Slow down slow play

How slow is slow playing? That is a fair question on a topic that most Texas Holdem players think they understand, but often play incorrectly. Like the game itself, which "takes moments to learn but a lifetime to master," the concept of slow playing is an easy one - you play a very strong hand very weakly, or slowly, to fool your opponent into thinking you have a very weak hand. The idea is that you are setting them up to bet at the pot themselves, or to not believe you when you finally do bet on later streets, and win more money than you would have if you would have lead out firing at the pot with bullets. The problem, however, is that sometimes you can slow yourself right out of a pot.

How many times has this happened to you? You wake up with pocket aces or kings and decide to smooth call pre-flop. You see a flop of 5, 4, T rainbow, and once more smooth call. Here comes a 3, and this time you come over top for a big raise, ready to take down a pot - only to find a call behind you. A river card of A might give you a set, pushing you all in, but it also might give your opponent, holding a pair of deuces, the straight. Ooops.

The short answer to "How slow is slow playing" is "it depends." Like any strategy in Texas Holdem, the only rule is that there is no hard and fast rule. Feel out your opponent and the flop, and be aware of when you could be in danger. Always slow playing your monsters is only going to give your opponents a reason to think you have a monster when you act weak.

Source: launchpoker.com