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May 1, 2006
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Poker Lesson: The Other Danger
in Slow Playing
Author: Howard Lederer
You've probably heard the standard reason to avoid
slow playing: It's dangerous, because when you slow play, you
give an opponent a chance to make a bigger hand at a minimal cost.
This is absolutely true. But there's another reason to play your
big hands fast, and this one isn't talked about as frequently.
A slow play can give an opponent a chance to get away from a hand
more cheaply than he would have had you played it fast from the
start. Consider the following example.
You're in late position in a No-Limit
Hold 'em ring game. A player raises in early position. You
look at your cards, see pocket 8s, and decide to call. The flop
is absolutely perfect: Qh 8h 2d. You've hit your set and, with
the Queen out there, chances are your opponent has something –
maybe A-Q, maybe pocket Kings or Aces. He bets the flop.
Many players will just call in this spot, hoping
to get their opponent to bet on the turn. But a raise is usually
the better play. If you just call, you risk seeing a heart on
the turn. I don't think you need to be especially worried about
the flush beating your set. You might get your set beat by a flush
draw even if you raise. However, you do need to be concerned about
the effect the third heart will have on your opponent. He very
well might suspect that you were on the flush draw and he'd no
longer be willing to commit a lot of money to the hand, even if
he has Aces.
In fact, any King, Jack, 10, 9 or a card that pairs
the board is likely to give your opponent pause. If he bets on
the turn and you raise, you're signaling that the turn card helped
you. In effect, you're saying that you liked the flop enough to
call and the turn improved your hand in some way. You're announcing
that you can beat one pair.
So the flop very well may be the only time when
your opponent is willing to make a stand with a single pair. If
he bets the flop of Qh 8h 2d and you raise, he's likely to think
that you're semi-bluffing -- raising on a flush draw. At that
point, he might feel compelled to protect his hand with large
re-raise or perhaps an all in. When this happens, you'll take
down a monster pot.
It's OK when a flop raise doesn't get you the result
you want. You might scare off someone holding pocket Jacks or
Ace-King, but you wouldn't make a lot of money off these hands
anyway. And, if you're up against Ah-Jh, you may lose a big pot
to a flush. But that's OK, because you'll have gotten your money
in with the best hand.
Of course, there are some occasions where slow playing
is the best choice. If you flop quads or something like Queens
full, you'll want to give an opponent a chance to make some kind
of hand on the turn or river. But frequently, the best option
is to play fast on the flop. It may be your only chance to win
a big pot with a big hand.
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