Q&A #80: When Slowplays Attack

This concept of slowplaying being kinda stupid really struck a chord with me in one of your earlier posts. Obviously there’s a time and a place for everything, but it’s a temptation that I’ve gotta shake. And since then I’ve had a few moments where I’ve got my money in and it really has worked a treat. As you say, it’s hard to put in a $20 raise into a $6 pot without giving away the strength of your hand! The thing I’ve gotta change, though, is getting aggressive with hands that are good, but vulnerable. I suppose my natural (and, admittedly, weak) reaction to seeing that flop would be to call and see if a scare card comes off. But then half the time it probably sends me racing for a fold when someone else comes out betting when the 3rd spade appears. Or just calling and hoping. And that’s not where I want to be as a poker player. So thanks for highlighting this little malaise and providing another thought provoking article - I’ll be working on it.

What if MP is a loose player who calls too much or the someone who habbitually fights back against obvious isolate + destroy lines? Do we want to build pots against those sorts of players when we have a hand that doesn’t figure to have much showdown value once all the cards are out?

However, if MP is going to call our raise, then look to catch something on the flop, blast away. However, I’m seeing fewer and fewer of these sorts even at the 100NL level.

Finally, just because we limp behind it doesn’t mean we must play fit or fold ourselves.

This is why you should never limp with position in No limit holdem

I can’t stand slowplaying. Whenever improving holdem players ask me for tips, my second piece of advice is invariably “Never slowplay!” The only hand I even consider slowplaying is nut-full or better.

Top two-pair on a coordinated flop is to me one of the worst possible situtations for a slowplay. Too many turn cards will beat you. Therefore, I tend to overbet the pot in such situations. (I also overbet with sets and pair+draw.) You will have a much better estimate of your opponent(s) hand than if you flat-call.

Now on the turn (assuming you raised, and it is now heads-up), flat calling is acceptable. If the opponent hit a flush, you might represent trips by calling. Chances are good that you will get a river bet, as long as the board doesn’t pair again. But a raise is still probably better.

But in the actual scenario, flat calling on the turn is a sin. 7s is the scariest card in the deck that could have come. Yet there is a bet and raise in front of you. Maybe SB is scared — maybe SB flopped a straight and doesn’t think highly of it now. But MP is showing no fear with the minraise. MP can beat a straight. MP has over $80 to pay you off with, so get it!

I hear people worry so much about “losing customers” in no-limit. Such people seem afraid to bet, lest they win the pot uncontested! Instead, charge as much as the market will bear. Instead of selling 30 glasses of lemonade for $1 each, try selling 1 glass for $200.