The art of the 'slow roll' is a delicate one that requires the utmost precision in timing, execution, and discretion. It's a classic element of the game of poker that goes against traditional etiquette, intended to inflict pain upon one's opponent, oft with an air of friendly rivalry.
When it comes to poker, a slow roll is when you have the best hand in any given situation, however take your time before revealing the hand. This is a very popular strategy among players as it is something that they feel like a pro would do or something you would see in the World Series of Poker, but it is never an acceptable move to pull during a poker game. Jul 16, 2008 Slowrolling is often a response to, or a trigger for, all out psychological war between players. A slow roll is considered as discourteous, but is not a violation of any rules for the most part.
Here in week two of the World Series of Poker, the good ol’ fashioned slow roll has come straight from kitchen-table poker to the most prestigious poker series around. While some debate exists regarding just what constitutes a slow roll, we’ll break down the basics before jumping into a couple slow rolls from the week.
First, slow rolling is not to be confused with “slow playing,” which describes the way of playing a hand that involves a lack of aggressive actions, but rather actions like checking or check-calling that show weakness, while holding a very strong hand. It’s a trapping tactic, and while most aggressive players generally advise against it, it is a perfectly legal and acceptable thing to do, etiquette-wise.
Moving on to the nuts and bolts definition of the slow roll, provided via PokerNews poker terms, we get:
“To delay revealing a strong (likely winning) hand at showdown in an attempt to force other players to show their hands first. Whether done intentionally or not, slow rolling is considered poor etiquette for giving players false hope of winning a hand.”
We can extend this definition to include some situations where the delayed revealing of cards occurs while action is pending, rather than at showdown, sometimes referred to as a 'nit roll.'
Bad etiquette? Yes. But it’s important to consider the context: size of the pot, rapport and history among the players involved, the spirit in which the move is done, and the slow roller’s intent. From there, subjective judgments can be made regarding the appropriateness – or not – of a given slow roll. From this week, we have examples of both a friendly slow roll and a not-so-friendly one.
Niall Farrell vs. Michael Gagliano: The Friendly Slow Roll
The buy-in was a hefty $10,000, but everything is relative. For Niall Farrell (lead image) and Michael 'Gags' Gagliano, playing in a $10,000 WSOP Championship event is another day in the life, and they decided to have some fun with it.
'You're trying to get the other person as best you can, make them feel the most pain.'
The two friends who room together during the series were paired up for the round of 32 in Event #16: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship. Farrell was getting the best of Gagliano and had him on the ropes.
It was shoving time for Gags, and he decided to go with the jack-ten. Facing the all-in, Farrell peeked at his cards, asked for a count, and said; 'This could be the one,' before calling a nearby Daniel Strelitz over to witness. 'It's close,' he added for effect.
'As soon as he [called Strelitz over], I knew that whatever he was thinking about, he was probably going to wind up calling, and I was going to be really far behind,' Gagliano recalled.
Of course, Farrell had the aces and after getting an exact count and looking at Strelitz again, he called and tabled his pocket aces.
There were laughs all around, but some were more amused than others.
'You definitely don't want to do it to someone you don't know, or you have no rapport with.'
'I think Niall got the biggest kick out of it,' said Gagliano.
Gagliano didn't mind the slow roll, and he explained that among friends, 'You're trying to get the other person as best you can, make them feel the most pain.'
But in Gagliano's eyes, Farrell failed in that respect.
'I think it would have been worse if he would have just snapped me though, so, from that perspective, he did not win that. He won the match, but he didn't win in giving me the most pain... It's only a small battle; the war is far from over,' Gagliano said with a laugh.
Daniel Ospina vs. Shaun Deeb: The Intentional Nit Roll
If you’re playing a word association game and the phrase is “slow roll,” Shaun Deeb’s name will come up. He’s known as the king of the slow roll and has performed the pesky act against many opponents, friend and foe, to the result of much grief, frustration, and entertainment.
When a hand came up at the 2-7 Lowball Draw final table on Thursday that involved Deeb and a slow roll, the only surprising part was that he was on the other end of it.
They were three-handed, and Deeb opened to 25,000 on the button at 5,000/10,000 with a 2,500 ante. Daniel Ospina three-bet to 105,000 from the small blind and Deeb called. Ospina stood pat, and Deeb drew one, and then Ospina checked. Deeb moved all in for around 300,000, and although Ospina had a very strong hand that he would not be considering folding three-handed, he took his time before calling, to stick it to Deeb it would appear.
'I decided last night if the opportunity presented itself to slow roll [Deeb], I was definitely going to do it.'
Deeb was none-too-pleased to see Ospina’s 8-7 that had his 9-6 dead in the water with all of his remaining chips committed. It turns out the king of the slow roll is not a fan of the nit roll. And the fact that it was in such a big spot, three places from a bracelet, probably didn’t help.
Ospina justified the move based on previous history with Deeb.
'Deeb has a reputation for slow-rolling people in the past, and I have a bit of history with him in some other events we've played,' Ospina said of the hand. 'I decided last night if the opportunity presented itself to slow roll him, I was definitely going to do it.'
It just goes to show, if you're going to attempt the risky slow roll, you should be ready for retaliation from all fronts and at all times, even when it may not seem very cool. Before attempting it yourself, consider this slow roll etiquette tip from Gagliano: 'I think you have to know how your opponent is going to take it. You definitely don't want to do it to someone you don't know, or you have no rapport with.'
