"In many cases, I play them slowly, but I don't slow-play them. That is, I play them cautiously." -Doyle Brunson, No-Limit Hold'em, SuperSytem Vol. 2.
Most professional players, including Doyle Brunson, prioritize their betting action and style when in a hand as follows; 1) play aggressively, 2) play super-aggressively, 3) play slowly or cautiously, 4) slow-play or essentially play a strong hand as though it is weaker than it really is. Slow-playing is the last on the list.
What is slow-playing? Slow-playing is simply playing in a passive, or less aggressive style, in order to fool your opponent into believing you have a second- or third-best hand. Slow-playing means you're waiting for your opponent or opponents to bet for you. The key betting action is to simply call all bets and raises before the flop and to check or cold-call your set on the flop.
Slow-playing can be a very big mistake if you unintentionally allow one or more opponents to catch up and make a better hand then yours. There is a fine line between slow-playing, playing passively or weakly, and playing slowly or cautiously.
Slow-playing is usually a strategy used with high pocket pairs such as A-A and K-K (in hold 'em). Rather than raising, the slow-player simply calls before the flop. Or on the flop, with a high pair such as A-A, K-K, or any high, medium, low pair that flops a set or quads, instead of leading out betting or raising, the slow-player simply checks, check-calls, or check and calls more than one raise or re-raise in order to lure opponents into putting more money into the pot.
Of course, the big surprise to your opponents is when your set holds up or improves, or the slow-player has flopped four-of-kind against one pair, two pairs, a broken-straight draw and a broken-flush draw. So what is the difference between playing A-A or K-K or a set slowly versus slow-playing, and why would you-a solid aggressive player-want to start playing cautiously?
Playing poker is a fine-tuned combination of knowing and reading your opponents and playing your cards. Knowing when to slow-play a hand has more to do with knowing the other players, than just having good cards. Knowing when to play slowly or cautiously, especially in no-limit hold 'em, also means knowing that your opponent is capable of playing a flush or straight draw, because he is either a strong or weak player.
In Small Stakes Hold'em Miller, Sklansky, and Malmuth recommend that you slow-play sparingly in small-limit cash games. Similarly, Doyle Brunson, in his chapter on no-limit hold'em in Supersystem Vol. 2, suggests slow-playing only once or twice per session.
The benchmark for slow-playing a strong hand is having the opportunity to build and win a very large pot when checking, knowing that getting a free card will improve your opponent's hand enough to stay in the action, but that it will still be second-best, and as a general rule, slow-play only when the pot is small to begin with-usually on the flop.
When all the criteria and your experience with the other players suggests that slow-playing is incorrect, heed that instinctual warning in your head. Your opponents could be slow-playing their hands, which may be a made-flush, a made-straight, or an even better hand they completed on the flop.
Please send me a copy of your hand where you slow-played and won, slow-played and lost, or played slowly and escaped your losing fate.
John "The Scientist" Hayes hosts Ask the Scientist, a live call-in poker instruction show on www.hpstv.tv at the Hollywood Poker School in Hollywood Park Casino. Contact scientist@hpstv.tv.
