Slow play, but nobody's biting

corblimey

Say the turn comes and you find yourself with trips. You decide to slow play the hell out of it, but you're UTG. You check, and it's all checked around.

Now, what do you on the river, assuming it's rag? Would you lead out with a small bet to see if you can get value? Raise the roof and make sure you do win, that some dope hasn't hit a low straight or something stupid? Slow play again, and hope someone is trying to steal blinds?

Or is slow playing out of position just as dumb as a box of wet hair, anyway?

impr0v

All of the above are valid tactics depending on the actors at the table. In most cases i'd either lead out with the small bet to see if i can squeeze some value out of it, or overbet it significantly so that it looks like i'm trying to steal blinds with mid pair or top with a weak kicker, again it depends what the play has been like and what other options there are on the board.

Checking and letting someone else make a decision can work, but if someone tries to steal, you'll usually only get their bet as coming back over the top will almost certainly result in them folding.

Tackle

I'd stick a small bet in on the turn to make it look like I'm going for a cheap draw, hopefully resulting in a few callers. Might check it on the river then, pretending I've missed the draw and hope someone trys to take the pot with a steal or a lesser hand.

NickyOD

I rarely bother slowplaying trips. You're better off just underbetting the pot. You'll usually get more action that way than check raising.

Jaden

I agree with Nicky. If you think you're ahead, then get yer money in. Slow-playing trips can really come back and bite you in the arse. Giving out free cards to let guys catch up is never a good option. It's grand if you've hit a nut flush or house, but trips are easily beaten.

corblimey

True, jaden. I picked trips as an example of a hand that you could hit on the turn. With the nut flush or house, you've got to have at least a playable hand on the flop, and you could start getting +ev for it earlier. Hitting a hand on the turn means there's only 2 bets left, and in my example, the turn bet was checked all round, leaving only 1.

PPP-Pit Boss

corblimey wrote:

True, jaden. I picked trips as an example of a hand that you could hit on the turn. With the nut flush or house, you've got to have at least a playable hand on the flop, and you could start getting +ev for it earlier. Hitting a hand on the turn means there's only 2 bets left, and in my example, the turn bet was checked all round, leaving only 1.

Im with impro on this one.. a 3x "Im representing" bet could just prompt the "Ill call your bluff and you wont mess with me again" reraise
But it really depends on what the form at the table is.. and the stakes.