Understanding How To Play Poker - Simple Strategies To Win

This article will address the main question of whether to slowplay or be aggressive. Probably more than once you've thought: "Hey I have the nuts! I'll let villain hit his hand therefore i can get valued from him! "

It has happened me sometimes, but it isn't always the right mindset to have. Allow me to start by defining what slowplay is:

Slow play is when you check or call a bet in order to "under-represent" your hand compared to villain, so he may "over-play" his own hand.

Remember that to slow play, you really need to have a near-unbeatable hand, such as a occur a super dry flop, or the nut straight in a non-flush non-paired board.

Also, you cannot slow play (well you cannot but will be unprofitable) against a person who is passive. Player needs to really be a maniac to play, because otherwise you're going to get checked behind.

Duc Volpe 2c 2d

3 more players enter the pot.

Flop: 2s, 7c, 8s

In this example we see that Duc_Volpe features a set of deuces. It would be unprofitable for him to slow play here because it's a multi-way pot and it's a drawy board; it's bound to take place often that a player here may hold here a flush draw and most likely chase it until the river.

If Duc_Volpe decides to slow play here a few things may happen:
A new player may complete the flush with a non 7 spade and we become 22: 77 underdogs


Everyone else checks and Duc_Volpe loses here the right way to play the hand is always to go ahead bet or check-raise. I like check-raise here since it gets more money in the pot and aktifpoker because I don't like to bet before everyone when I don't have the initiative (that is: I didn't raise preflop, but called instead).

HOWEVER....

One thing that takes place in micros with slow playing may be the next: you aren't going to profit much using this strategy.

People in micros like to call a bet rather than make it themselves. And it sounds logical as they truly are weak players who don't like to "risk money" when they do not have a hand yet, but are willing to pay up to the river to see if they complete their hand.

So in general, being aggressive is a much better approach to take, because even in flops as dry as they could possibly get, if people hold suited cards they could be willing to call to see if the turn brings them a draw, or to see if their overcard hit.

So let's wrap it up very quickly:

In order to slow play, you need both a monster hand and an aggressive player. In addition, you need to be notably consistent with your actions because if you've never slow played any hand, it will look extremely suspicious even to fishes that do not pay attention.

Slow playing might work if the condition above is fulfilled, otherwise, you're going to have a much easier time extracting value out of your monsters by playing the hand straight-forwardly. Keep in mind that people in micros want to call more than they want to bet!

All the best At The Tables!