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Sandbagging - Slowplaying

by Shirley Rosario
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Sandbag in Poker
Sandbag - An attempt to trap your opponents by checking a strong hand while the pot is small, only to raise the stakes after they have wagered.


Sandbagging is a specific type of ploy a player may use in an attempt to maximize expectation. The goal of sandbagging is to deceive your opponent into thinking you do not have a strong hand when you do. This is done by checking and calling with a hand that you would normally bet and raise with. After being satisfied that the pot is large enough, the sandbagger quickly changes course and begins betting and raising.

Sandbagging works best against aggressive players and maniacs.. This is because when you are sandbagging, you need someone else to build the pot for you by betting. You can typically count on aggressive players to do this for you.

While sandbagging can be correct against certain types of opponents, it is not something that you should do every time that you have a big hand. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, you can miss bets that you should be getting action on. If you check when you would normally bet, and your opponents all check as well, you lose the money that your opponents would have called on that betting round, should you win the pot. You also give them a chance to suck out on you without paying. So, you have to be pretty sure that you will get a bet behind you in order to try it.

Another reason you should not try to sandbag too often is that you may get a reputation for constantly sandbagging, which can make it very difficult to pull off. Some players love to check-raise and so they are constantly sandbagging. The problem with this is that the other players will notice this and become suspicious ever time this player checks. In other words, if you sandbag too frequently, the other players will stop betting your hand for you. You will end up receiving fewer and fewer check raise opportunities, and will give too many free cards. If you notice this happening, you should actually reduce the frequency of your check-raise attempts, and sandbag less frequently.

Usage: Sandbagging, He Sandbagged Me

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(c) Shirley Rosario

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