Slowplay

What is this slowplay?

When you get a hand that you consider strong and decide to only check, let your opponent bet and reraise him later in the hand (usually, you hit something strong on the flop, you plan to reraise him on the turn or the river). Mark my words: DO NOT DO THIS OFTEN! Most players slowplay way too much!

The best time to slowplay

You will notice over time that some players try to steal most pots and almost always fold to a bet or a reraise. These players make their money by stealing many pots and by getting the pot on the river against players who missed their draws. Those players knows that when someone reraise them, they will have a good hand most of the time and they won’t be able to make their opponent fold. Against such a player, to extract the most money, you have to slowplay your winning hands, let them bet and reraise them on the river.

Another good time to slowplay

Aggressive short stack players. If you flop a very solid hand against an aggressive opponent who raised preflop and will most probably be all in within 2 bets, let him bet the flop, if he goes all in on the turn, good, if he checks, you still have the river to push him.

Yet another good time to slowplay

If you are in a multiway pot first to act and you flop a very solid hand. Since the pot is multiway, odds are good someone will raise. Just check, when someone bets and it goes back to you, you have to decide if you should slowplay or reraise right away.

Hands strong enough to slowplay

The important thing to consider before slowplaying is if your hand can easily get beat. If your opponent probably has 6 outs, you most probably should not slowplay. To slowplay, you usually need at least tripps.

Why not slowplay often?

The 5 main reasons are:

You can get outdrawn, especially if you have only 1 or 2 pairs.

You will not get money from people with draws. If someone has a straight or a flush draw, you can have them put money on the flop or on the turn… but when the river is out, it’s too late.

Most of the time, there are more cards that will kill your action then there is cards that will help you. Example, you have 66, your opponent has JJ, flop is 268. An Ace, a king, a queen, a 2, a 6 or an 8 might really kill your action, a 7 might scare him too. Better get money in from him right now, not later!

So many people slowplay all the time, the desired “effect of surprise” just does not do it anymore. Players gets scared when you call the flop if there is no flush draw. And if there is a flush draw, well the flush card would kill your action.

If the turn and the river makes it dangerous for your hand, you will have a lot less information about your opponent’s hand if you slowplayed than if you attacked the flop and the turn.

If you feel that you need to slowplay your hands because it is the only way you are getting action sometimes with your strong hand, I am pretty sure it is because your need to work on your aggression, you should read this part of my site.