Players like Dave 'Devil Fish' Ullyott and Dave Welch, champions both, are prepared to bluff a lot, to pick up small pots. They read their opponents well and know when to commit themselves. Some players will attack on any kind of hand, which makes them almost impossible to read. Opponents are too intimidated to call, when holding quite decent cards. Timid players who sit around waiting for aces or premium hands have no chance - when they do at long last catch the magic 'pocket rockets', they get broken.

Here is a brilliant instance of 'slow playing' which came up in the final hand of heat three. Barney Boatman found kings wired and made a small raise. Simon Trumper sensed a strong hand was out against him and called on Q-10 - anything can happen heads-up. The flop came down A-K-J. Boatman now had a power house, trip kings. But Trumper had the 'nuts' with a top straight.

(K-K)
(Q-10)     A K J

Trumper, first to speak, checked. Boatman checked. (Each of them was trying to trap the other) The turn card was a rag. Trumper now bet 600. This kind of bet implies a hand like a high pair, perhaps an ace. The assumption his opponent would draw was that Trumper did not have a really big hand, which he would have checked. Boatman merely flat called. Trumper with his top straight (known in Vegas as a 'broadway') was trying to out-trap the trapper. The river card brought another rag. Trumper checked again! This time, Boatman went all in. He couldn't possibly suspect a top straight was out against him.

"I guess that means I win," said Trumper, standing up as he called the bet. The coup was compounded by the look of utter astonishment on the loser's face.