Slowplay

Poker's Jedi Mind Trick

An important psychological poker weapon, "slowplay" is when you're holding a monster hand and you deceive your opponents into thinking it's weak by acting uncertain. As the tactic's name suggests, this is done by playing very, very slowly - checking instead of betting, calling instead of raising and limping into an action whenever you get a chance to.

If done right, slowplay will encourage aggressive play from your opponents, thus making the pot larger. But all the same, these kinds of tricks can only be used a limited number of times. And if your game strategy is simply to play your strong hands weak (slowplay) and your weak hands strong (bluffing and semi-bluffing), you'll quickly find yourself on the streets without a single chip to your name. Lucky for you, then, we here at GP Poker are such caring folks. We know everyone keeps telling you to slowplay. We're just going to help you make sure you're doing it right:

Draw Like a Rattlesnake, Bet Like a Turtle: Slowplay in a Nutshell

When you're holding a great hand, instead of betting aggressively and scaring everyone away, you can check and give your opponents a "free card." This is the very reason why slowplaying is often successful: If it's free, after all, wouldn't you want to see it? If that free card gets them back in the game, however, then you've only succeeded in making a very sizable hole in your own pair of Stetsons - and that, as we all know, is hardly a nice feeling.

So the first rule for successful slowplay is to use it only when the next card(s) may improve your opponent's hand just enough to keep them betting. The tricky part of this is that you can't be sure what they're holding unless their sunglasses are super reflective - and, if that's the case, you probably don't need any fancy tactics to win. What you can do, though, is size up your own hand, and if it's big enough to have very few competitors, give them the option. Otherwise, you're better off playing aggressively and taking the pot while you have the lead.

The second thing to remember is that, in an ideal situation, the next card should improve your opponent's hand. In the event that this actually happens, then, remember that you still want to stay passive enough to lure your opponent into making the first move on the turn. What you're actually doing is using reverse psychology on him, showing vulnerability when you're, in fact, almost invincible. Your opponent will hopefully seize the opportunity to be aggressive, and that's when you "trap" him with a big raise.

Two possible problems to remember when slow-playing are:

Your opponent(s) may also be slow-playing.

You're giving away free cards that may help your opponents hit their draws.

For example, if you're holding a J, J from the late position and the flop shows J, 2, 7o, you're sitting pretty strong: You're holding a set of jacks, and there's not much else showing on the board. So, at the moment, you're holding the nuts. All the players before you have checked, and now, you're up.

If you come out aggressively now, most players will probably fold, due to the weak flop. If, however, you decide to give your opponents a chance to improve their hands, you may see some action in the pot. You of course have to remember that things could get interesting if someone else pulls a set. But with trip jacks, you're willing to take your chances. You decide to slowplay and check.

The turn shows an ace, which is ideal for you. Someone probably stayed in the pot with an ace, and now, he may believe that he leads the table with the high pair. Due to your previous passive play, he also might think you're piddling around with scratch or, at best, a low pair. If he makes a bet, then, mission accomplished. Now he's trapped, and you can turn on the heat in a bid to make him pay more for his mistake.

Notice, however, that after the turn you no longer hold the nuts since someone may be holding A, A. This, is unlikely, sure - especially due to the passive play displayed by everyone after the flop - but it is possible. And, if it happens, you're sunk. For this reason, slowplay can hurt you just as much as it can help, and if you're going to go out on the proverbial limb for a hand, you've got to - GOT TO - make sure it's high enough that you aren't hoist by your own petard.

Finally, just like anything else in life, you need to approach slowplay with moderation. Never use it repeatedly at a table or your opponents will begin expecting it - and will only call if they are holding a higher hand. To avoid this, simply play it straight sometimes and bluff and semi-bluff other times. Raising on a killer flop after slowplaying, for instance, can really get them guessing - and will also normally bring in its own fat chunk of loot.