Slow-Playing Texas Holdem
There’s nothing that raises the pulse more than setting a
trap in poker. A successful trap takes cunning, skill and patience.
It’s a game of psychology. Stalling, checking, raising, playing
cards others wouldn’t expect you to play. It’s all about
sending signals to the other players that you are holding the weaker
hands, and then making them guess wrong. The end effect is that
your opponent bets into your winning hand and the pot gets richer.
In Holdem, trapping is more commonly known as slow-playing, and
its chief purpose is to keep your adversaries off balance.
The foremost thing to know about slow-playing is being disciplined
enough not to use it. To be successful, it’s important to
pick and choose your spots. For example, if you’re holding
a terrific pocket pair of aces or kings, you want to take advantage
of the situation and make those monster cards pay off.
When holding a monster hand you do not need every player to fold
prior to the flop, so occasionally slow-play good hands early to
see if you can lure in a few extra adversaries. This also provides
some added deception to your hand allowing you to camouflage a strong
hand once the betting begins. In the early position, you should
check-raise after the flop. Bet or raise from the late position.
What you’re trying to accomplish in slow-playing a great
hand is allowing your adversaries to put together a hand that is
good, but not good enough. Conversely, in breaking down your adversaries,
it’s critical to figure out which ones slow-play high pairs
early, and which ones never do. And when you are defining high pairs,
think aces or kings. Slow-playing with queens or below can be dangerous,
with a 41% chance of an overcard hitting on the flop.
Remember, in poker, good cards help, but image can be everything.
Slow-playing helps cultivate that image. If other players view you
as tight (playing few hands), you will probably thin or fold the
field with your wagers. If you are regarded as loose (playing several
hands), then you can bet and raise prior to the flop and still find
some willing participants who want in on the action. And if you
get the opportunity to trap your adversary, don’t hesitate.
That is where you will reel in the most money during a game. And
if you "scare" the table with your trap just one time,
every player will remember your move for the remainder of the game.
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