Slowroll - To wait until the last possible moment to show the winning hand, in an effort
to get your🧲 opponent to believe he has won the pot when he has not.
When a poker hand
is over, there is a🧲 specific order in which the hands are supposed to be turned over.
The last person to initiate a bet or🧲 raise on the last round of betting, is supposed to
turn their hand over first. This gives the players who🧲 have called the opportunity to
see the called hand before having to show themselves. After the player who initiated
last🧲 action shows, hands are supposed to be shown down in a clockwise order, starting
with the first player on his🧲 left. In most poker rooms, if there is no river bet, hands
are to be shown down in a clockwise🧲 order, starting with the small blind position. Some
house rules require that the last person to initiate action turn their🧲 hand over first,
regardless if there was a bet on the final betting round. This requires the dealer to
remember🧲 who the last person to initiate action was, and request that they be first to
turn over their hand.
While this🧲 order of operations at showdown exists, it is not
always adhered to completely. It is only strictly adhered to if🧲 there is a dispute
between players over who must show down first. This type of dispute does not arise very
🧲 often, because players are generally eager to show their hands if they think they may
have won the pot. It🧲 is customary for the first step in the order of operations be
adhered to, which is that the last person🧲 to initiate action to turn their hand over
first. This player will usually do this without being prompted, but sometimes🧲 they will
hesitate. If they hold a busted draw, a bluff, or other hand they believe cannot win
with, they🧲 may not turn their hand over immediately, and may even muck rather than
show. If they hold back their hand,🧲 it is usually because they are hoping that the
winner will take the opportunity to show, so they can muck🧲 their hand without showing.
In any event, if the last person to initiate action hesitates when it is time for🧲 them
to show, it usually indicates that they have a weak hand.
If someone has a strong hand
at showdown, they🧲 are usually eager to turn it over and collect the pot. This means
that when a player shows down a🧲 hand, they expect to find out relatively quickly if
they are beat. They expect that anyone able to beat the🧲 hand they have shown will turn
it over quickly in an attempt to claim the pot. If no one does,🧲 they will justifiably
believe that they have won the pot. This can open the door to mischief. In an attempt
🧲 to get under the skin of their opponents, a player may wait to show the winning hand
until after their🧲 opponent has shown, and a long enough period of time passes without a
better hand being exposed, that their opponent🧲 expects to win the pot. Then, just as
their opponent is about to rake in the pot, they show them🧲 the winner. This is called a
slow roll, and it is considered an extremely rude thing to do. It bothers🧲 some players
a lot, which is precisely the goal of the player who slowrolls. Slowrolling is often a
response to,🧲 or a trigger for, all out psychological war between players.
Despite the
discourteous nature of slowrolling, it is not generally prohibited🧲 by house rules. If
it is prohibited, there is rarely a penalty associated with it. At most, it may elicit
🧲 censure from the dealer or floor staff. Stronger penalties are not deemed appropriate.
One reason for this is that it🧲 is hard to objectively evaluate the severity and
intentionality of a slowroll. Players are expected to show down within a🧲 reasonable
timeframe once the hand is over, but what constitutes reasonable time? A slowroll is
kind of like pornography, it’s🧲 difficult to define specifically, but you know it when
you see it.
Slowroll is not the same as slow play. Please🧲 see link below.
Usage:
Slowrolled, Slowrolling, He Slowrolled Me
Previous Poker Term: Slow Play
Next Poker
Term: Small Blind
