Art layerplay

Oh, this one slowplay! This is without a doubt the most misunderstood of all poker tactics. For most newbies, the decision to slowplay or not depends on just one factor: hand strength. If they have a straight flush after the flop, no matter what the trade is going on, they will slowplay. And if top pair comes out, they bet or raise, due to the fact that this hand is quite vulnerable. No one can deny that the strength of a hand should influence the decision to slowplay. But there are even more important points that you should be aware of. Let's take a closer look at them and explore how they are implemented in a real game.

When considering slowplaying, consider the following factors:

1) Current pot size. Obviously, the bigger the pot, the less you should be inclined to slowplay.
2) The chances that the next card dropped will give someone the second strongest hand.
3) Will the players play for this card if you place a bet.

The first factor does not need long explanation. Simply put, the bigger the pot, the more important it is to protect yourself from the unlikely combinations that suddenly improve and sting you after the river. You do this because the penalty for throwing in unlikely combinations (in this case, losing a huge pot) far outweighs the benefits of getting your opponents to see the next card cheaply. For example, you have A K, and a sevenfold increase in the bank. Each of you made three small bets to see the flop. The flop is A K 6... Now you have to bet and then increase your bet.

In such cases, you shouldn't play slowplay. And if, after betting three times, you manage to get out of the game such hands as QT or JT, then it will be a great success. (Also, note that no card on the turn will make a hand like QT the second highest; the only card that hand needs will beat you.) As a rule, in situations where the pot is made up of more than 13-14 bets, only a very convincing reason can justify slowplay. In all but the most extreme cases, it is much more profitable for you to play a large hand quickly, trying not to let the prey out of your hands.

With a smaller bank, of course, things are different. And with a very small pot, it makes sense to play slowplay, even if you have cards in your hand that most players will automatically bet with immediately after the flop. This is even more justified when your opponent is aggressive, he will probably take your "check" after the flop as a sign that he now has an excellent chance of stealing the pot with minimal or no losses. Those of you who play low limit limit poker will probably understand what I mean, for the reason that this kind of game is overrun with people who don't hesitate to bet after they check.

Let's look at an example. In the big blind, you have A Q... After the small blind and two other players have placed their bets, you say "check". Flop shows A 6 6... Most players at this moment, without hesitation, would have made bets. But what is the point of this bet? The only hand that could play with you is another ace (which you would beat) or a six (which would beat you). By saying "check" you are causing the other ace to act in the same way as if you had bet (since the other ace will bet if you check, but will most likely support the bet if you did). By not betting, you might save money if someone has a six. But more importantly, you can force the betting of someone whose hand is practically dead by comparison with your aces. If you check and a hand like KJ bets, you’ll get a lot more than if he just folded after you bet. And even if KJ doesn't bet, you put him in a position in which he can make a combination after the turn, and may be forced to reach the river.

Please note that in the latter case the pot is small (4 small bets). Note also that there is still the possibility of a card on the turn that will "tie" someone to the pot, since
your bet after the turn may look like a bluff. Lastly, most hands that can only make combinations after the turn (thus getting the second strongest combination, which is difficult to refuse), would not support your bet after the flop. Does this mean this is an excellent situation for slow motion play? Actually, no. Remember that in order not to be mistaken when choosing a slowplay, you must be sufficiently sure that no one with a hand lower than the second strongest will support your bet. In a game in which players with hands like J 9, constantly support bets, you better bet and withdraw the money they are still sharing so generously. But your "check" against opponents who are more picky about the hands with which they will come to the turn can cause them to make mistakes when playing the remaining combination.