Limit Lessons--Slowplaying
To begin with, I'd like to mention that slowplaying anything can be foolish and dangerous, especially in Limit Holdem where bets aren't as big and it becomes more difficult to drive people out of the pot. Slowplay a lot and you WILL GET SUCKED OUT ON. Disclaimer finished.
Slowplaying is when you play a hand weakly to suck people in for future rounds of betting. Check-calling with a very strong hand is an example of slowplaying. It has in essence, the opposite desired effect as the check-raise. A check-raise is used to drive people out of the pot, where as proper slowplaying keeps potentially weaker hands in so you can profit more from them later.
From Sklansky's Theory of Poker, there are requirements that need to be fulfilled to allow for slowplaying. First, you need a strong to monster-level hand. This is obvious. Top trips on a rainbow, no-straight possibility board, things like that. Second, you're giving a free card (which can be a cardinal sin in LHE). This free card should have a reasonable expectation of giving an opponent a second-best hand to yours. Thirdly, and what is really part of the second point, there should be a low likelihood of any free card you give to create a better hand for your opponent, or even a draw to a better hand that yours. Also, you must be reasonably sure that your aggression will drive people out of the pot, while your passivity will keep them in. In addition, it is best to slowplay when the pot has not grown to be very large.
The goal in slowplaying is to make an opponent with a second-best hand commit as many chips to the pot as possible before revealing your strength, preferably with the absolute nuts.
A great example of slowplaying:
You're in MP in a tight game with two black eights. A player limps before you, you limp, the button limps, and the BB checks his option.
The flop comes 8-4-4, with two clubs. A bet here frequently would drive players out, especially in tighter games. The EP player checks to you, you check, and the button leads out with a bet. You immediately put him on a flush draw, but you currently have the nut full house. The BB calls, and the EP player folds. You should just call the bet here, allowing anyone on a flush draw to hit their flush on the next card. The turn card brings the 3 of clubs, putting 3 clubs on the board, and no possibilities for a better full house. The only hand that beats you here is 44 (unlikely). It is a reasonable assumption that your full house is the best hand here. The action is on you, and you check, continuing your slowplay. The button leads out, and the BB calls. At this point, you're at a decision. Do you spring your trap now, and hope that one of the players is holding the ace-high flush or do you wait one more street in the hope that someone else won't potentially catch a higher full house? You check. The button bets. The BB calls.
In this case, you spring a check-raise on your opponents, and the button caps, while the BB folds. The river is the 7 of diamonds. You lead out and are raised by the button. You have the stone cold nuts here unless he holds 44. He re-raises, you cap, he calls and shows Ac-Jc for the nut flush. You show your full house and rake in the nice pot.
Slowplaying can really work in your favor in the right circumstances. However, it can backfire when your trap springs back on you. Allowing someone to catch a better hand, or not springing the trap at the right time could be very bad for your bankroll. Generally in lower-limit games, it is best to only slowplay when you have the absolute nuts and you're sure that your opponent could only make a second best hand. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the wrong side of that pot-dragging.
Slowplaying is when you play a hand weakly to suck people in for future rounds of betting. Check-calling with a very strong hand is an example of slowplaying. It has in essence, the opposite desired effect as the check-raise. A check-raise is used to drive people out of the pot, where as proper slowplaying keeps potentially weaker hands in so you can profit more from them later.
From Sklansky's Theory of Poker, there are requirements that need to be fulfilled to allow for slowplaying. First, you need a strong to monster-level hand. This is obvious. Top trips on a rainbow, no-straight possibility board, things like that. Second, you're giving a free card (which can be a cardinal sin in LHE). This free card should have a reasonable expectation of giving an opponent a second-best hand to yours. Thirdly, and what is really part of the second point, there should be a low likelihood of any free card you give to create a better hand for your opponent, or even a draw to a better hand that yours. Also, you must be reasonably sure that your aggression will drive people out of the pot, while your passivity will keep them in. In addition, it is best to slowplay when the pot has not grown to be very large.
The goal in slowplaying is to make an opponent with a second-best hand commit as many chips to the pot as possible before revealing your strength, preferably with the absolute nuts.
A great example of slowplaying:
You're in MP in a tight game with two black eights. A player limps before you, you limp, the button limps, and the BB checks his option.
The flop comes 8-4-4, with two clubs. A bet here frequently would drive players out, especially in tighter games. The EP player checks to you, you check, and the button leads out with a bet. You immediately put him on a flush draw, but you currently have the nut full house. The BB calls, and the EP player folds. You should just call the bet here, allowing anyone on a flush draw to hit their flush on the next card. The turn card brings the 3 of clubs, putting 3 clubs on the board, and no possibilities for a better full house. The only hand that beats you here is 44 (unlikely). It is a reasonable assumption that your full house is the best hand here. The action is on you, and you check, continuing your slowplay. The button leads out, and the BB calls. At this point, you're at a decision. Do you spring your trap now, and hope that one of the players is holding the ace-high flush or do you wait one more street in the hope that someone else won't potentially catch a higher full house? You check. The button bets. The BB calls.
In this case, you spring a check-raise on your opponents, and the button caps, while the BB folds. The river is the 7 of diamonds. You lead out and are raised by the button. You have the stone cold nuts here unless he holds 44. He re-raises, you cap, he calls and shows Ac-Jc for the nut flush. You show your full house and rake in the nice pot.
Slowplaying can really work in your favor in the right circumstances. However, it can backfire when your trap springs back on you. Allowing someone to catch a better hand, or not springing the trap at the right time could be very bad for your bankroll. Generally in lower-limit games, it is best to only slowplay when you have the absolute nuts and you're sure that your opponent could only make a second best hand. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the wrong side of that pot-dragging.
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