The Beginners' Guide to Slow Playing

For most beginning poker players, slow playing is a foreign concept. Bluffing, its counterpart, is probably more famous. The reason for this might be that beginners often play aggressively, and think less strategically. However, in order for one to be a good poker player, one has to know when and how to slow play.

Slow playing is defined as betting shyly or passively on a strong hand. It is the very opposite of bluffing, which is betting aggressively on a weak hand. While it may be easier to understand why one would bluff than why one would slow play, it is nevertheless a key strategy to winning in poker.

In order to understand slow playing, we must first understand bluffing. Think of the goal of a bluff: it is to make opponents give up their hands and fold. Inversely, a slow play's goal is to lure opponents who might fold against a good hand to bet, and therefore increase the pot size.

Think about it: a good hand is wasted if the pot size is meager. Therefore, instead of playing aggressively with a good hand, one has to play passively, luring your opponents into thinking that they have a chance at the pot.

However, as in bluffing, there is always an optimal time for slow-playing. Not all circumstances lend itself to a successful slow play, however strong the hand is.

First of all, never ever slow play with a mid-strength hand. Always slow play only when you have a very good hand. Having a mid-strength hand means that there is still a good chance for you to lose to other hands, and playing passively won't help you.

To properly gauge if your hand is strong enough to engage in slow play, try to think if you could easily win over your opponents had you shown aggression instead of passivity.

Also, since the aim of slow playing is to increase the pot size, slow play only when the pot is still meager, or if it still has a chance of increasing (through other player's raises). Do not also play so passively as to make your opponents suspicious. Assess the situation: if opponents will increase their bets if you increase yours, then do so.

Also, try to observe your opponents' betting patterns. Look out for players who might also have strong hands, or who might have inferior hands that could develop into strong hands. The best thing to do once you do encounter such a player is to continue and just have a clash on the river.

Poker is not just about playing aggressively. It is a game of strategy. Slow playing, as a play to maximize the efficiency of one's strong hand, is an integral part of an effective poker strategy.