In poker, a slow roll is a tactic used by a player who has a very strong hand but deliberately delays calling a bet or revealing their cards at showdown. The goal of a slow roll is to make the opponent think they might have the winning hand, only to reveal their superior hand at the last moment. This can be a very frustrating experience for the opponent, and it is generally considered to be poor etiquette.
There are two main types of slow rolls:
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Delaying a call: This is the most common type of slow roll. The player will take a long time to call a bet, even though they know they have the best hand. This can make the opponent think that the player is unsure of themselves, and they may be more likely to fold a weaker hand.
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Delaying a showdown: This type of slow roll occurs after the betting is complete and all players still in the hand have shown their cards. The player with the winning hand will take a long time to reveal their cards, again in an attempt to make their opponent feel like they might have won.
Why is Slow Rolling Bad?
While slow rolling can be a successful tactic in the short term, it is generally considered to be bad etiquette for a few reasons.
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It can anger your opponents. When a player is slow-rolled, it can be very frustrating. This can lead to arguments and bad feelings at the table.
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It can damage your reputation. If you are known as a player who slows rolls, other players will be less likely to want to play with you. This can make it difficult to find games and can damage your reputation as a poker player.
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It can make the game less enjoyable for everyone. Slow rolling can slow down the game and make it less enjoyable for everyone involved.
Slow Rolling Strategies
While it is generally not recommended to slow roll, there are a few situations in which it can be a successful tactic.
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When your opponent is a known bluffer: If you are playing against a player who is known for bluffing, then slow rolling them can be a way to trap them into betting more money than they should.
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When you are trying to get a read on your opponent: If you are unsure of how strong your opponent's hand is, then slow rolling them can be a way to get them to give away tells.
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When you are heads-up with one opponent: Slow rolling is more likely to be acceptable if you are only playing against one other player.
Live and Online Slow Rolling
Slow rolling can be done in both live and online poker. However, it is generally more common in live poker. This is because it is easier to make physical tells in live poker, such as taking a long time to act or looking down at your cards.
In online poker, it can be more difficult to slow roll effectively. This is because there are no physical tells that you can use. However, some players will try to slow roll online by taking a long time to type or by using chat messages to try to make their opponent think they are unsure of themselves.
Slow Roll Examples
Here is an example of a slow roll:
The board is A-A-K-Q-7. The pot is already big. The player in the first position bets $100. The player in the second position has pocket kings. They take a long time to call the bet, even though they know they have the best hand. Eventually, they call and the player in the first position shows their hand, which is a bluff.
In this example, the player in second position slow-rolled their opponent. They took a long time to call the bet in order to make their opponent think they might have a weaker hand.
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