kurto
09-27-2004, 10:58 AM
I played this a week ago so I'm grossly approximating the figures. I am NOT complaining about a bad beat, since the fault was entirely my own. Just one of those stories where you're reminded not to do what you know you shouldn't do...
I was playing a $5 SNG at Pokerstars. I had played one of my best games. I was patient, tight and aggressive. I never had my stack at the mercy of a coinflip and had slowly worked my way into first with about $6500. It was down to the final 3. My opponents were, we'll call em Jack ($4200) n Jill ($3800). The bb was around $500.
On the button, I was dealt pocket Queens. As the big stack and as I'd only shown good hands throughout the tourny, the other two other players were quick to fold to my raises unless they also had respectable hands. I wanted to win more then the blinds so I decided to slowplay, and try to milk a little extra. Whenever I do this, in the back of my head a little voice nags at me that it's stupid. This time, I didn't listen.
The flop came 3 5 9 rainbow. Jack checked, Jill bet $500. My first thought was she paired. I raised it to $1500 and she immediately went all in (her remaining $2800). I thought it unlikely that Jill had a set since at this stage I thought the short stacks would have raised pre-flop with any pocket pair. Unless she was slowplaying a pocket pair as I was. Two pair was a possibility. Another possibility, what I thought more likely was TPTK.
I decided to call since I had her covered, and thought I might already have her beat.
Her cards were flipped to reveal a 5-9 for two pair. My only outs were the 2-3's, 2-Q's or a running pair.
The turn and river brought an unhelpful 8 and a King. I had gone from the large stack to the lowest with $2500.
I typed, "the danger of slowplaying," and congratulated Jill
on her hand.
And I immediately put $500 into the BB. Had nothing and soon went out after going all in with an A-Qs and lost to pocket 8s. Third place.
I can say pretty definitely that had I raised preflop, Jill would not have called my raise and, at a minimum, I would have added $750 to my stack. Instead, I crippled myself.
It is tempting to slowplay, particularly 3 handed. But the danger is you let the 5-9 play for free and have a chance to take you down.
I'm curious... though it may be tough to gauge statistically, is it a bad move? Are the odds in your favor, 3 handed, to slowplay a high pocket pair? Any thoughts on if and when a play like I made is a good idea?
I was playing a $5 SNG at Pokerstars. I had played one of my best games. I was patient, tight and aggressive. I never had my stack at the mercy of a coinflip and had slowly worked my way into first with about $6500. It was down to the final 3. My opponents were, we'll call em Jack ($4200) n Jill ($3800). The bb was around $500.
On the button, I was dealt pocket Queens. As the big stack and as I'd only shown good hands throughout the tourny, the other two other players were quick to fold to my raises unless they also had respectable hands. I wanted to win more then the blinds so I decided to slowplay, and try to milk a little extra. Whenever I do this, in the back of my head a little voice nags at me that it's stupid. This time, I didn't listen.
The flop came 3 5 9 rainbow. Jack checked, Jill bet $500. My first thought was she paired. I raised it to $1500 and she immediately went all in (her remaining $2800). I thought it unlikely that Jill had a set since at this stage I thought the short stacks would have raised pre-flop with any pocket pair. Unless she was slowplaying a pocket pair as I was. Two pair was a possibility. Another possibility, what I thought more likely was TPTK.
I decided to call since I had her covered, and thought I might already have her beat.
Her cards were flipped to reveal a 5-9 for two pair. My only outs were the 2-3's, 2-Q's or a running pair.
The turn and river brought an unhelpful 8 and a King. I had gone from the large stack to the lowest with $2500.
I typed, "the danger of slowplaying," and congratulated Jill
on her hand.
And I immediately put $500 into the BB. Had nothing and soon went out after going all in with an A-Qs and lost to pocket 8s. Third place.
I can say pretty definitely that had I raised preflop, Jill would not have called my raise and, at a minimum, I would have added $750 to my stack. Instead, I crippled myself.
It is tempting to slowplay, particularly 3 handed. But the danger is you let the 5-9 play for free and have a chance to take you down.
I'm curious... though it may be tough to gauge statistically, is it a bad move? Are the odds in your favor, 3 handed, to slowplay a high pocket pair? Any thoughts on if and when a play like I made is a good idea?