09-14-04, LearnTexasHoldem:

Slow Playing Two Pair

Question: Like all your other fans, all I can say is great site.

Playing very-low-limit holdem with a group of co-workers the other night. It was late and we were down to five hands. For about four or five hands in a row, any raise at all would induce folds all around. I was up about $40 or $50 on the evening but wanted to pull in some more cash.

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I'm on the big blind. The UTG is a maniac who has ridden wild chip swings all night. Next is a guy who joined in the middle of the evening and has won my respect as a darn good player (I'll call him Bill) and he's up about $40 in a short time (but hasn't beaten me yet!). Next is good, but loose player who chases too many hands, but knows how to play good hands when he gets them. And next is a rookie who is tired of losing and has tightened up. The maniac has recently lost two big pots to me and has started respecting my raises.

I have A-4 off suit (again, in the BB). No pre-flop raisers and I just check. The flop comes A-7-4 rainbow. So I have two pair, but know that if I bet, everybody will put in me on a pair of aces and likely fold, and with only $2.50 in the pot, it's not worth winning outright. I forget what the turn card was, but it was something like a mid-value card. Nothing to worry about for me. It doesn't pair the board of make me worry about a straight. I check. Bill bets $1. We all call. The river is a king. I bet $2 (it's no limit, but again, I want to induce bets here, not scare them away). Bill raises the bet to $4. Now I know I'm beat. I put Bill on three kings, but he's also smart enough to try to use that king to steal the pot, so I can't let him win without showing. I just call.

Sure enough, he has trip kings.

In light of your response to "1/29/04 - Losing With Two Pair..." Do you think I made a mistake slow playing with my hand? I often pursue a strategy of just taking any win instead of risking trapping myself like this and just bet a strong flop aggressively (or wait to the turn to raise), but this time I changed my style and got burned. I made the comment then, "That's the danger of slow playing a hand." Bill agreed that if I had raised after the flop, he would have folded.

What do you think? Bad play or just bad luck?

Answer: A few points:

1. If you play every hand straight forwardly then you aren't going to win much money. When ever you bet big, all but the dumbest opponents will put you on a big hand. With this flop and this hand there is very little that could come to beat you and no one would put you on a strong hand like you had. If you had 74 then maybe I would make my move faster on the flop to prevent being outdrawn but with Aces Up on a rainbow flop you want someone to catch a little something to keep them in.

2. Look at what he was drawing to... If this wasn't the best position to nail him in (maybe besides him having AK), then I don't know what was. He was drawing to 2 outs. You have him completely dominated. You would be more afraid of a person having 23 or 68 even over him having KK here as far as giving free cards.

3. Trapping is what it is about in NL. Bill with KK didn't play the hand well and got lucky. That shouldn't detour you from doing the same thing again if you have a chance. Let the opponent get pot committed before you lower the hammer. I love slow playing but don't take it to the extreme. Three things to keep in mind are the pot size, number of players and texture of the flop. If it is just you and another person your chance of being outdrawn is slim. If you have 9 other guys in there, play faster. Also, if the size of the pot is large your only goal is to win it, not get too greedy. Lastly, if the texture of the flop looks scary (a lot of draws), then also play it faster.

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