Advanced Strategy - Slow-Playing in Texas Holdem

Slow-playing means that you have a very strong hand and are playing as if it was mediocre in order to keep players in the game. Checking when nobody bets or just calling when someone else has bet are typical slow-play moves.

However, this move should be played very carefully. Many amateur players tend to use it too often, which gives other players an advantage.

You should slow-play only when:

1. Your hand is very strong and by betting or raising you will drive all or most of the players out of the game.

2. The chance that the next card will give another player a better hand than yours is small.

3. The chance that the next card will give another player the second best hand is relatively high.

4. The pot is relatively small.

Examples: if you hold QQ and the flop is Q73 rainbow, slow-playing would be the best move because it applies to all 4 criteria mentioned before.
If you hold Ah,Qd or even AA and the flop is Ac Qc and 9d you should go ahead and bet because the next card could make someone’s hand better than yours (flush or straight) and you don’t want to give a free card to a player that would have otherwise paid.