PokerNews is covering all the events of the World Series of Poker 2018. Go to PokerNews.com/WSOP and get all the WSOP live updates from all the events.
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Poker is an exciting card game that isn’t necessarily considered the friendliest one out there. A big part of the thrill and excitement in poker comes from being able to take your opponent off his game and push him into making some wrong decisions that will ultimately cost them money and hopefully increase your chip stack.
However, there is certain “poker etiquette” all players should abide by. The “poker etiquette” refers to a set of unwritten rules at the poker table, and any violation of these rules is going to be met with frowns, arguments, and might even lead to fistfights.
One of these appalling actions is a slow roll. A slow roll is a situation in which a player with the best hand deliberately delays calling or turning over his cards at showdown, thus giving other players the false hope of having a stronger hand.
Adding this unnecessary drama to the game by flipping the cards slowly is a clear example of a shameful and unsportsmanlike behaviour that only serves to belittle the opponents and show off.
In this article, we are going to discuss slow rolling, why it happens and why you should never do it, as well as:
If you playing online at one of our selected poker rooms, then you are less likely to get slow rolled due to timers being present. For those playing on a real life table, let’s get right to it.
Why Would Players Slow Roll in the First Place?
What Beats What In Poker
Contents
The reasons why players resort to slow rolling are many, and before we delve deeper into the subject, we need to say that players are sometimes unaware they are slow rolling.
There is this famous example when Phil the “Poker Brat” Hellmuth caused quite a scene at the 2003 Showdown at the Sands poker event, which was televised internationally. Namely, he squared off with the poker legend T.J. Cloutier whom he accused of slow rolling. A tirade ensued because Cloutier even declared Hellmuth a winner even though Hellmuth had a weaker hand. This accidental slow roll happened because Cloutier hadn’t realised he had made a flush.
It was one of those instances when a player overlooked his cards and made an unintentional mistake that, in this instance, meant Cloutier slow rolled Hellmuth into thinking he was the winner.
The whole incident was caught on camera and served as a good reminder of what a slow roll can do to a game of poker. Here’s how it went down.
However, some players do it for purely selfish reasons. They want to provoke a reaction from other players and throw them off their game. It usually occurs when there are only two players left in the game, and when this kind of behaviour can be used as leverage.
Also, it should be noted that when there is a history of bad blood between players, even among the pros, that’s where you’ll see slow rolling thrive since these players love to rub their winning hands in the opponents’ faces.
Why is a Slow Roll Considered Bad Poker Etiquette?
There’s no denying that poker is a competitive game, and where competition thrives, it is only logical that a lot of emotions are going to be involved. When a slow roll happens, it might be difficult for players to keep all those emotions in check.
Therefore, we can understand why players who, at that moment, might have lost a lot of money and chips, don’t want to be a part of that trick and might lose their cool at the poker table. Slow rolling, as an act of taunting players, is a sign of disrespect and bad manners, which goes entirely against common courtesy and what poker is all about.
Provoking players deliberately, as it happens with a slow roll, sends not the message of strength but childish tantrums. People tend to compare it with situations in which a player pulls off a big bluff and where, instead of merely mucking the cards, they choose to add some flair to it. There’s nothing wrong there. They deserve it. But in the case of slow rolling, it is just cruel and a prime example of violating poker etiquette.
Are There Any Explicit Rules Against Slow Rolls?
As is the case with many other games, there are unwritten rules players obey. However, these are often not specified in any rulebook or list of regulations, which means breaking these rules won’t lead to any official sanctions.
The same goes for slow rolling. Even though there are no explicit rules against it, the implicit ones clearly state that slow rolling is not allowed and that players who practice it are blatantly disrespecting the heritage of the game and its creed.
Also, players who are associated with slow rolling will earn a negative reputation among fellow players and might even get banished from poker tables.
Nobody likes a player who takes long intentional pauses before an all-in bet when in a strong position, which is one of the definitions of the slow roll move. Players who do this will have to bear their very own poker stigmata for unsporting and unethical behaviour.
What to Do If You Get Slow Rolled?
No matter how irritated you feel if you get slow rolled, it’s best to try and let go of the anger as quickly as possible. If you let it get to you, it might throw you off your game, which is precisely why some people slow roll in the first place.
Also, you should complement the winning hand of the player who slow rolled you. That way, you will put an end to any influence these actions might have on you, which could lead to this player abandoning the tactics altogether. However, never forget or forgive a slow roller. Take your time, wait for a strong hand, and give them a taste of their own medicine.
How to Avoid Unintentional Slow Rolls
When you are deep in the game, it is easy to get carried away and intentionally slow roll. However, there are certain things you should be aware of if you want to avoid that — and you most definitely should.
Firstly, always muck your hand or turn it over when your turn comes up. There is no reason to hold your cards if you are bust. Secondly, if you have the nuts combination, flip your cards first and don’t let the suspense kill other players at the table.
It is always better to be put out of poker misery quickly so that the players can prepare for the next round. Finally, if a player calls you out as the strongest hand, reveal it and be a good sport. Players will appreciate that and return in kind.
Conclusion
A slow roll is considered a dirty move at the poker table, and no matter how much some might try to justify it, it is still a sign of disrespect and unsporting behaviour you should avoid at all times. Remember, a poker reputation is a fragile thing, and if you want to be remembered as an honest player, make sure you respect the game and compete fairly.
In this article, we’ve discussed what a slow roll is, how and when it can occur, and how to avoid it. If you have a different experience or opinion, feel free to post it in the Comments section so we can discuss it further.