Posted by Marilyn | Posted in Holdem | Posted on 24-02-2011
Sluggish play is a term used in poker – particularly Texas Holdem – for trying to lure your opponents into creating a large bet so that you can trap them and take down a big pot.
It truly is usually used with a extremely excellent pre-flop hand such as pocket Aces on Kings. As an alternative to betting large, the gradual player will sit back and limp in (call or check) as if he does not have a palm worth wagering, hoping that an opponent will have caught a lower pair or a straight draw and will come in with an enormous wager.
It is actually a classic poker manouever and one which has won a lot of money for poker gamblers down via the ages, but it has lost it’s effectiveness. The simple reason for this is that everybody is now sluggish playing their big hands so it really is virtually expected.
So how do you use this scenario to your advantage?
If you catch a big hand, you need to come out wagering. As an alternative to wanting to tempt your competitors into generating a move so that you simply can are available in more than the top, produce the wager yourself. Now most amateur gamblers baulk in the thought of this in case the rest of the table folds and they "waste" their major hand, but in reality you may usually always obtain a number of wagering action from somebody.
By wagering your massive palm as an alternative to slow playing it, you might be performing a double bluff since most people today would gradual wager on it. Your competitors will generally assume you might be bluffing and you are going to acquire a few wagering action and ultimately win extra money.
The other reason you need to wager is that if you don’t wager, you happen to be allowing your competitors a free of cost look at the cards and each time a card is turned more than they might be converting a losing hand to a succeeding one.
There’s only one circumstance where it will always pay to sluggish bet on your hand – whenever you flop an absolute monster that pretty much cannot be beaten. As an example say you might be dealt Ace, 4 of clubs and the flop is Queen, 10, Nine of clubs. You’ve just flopped the nut flush and you’re pretty significantly unbeatable. OK someone could have a pair of Queens, 10s or 9s and catch a 4th on the turn or river, or they may very well be holding the King of clubs and catch the Jack for a straight flush, except the chances of you not succeeding are now remote.
This is the time to slow bet on your hand. You will discover all sorts of hands that any person else could possibly be holding to generate them assume they are in a excellent position here; two other clubs, a straight draw, triples and even just a Queen for the top pair, whatever they’ve got the chances are someone will think it is worth wagering. If the flop or river produces a King, Queen Jack, Ten or Nine you could possibly have a big raise or even an all-in from somebody.
Now you let them create the pot up by just calling the bets and take down the pot with your nut flush.