Slow Play

I play in a lot of small number sng's and was wondering about this - when I get some good cards, let's say a pocket pair, I do not raise pre flop. The flop comes and I get a set. I either call any bet or slow play the hand.

I have had some success with this way of playing in that I have won some pots, but I have also lost some pots.

Last night I had pocket aces and slow played them. The flop came a, 4, 5 and no one bet and neither did I. The turn came and it was a 6. NO one bet so I bet the minimum. I had one caller. They river came and it was a nothing card so I bet pot and got raised. I figured him for a straight but I called anyway. I lost.

Over all is this a good way to play taking into consideration that all players have about the same experience.

I understand that if you are short stacked or have the big stack that you might play this differently.

I might have asked a question that has too may variables to answer with any degree of certainty.

I should add that I know if I had raised preflop that he would have folded his 2,3 or at least I think he would have but I was trying to increase the pot.

Slow playing, on boards with a str8 or flush out there is just bad play, has cost me games doing so.

always race a bit the good pairs. So u can´t be sucked out from the SB or BB with 83o and they hit 2 pair. And if everyone fold his cards if you raise 2 or tripple BB, nobody got a hand to pay u. When the flop is rainbow colored and no straight is out there play it slow, but when there could be drawing hands, protect your hand with a bet.

if the board is gettin dangerous you have to bet big so as not to price them in if you think their on a draw. slow playing and gettin bet by rags always tilts me

I would slow play in that situation if nothing scary (like a flush draw) came out on the flop and I knew my opponent liked to bluff a bit at the turn or river.

I personally slow play near on everything from around a $10/1 buy in and up

Under that sort of limit with the MTT's, there's a hell of a lot of ppl with half decent bankrolls figuring.. "oh well. it's only $2 or $3, may as well have a go..." with bugger all in hand.. the lower tables I play somewhat aggressively.

As far as pockets.. for me 3-4x the min over 99, 7-8's min raise, under that.. call/check or throw it.. obv' depending on how they're playing

In general slow play is bad, and you should never be slowplaying unless the next card will never make your hand seem worse (if you flop quads, or KK board is K 9 4 (slow play might be good here if you put your opponent on an ace) but in general slow play will not work out..

I feel slowplaying is one of those things that is very dependant on your opponent as well as the board texture. If there is a flush draw or a straight draw that hits your opponents range I feel that the best play is to ALLWAYS protect your hand by pricing them out of the pot. You can't always get the donk to fold (who doesnt like to chase eh?) but you are still building a pot that you are most likely a 70%+ favourite to win on the flop.

Your opponents tendencies are very important as well, so here is where being observant comes in handy (a HUD is nice as well ofc). On a dry board you might not be able to get action by betting, and the slow play should then be used to try and induce value from your opponent.

In the end poker is about getting the best value out of your hands, whilst minimising your risk.

Oh, and I've not been playing that long so please, PLEASE correct or comment on this if you feel you have something to add, interject or just plain flush down the toilet