Learning 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 so I can get valued from him! "

It has happened me sometimes, but it isn't always the proper 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 versus villain, so he may "over-play" his own hand.

Take into account that to slow play, you will need to have a near-unbeatable hand, such as a emerge 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 will definately 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 includes a set of deuces. It would be unprofitable for him to slow play here because it's a multi-way pot and poker Qq it's a drawy board; it's bound to happen often that the 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 couple of things may happen:
A player may complete the flush with a non 7 spade and we become 22: 77 underdogs


Every one checks and Duc_Volpe loses here the way to play the hand is to go ahead bet or check-raise. I like check-raise here since it gets additional money in the pot and because I don't like to bet in front of everyone when I don't possess the initiative (that is: I didn't raise preflop, but called instead).

HOWEVER....

One thing that occurs in micros with slow playing is the next: you're not going to profit much out of this strategy.

People in micros like to call a bet rather than make it themselves. And it sounds logical as they are weak players who dislike to "risk money" if they do not have a hand yet, but are prepared 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 might 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. You also need to be significantly 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 prefer to bet!

Good Luck At The Tables!