There is an old adage for life, speed kills. When it comes to poker, slow playing kills. To continue on with yet another cliché, when it comes to slow playing there is two edges to the sword.

Maximizing the amount of money you win in every pot you are involved in is one of the keys to winning long term. If you have a particular interest on poker tournaments, winnings big pots can help keep you near the top of the leader board and the secondary benefit is that you may cripple an opponent or felt them completely. When it comes to cash games, squeezing just a few more big bets out of people helps you maintain and grow a bankroll over a long period of time. However extracting the maximum value is a subtle part of poker that may not be intuitive to players, and having a monster hand can be tricky to play.

When it comes to playing a big hand, generally it is played fast or slow. For anyone who slow plays, they may think they are laying a trap. This can be a very profitable poker strategy based on the texture of the board and the hand you put your opponent on. However letting another card come off on the turn or river may allow your opponent to outdraw you.