Slow rolling in poker is one of biggest sins you can commit. It is extremely frowned
upon by all players☀️ at the table. And it will gain you zero respect, friendliness, or
warm sentiments from others if you do it.
Essentially,☀️ it is breaking the highest form
of etiquette and good manners at the poker table.
Read our story about slow rolling☀️ in
poker.
Table of Contents
DEFINITION OF SLOW ROLL IN POKER
There are a few different
meanings of “slow roll”. So, to help☀️ clarify its definitions, here are the three
possibilities:
Where a player intentionally takes a long pause before calling an all-in
bet.☀️ Even when holding an extremely strong or unbeatable poker hand.
poker hand. Where
a player purposefully takes a prolonged pause before☀️ revealing their winning hand. This
scenario typically occurs at showdown. (Usually, after the other player has already
shown their hole☀️ cards.)
Where a player verbally – (1a) admits defeat to their
opponent; or (1b) mis-declares or underrepresents their hand at showdown,☀️ and then (2)
ultimately reveals their winning cards.
Watch Kara Scott Interview with Ana Marquez on
slow roll in poker:
WHY SLOW☀️ ROLLING IS SO BAD
Slow rolling is so terrible because it
contradicts acceptable poker etiquette. You should flip over your hand☀️ immediately if
you have the winning hand. You should also do so and/or if it’s your turn to show your
☀️ cards at showdown.
(NEVER keep your winning cards in front of you face-down for a
prolonged length of time when it’s☀️ your turn.)
Another reason slow rolling is awful is
because it gives your opponent a false hope of winning the hand.☀️ If you know that
they’re already going to lose, then taking your time is like rubbing salt in an open
☀️ wound. It’s going to be a harrowing painful experience for them to endure. And it
doesn’t do anyone any good.
Furthermore,☀️ slow rolling isn’t going to gain you any
friends at the table. In fact, it will probably end up hurting☀️ you more than your slow
roll victim.
Other players will quickly come to dislike you. They may subsequently not
want to☀️ play with you. You will have ruined the friendliness of the game and gone
against good poker sportsmanship.
Slow Rolling Ruins☀️ the Good Sportsmanship in
Poker
SLOW ROLL STRATEGY
Regarding strategy for slow rolling: DON’T DO IT! Steps you
can do to avoid☀️ doing a slow roll include the following:
Reveal or muck your cards
immediately when it’s your turn to act.
when it’s your☀️ turn to act. Call an all-in bet
instantly. You should do this when you have the best possible hand (or☀️ a hand of
extreme strength).
Always double-check your hand before getting to showdown . This act
will avoid verbally mis-declaring your☀️ hand.
. This act will avoid verbally
mis-declaring your hand. If you are newer to poker and still trying to understand☀️ which
hand beats what, always flip over your cards right away at showdown. Let the dealer
figure out which hand☀️ is the winner.
Now, that said, some experienced players have done
it once in a blue moon when a particular situation☀️ merits it. Specific examples can be
found in a later section of this article.
But here’s a mild taste of when☀️ it might be
done:
If ever done, it is usually between friends. They have a pre-established history
where slow rolling might☀️ be an acceptable taunt. - strictly between the two of
them.
history where slow rolling might be an acceptable taunt. -☀️ strictly between the
two of them. If you ever do a slow roll (which you shouldn’t – but IF you☀️ do), don’t
EVER do it in large or significant pots. Losing large sums of money in a poker hand is
☀️ never any fun.
Don’t add insult to injury on large pots. If you are going to slow roll
a friend, smaller☀️ or more insignificant pots may be better choices. Avoid a high stakes
cash game all-in situation or in the late☀️ stages or final table of a tournament.
SLOW
ROLLING VS HOLLYWOOD
Be sure to not fall into the trap of confusing “slow☀️ rolling” with
“Hollywooding”.
Slow rolling can only be done when -
YOU are closing the action during
a betting round, your opponent☀️ is all-in, and you’re heads-up with this opponent (i.e.
no other players still in the pot).
“Hollywooding” can be expanded to☀️ include two
similar, yet different points:
Situation #1: Your Opponent Is Not Yet All-In:
Sometimes, players will take their time before☀️ 4betting or 5bet jamming their nutted
hands (like AA preflop). They’re trying to hide any timing tell, and this is☀️ perfectly
acceptable . Example : Players might take some time before perhaps shoving QQ or AK.
They want to make☀️ it appear as though they might be pondering their all-in before just
ripping it in). Situation #2: Multiway Pots Another☀️ acceptable situation might be one
like this: You have the nuts.
The pot is multi-way.
The player to your immediate right
has☀️ gone all-in.
You take your time before calling.
