Why can't I stop slow playing!?!?!?!?

[dgroes]

I have been playing online poker micro's for around a year, 6 months ago I really decided to make it a more serious hobby. Even if I am not making enough $$ to quit my job, winning makes it a whole lot more fun.

That being said, I have come to terms that I am my own biggest enemy.

When I flop the nuts, or so I think, I can't fight the urge to slow play and or attempt to trap. I can look at any bad beat I have taken and usually chalk it up to just that.

Am I alone?

And no, not telling you my screen name or where I play!

first of all congratulations for making a decent amount of money on poker as a side income.
i think we are all prone to this. but hey who is ready to just dunk and be aggressive as in theory? the EV might be so bad before the next payout depending on the card mix.

 

[Pokerpoet2]

Slow playing hands, can be a dangerous habit, but profitable if you are holding the nuts, My problem is sometimes I fall in love with flops, it blinds me to other possibilities, like playing J/J on a J,5,5, flop and your opponent is holding 5/5.
Poker is such an exciting game with many different outcomes from hand's that sometimes surprise you, that's why you should play cautiously all the time, I once played Q/10 of Spades in a raised pot when a K,J,7, all Spades flopped and the aggressor bet out, I called but was aware that he raised pre-flop so he could have been holding the Ace of Spades, a Turn card put out another 7 so now a full-house was also possible besides the obvious Flush so he bet out again, I called and the River dropped the Ace of Spades, giving me a Royal Flush.
He made a remark about not liking the River card and checked, I said "neither do I but I have made my straight" I bet out a Pot sized bet and he called with 8,/9 of Spades, he was gutted when I showed him the Royal Flush, accused me of slow playing, but in all reality I only played cautiously because he could have had the nut flush right from the start.

When the fun Stops, STOP!

 

[jsnake716]

I have been playing online poker micro's for around a year, 6 months ago I really decided to make it a more serious hobby. Even if I am not making enough $$ to quit my job, winning makes it a whole lot more fun.

That being said, I have come to terms that I am my own biggest enemy.

When I flop the nuts, or so I think, I can't fight the urge to slow play and or attempt to trap. I can look at any bad beat I have taken and usually chalk it up to just that.

Am I alone?

And no, not telling you my screen name or where I play!

Well, you are not alone. Many people seem to do this often in micro or low stakes poker. I think the biggest problem with almost always slow playing your value hands in low stakes, is that so many people are already calling stations, that you are losing money or chips by checking and hoping villain is going to bet for you. You can bet and players with any piece are going to call you. If you don't bet, you invite the table to chase you down. I think if you have a database, you should begin to review your sessions and see if you can spot situations where you could have built a pot, but instead allowed someone to hang around and beat you on later streets.

 

[jsnake716]

Try switching to a simple rule:

"If I have a very strong hand, I will always bet/raise unless I can can clearly say a great reason to check/call instead."

Example of that great reason: You flop quads on 772. Someone bets out. A maniac acts after you. This would definitely be a spot to call instead of raise to allow the maniac to stay in the pot.

I am sure glad that most low stakes and micro players are unable / unwilling to follow simple rules. Thanks for some good basic advice.

 

[steve01991]

omg i do the same thing, i think the way around it is to bet some at first, depending on the stakes, the people that fish for something usually dont stick around if you continue betting. I find this is working better for me than have the poker gods give the fish what they are looking for

 

[Rob Hobson]

Game variation is the key.

 

[mina271]

I rarely play slowly it comes to the table where you sit and who or how the people are playing at the table. I once had AA and someone opened with a raise and since he had raised almost every hand I just called him. A came on the flop again and he raised again and I just called and turn came again A and he raised again I just called on the river again, he raised again and I went all in and to mine surprise he went allin too. I won and sometimes I still thought why he had done it. But I was just lucky that on the one hand I had correctly assessed the players, and on the other hand that I also met my four-of-a-kind. because AA is really the worst hand to play slowly with it but as with everything in poker you always have to watch how the other players are playing and what you get on the table

 

[alien666dj]

All because there is no game plan. And there is no desire to grow, learn, develop.