Big loss to a slowplay; A cautionary Tale

[kurto]

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?

[oscar057]

I think slow playing a big pair is always dangerous, even short handed. An A or K could have flopped putting your pair in danger. I would have raised or reraised before the flop.

Now if you flopped a set with no straight or flush on the board, a slow play would have been a better move in order to extract more chips.

[jimswarthow]

I dont' know the math but late as u were in the tourney this was horrible for you not the time to get fancy. Worst case scenario came to life.
This type of play is so tempting. When u are a tight player and only show down good hands Big hands can be played with MAXIMUM deception value. It just seems as though your timing was off. I ask myself this question...Will this call be the "best" way to help me win this SNG?
So my comment is this...I also make plays like this occasionally and I feel your pain. I can gurantee u my results post flop would have been the same. Pre-flop I dont think this was the "best" path to victory. Never stop being imaginative though. Thanks for reminding me to think it through

[chill888]

[ QUOTE ]
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?

[/ QUOTE ]

Since when is QQ a high pair?

[kurto]

I was slowly increasing my stack by nickel and diming it. I definitely tried to get fancy. I got greedy. I wanted a lower pair to hit and then feel pot committed with a low pair.

I have to admit when this happened, I cursed myself for my play. Though on reflection, I can think of many people I've busted when they went all in with their tptk when I had slowplayed an overpair.

In this case, if a K or A had flopped, I would have slowed down. But the flop looked so good!

Its so odd to play tight 'straight' poker the whole game and then the one hand I get fancy, I lose it all.

On this hand- I think a small raise would have been profitable. It would have kept high cards around but probably led to the 5-9 folding. And if I had any playback post-flop, I'd better be able to narrow down the hand.

Thanks for your comments!

[rjb03]

QQ is hardly a tempting slowplay hand. There's no way you should be limping with a vulnerable hand like this. Being the big stack, you should be happy picking up the blinds. You don't need to double up. If the other two were as tight as you say, you could steal more frequently.

[Grisgra]

I think that given the sides of the blinds, you should have just gone for them. And it was QQ, not KK or AA. BUT . . .

I am very interested to hear what other people say about the limping-preflop to then try to knock out TPTK post-flop. I mean, should you EVER do it? It's not as though 95o is one of those threatening hands you should feel the need to get rid of.

I've seen the limped high-pair trick work -- on the other hand, I've also seen AA lose to a weak two-pair that otherwise never would have won if AA had minraised pf.

I'm guessing it has to be good *sometimes* to limp with AA. I await the experts' opins [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[NotMitch]

[ QUOTE ]

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.

[/ QUOTE ]

That voice is telling you that you dont steal enough.

[kurto]

"QQ is hardly a tempting slowplay hand."

Not even 3 handed? Granted, if overcards fell, the power of my hand is diminished, but, I figured if I drew the kind of flop I did, it was a good chance to draw out a bluff for a few more chips.

"Being the big stack, you should be happy picking up the blinds. You don't need to double up." I agree with you. After being patient through the majority of the tournament, I allowed myself to get get fancy then to get someone out more quickly.

"If the other two were as tight as you say, you could steal more frequently." I must admit this is my biggest weakness. I get gunshy stealing. But I'm working on it!

Thanks for your comments.