There is still one player left to
act after you. In this instance, by☀️ taking your time before calling, you’re trying to
induce the third player left to act to call the bet as☀️ well. By delaying your call,
you’re attempting to simulate that it’s a difficult decision for you. You hope you can
☀️ create the appearance of being weak with your hand. Hopefully, you can get a weaker
call (or, even better, an☀️ even bigger all-in raise from the 3rd player)! Taking your
time in this situation is not a slowroll. You are☀️ neither closing the action nor at
showdown yet.
LIVE VS ONLINE SLOW ROLLS
Slow rolling in live poker is highly
unacceptable because☀️ it is always intentional. You only have one hand at one table to
focus on at a time.
When playing online,☀️ many players are multi-tabling (playing many
tables at the same time). Their attention may become diverted. They spend time focusing
☀️ on decisions on other tables. While still unacceptable, keep in mind that online slow
rolls may not always be intentional.
SLOW☀️ ROLL EXAMPLES
1. Jamie Staples’ Tournament
Dreams Crushed by Tonkaaaa’s Aces
In the early- to mid- stages of aR$109 online
tournament, two☀️ renowned poker pros squared off preflop. The hand turned into what is
usually nothing more than a cooler:
Pocket Kings versus☀️ Pocket Aces
Tonkaaaa 3bet the
button and Jamie cold 4bet all-in with KK from the small blind. Tonkaaaa decided to
slow☀️ roll his Aces versus the Team Pro
In the video link above, you can see the
side-by-side reaction of the two☀️ players at the same time. They were both streaming the
tournament at the same time on Twitch!
Ironically, that wasn’t the☀️ only time in an
online tournament that Jamie Staples has been slow rolled by Aces! (In the following
clip, Staples☀️ gets slow rolled again preflop. This time by another member of Team Pro:
http://bit.ly/2puRgWi)
2. Jack Ury Main Event
LOCATION: WSOP Main☀️ Event (2009)
The late
Jack Ury set the record as the oldest player at the age of 97 to ever play☀️ in a WSOP
event. In 2009, Jack played a hand with Steven Friedlander where both players flopped a
full house.☀️ Jack held 7-7 and Steven had 7-6 on a 6-6-7 flop!
Jack bet the flop and
Steven raised all-in, saying, “Why☀️ don’t we just get all the money in right now?” He
seemed to taunt Jack. Jack put his remaining chips☀️ into the middle’ Then he said, “Bye,
Bye,” as if to say his opponent was certainly ahead.
In reality, the ONLY☀️ hand that
could currently beat Jack would be the unlikely pocket 6’s for quads. After Steven
tabled his 7-6 full☀️ house, Jack played dumb and said, “What you got? You’re in
trouble.”
Then, even when the dealer asked Jack to table☀️ flip his cards, he paused for
dramatics. He waited even longer before finally revealing his hand, much to the
amusement☀️ of the players at the table.
While slow rolling is unethical, there is
something to be said about such an elderly☀️ man slow rolling a player, not even half his
age. Especially after the playful banter they had had earlier in☀️ the hand.
3. Sam
Abernathy’s Revenge versus Mikel Habb’s Preflop Slow Roll
LOCATION: Aussie Millions
Main Event (2024)
With 15 players remaining the☀️ 2024 Aussie Millions Main Event and
blinds at 12k/24k, UTG decided to raise to 50k. Mikel Habb then 3bet KK☀️ on the button
to 112k (from his 476k stack). But he threw in a bit of an angle shoot by☀️ taking back
his raising chips and saying he meant only to call.
The act made him appear weak - in a
☀️ dirty, deceptive way. After the raise stood, Sam Abernathy 4bet shoved 514k from the
small blind with 66.
What followed the☀️ UTG’s quick fold was appalling. Habb put on a
full-on, despicable slow roll with an acting job nothing short of☀️ cringe-worthy.
Did he
really think he was up against AA? No, and even if so, it would have been a cooler.☀️ In
the end, karma was served to Habb as the board ran out Q-9-T-T. The river delivered a
beautiful 6,☀️ sending him to the rail and delivering poker justice. When you’re this
deep in a tournament, the already-unethical slow roll☀️ is never acceptable.
FINAL WORD –
SLOW ROLLING
Bottom line, slow rolling ultimately hurts no one more than the person who
does☀️ it. It is un-classy, unethical, and a downright horrible part of poker for those
who dare to venture there.
Your fellow☀️ players will not appreciate your unsportsmanlike
behaviour. They will often frown upon any form of slow rolling. It also gives☀️ enough
reason for the table to become very unfriendly or even hostile towards.
Players will
loathe you for doing it and☀️ not even want to have you at their table.
Just as losing
with grace is a crucial step to learn in☀️ poker, winning with grace is also
essential.
Don’t give false hope to players by slow rolling.
give false hope to players
by☀️ slow rolling. Don’t make them feel worse than they already do from losing the
pot.
When it’s time to showdown your☀️ hand –
