ABC of Poker: The Deadly Sin of Slowrolling

Slowrolling - to be distinguished from slowplaying - means to maliciously delay calling a bet or turning over one's cards at showdown when holding the best hand, leading the opponent to think they are winning the pot. This is an unforgivable breach of poker etiquette and a sure way of antagonizing the entire table. 

“It’s the most disgusting thing you could ever do. I’ve never slow rolled a person in my life. And I never will.” 

Coming from the explosive @Mike Matusow, known as The Mouth for his trash-talking,  this is a good indication just how deadly a sin slowrolling is in the world of poker.

And not only players get enraged by slowrolls - all too often they seem to be as offensive to the poker gods and will get punished by the river, as shown in the videos below, including the most-talked about hand in poker in the past month, from  the 2015 Paddy Power Irish Poker Open:

Because it can be a matter of subjective perception, live poker beginners and even pros may find themselves unjustly accused and there are many videos of alleged slowrolls on youtube where in fact the guilty player had legitimate reasons to pause and think or was genuinely unaware of the strength of their hand, with no malice involved. 

So next time you see a video labeled 'the worst slowroll in history', ask yourself: was it deliberately intended, was it meant to make the opponent feel bad? 

And respectively, next time you find yourself with the nuts in an all-in, make the call and show your cards without delaying. As one poker writer aptly put it, "You know you’re going to hurt your opponent, so rip the band-aid off quickly" (http://gamboool.com/definition-of-a-slow-roll-and-why-its-a-big-breach-of-poker-etiquette).

Even if unsure whether you've won, and especially when you are the bettor, reveal your cards without delaying and let the dealer sort it out. All-ins and showdows are nerve-racking enough and poker players can be very quick-tempered and vindictive. You don't want the whole table turning against you!

Your rule of thumb:

When holding the nuts at showdown or in an all-in, turn over your cards as quickly as possible.

 It is never 'ok' to slowroll; stick to sportsmanship even against the most obnoxious opponents and let the poker gods do the punishing.

Most people believe justice was served in this famous hand from The Big Game but @Phil Hellmuth vehemently denies slowrolling. What is YOUR verdict - guilty or innocent?

Phil Hellmuth bad beat on The Big GameIf you're not a fan of Phil Hellmuth, then you'll LOVE this video as he takes one of the worst bad beats imaginable. If you play online poker, check out http...www.youtube.com

Quick glossary:

The nuts (nut hand) - the strongest possible hand on a given board

Showdown - when at the end of a hand, the remaining players place their cards face up on the table to determine the winner

Slowplaying - holding a very strong hand but under-representing and playing it passively - checking and calling rather than betting and raising (see ABC of Poker and Glossary of Terms: Slowplay Dos & Don'ts

Coming up soon in #RKHabc - Hollywooding! 

Help us grow the RKH poker resource collection and share relevant videos and articles! Best of all, share your personal experience - have YOU ever slow-rolled anyone (intentionally or inadvertently)? Have you ever been unjustly accused of slowrolling?