triples or even just a Queen for the top pair, whatever they’ve got the odds are any person will feel it is worth wagering. If the flop or river produces a King, Queen Jack, 10 or Nine you might have a big raise or even an all-in from somebody.
Now you let them create the pot up by just calling the bets and take down the pot with your nut flush.