Also called sandbagging or trapping, slowplaying in poker is an inverted kind of bluffing – instead of making the other players believe that you have a strong hand even though you do not, you make them believe that you are not holding a winning hand even when you are. The aim here, basically, is to disguise your very strong hand as a weak one to keep the other players playing and betting so as to increase the pot.

When Slowplaying is Ideal

Slowplaying should be used infrequently. Specifically, you should use it only if you’re sure you can pull it off. Ideally, it is done when you have an aggressive opponent and if you have a great hand.

Aggressive players, as you know, are people who usually raise and keep raising early in the game. These are people who always like to have the upper hand. Thus, they make the best source of income in a game where slowplaying is advised. Since they don’t like to relinquish control of the game and they’re likely to keep betting and raising, they are going to continue to contribute to the pot whatever their cards are. The best way to defeat them is to trap them, play along with their betting and surprise them in the end.

Of course, you should make sure that your cards are particularly good. Preferably, they should be cards whom no one can conceivably beat – a sure win given the board. That way, the slowplaying exercise becomes purely an act to increase the size of the pot. Victory is assured, in a manner of speaking, and you’re just trapping as many players as you can to continue playing so as to maximize your win.

Slow playing is also more effective in no-limit games where pots can get significantly bigger, as well as in the last few rounds of tournaments where short-stacked players can be eliminated through their injudicious betting.

When Slowplaying is Bad Strategy

Slow playing is not always effective. It is particularly bad strategy when you don’t have very good cards and your opponent has drawing cards. Unfortunately in poker, your chances are greater that you will get a good but not a sure-win hand rather than a truly strong or ‘milking’ hand.

More often than not, therefore, it is more advisable to get as much, as fast as you can. Thus, if you have good starting hands, you are generally advised to get as many players to fold as early as possible. The fewer are the players in the hand, the greater your chance of victory. The longer the game becomes, the higher the chance that your opponents will form a good five-card combination as the game progresses. Furthermore, if you are able to scare all other players into folding, you may just be able to collect the blinds, and stolen blinds can accumulate to an impressive amount.