Sunday, September 28, 2008

It’s a wise strategy to slow play


Sometimes it’s crucial for you to take quick and instant actions after your opponents acted while some other times it’s wise to slow your playing tempo.


Slow playing is an effective strategy to draw more cash out of your opponents by inducing them into a false sense of security. If you are holding a good hand, take for example pocket 7's and you call the blinds to see the flop. Lets assume that the flop brings another 7, an ace, and 3. There is now very little chance that you will be beaten. With luck your opponent will be holding an ace. Slow playing is when you are usually seated in an early position and check rather than bet. Hopefully your opponent will bet, giving you the opportunity to raise. In this instance, by allowing them to lead the betting, they have become pot committed and are now lacking confidence in their hand. With luck they will call your re-raise allowing you to bleed more cash from their bankrolls.


However, there are several arguments against slow playing. The first and foremost is that you are most likely playing poker to win money. By not betting you are not drawing any money out your opponent. With each betting round that passes and no bet placed, you have missed a valuable opponent to draw money from your opponents when you are holding a confident hand. The other argument against slow playing is that you will often slow play, and come the next round, you opponent will pick up that card they need to trump your hand. Losing in this fashion, can be destructive to your game play, and set you in to an emotional frustrated state, which will only lead to you losing.


So, what you need to keep in your mind is to take the proper strategy of playing according to your particular hand, either loose or tightly. Be flexible all the time through the game.

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