A online poker player with a big hand often “slow plays” it to keep other poker online players betting into the pot. Instead of making a big bet when the flop brings a set or two pair, the player only checks or makes a minimum bet. Slow playing can be dangerous and a poor strategy that minimizes pot size. The obvious danger is that by slow playing at the casino, you let other players keeping calling to a draw. And sometimes they hit the straight or flush, smashing your set. Slow playing can set up a suck-out bad beat. When this happens, the slow play bettor is at fault for letting a winning hand be beat and the pot lost. The other reason slow playing a hand can be weak strategy is because you miss the opportunity to get more chips into the pot. By putting out a raise - say 3x the blind - you are likely to get some calls, and you are still the favorite to win. The flop is likely the only time anyone will call a bet. Once the turn hits, players are more likely to fold and the pot stops growing. Your goal should always be to build bigger pots while narrowing the field when you hit a hand. The only time it is safe or prudent to slow play is when you know you have the absolute nuts, like quads or the best full house. ++++++++++++++++++