In poker what does slowroll mean???

Question

I was watching poker after dark and Phil Hellmuth got mad and said that a another player slowrolled him.

Answer 1

It means showing your cards in a manner that makes the other player think for a moment that they've won.

Answer 2

It's pretty much what the person above me said. So say you're in a hand and it comes to the showdown and you turn over a straight and are waiting for your opponent to turn over his hand. Let's say he moans and groans and just has the mannerisms as to say he can't beat your hand, then turns over a winning flush and takes the pot. That's what slow rolling is. It's a very obnoxious thing to do because he already won the hand, why pour salt on the wound? So it's just giving you the impression that your hand is good, but then turns over a better hand, which he knew was winning the whole time.

Answer 3

Slowroll means to wait until the last possible moment to show the winning hand, in an effort to get your opponent to believe he has won the pot when he has not.

Generally, when someone has a strong hand at showdown, they are eager to turn it over and collect the pot. This means that when a player shows a strong hand, and does not see anyone immediately produce anything better, he will justifiably assume that he has won the pot. This can open the door to mischief. In an attempt to get under their opponents skin, a player may wait to show the winning hand until after their opponent has shown and expects to win the pot. This is called a slow roll, and it is considered an extremely rude thing to do. It bothers some players a lot. Which is precisely the goal of the player who slowrolls. 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.  It is rude behavior and may elicit a condemnation from the dealer or floor staff. Generally there is no penalty for doing a slowroll.

And since Hellmuth is know to "Tilt" upon occasion, lol, this tactic was most likely deliberate by another player to goad him.

Answer 4

What everyone here has described is correct and is what you saw on PAD last night.  Personally I didn't think it was that bad since Baxter did announce his hand correctly.  I was very surprised when he admitted to Hellmuth that he was intentionally trying to slowroll him.  

Another form of slowrolling that hasn't been described, but is just as inappropiate is the following situation:

Let's say we're playing NLHE and on the river you make a King high flush with no pairs on the board.  You move all in and are waiting on your lone opponent's action.  He sits there and thinks and thinks and thinks like he's really in a pickle.  Doesn't know what to do... Maybe he talks to you.  "did you hit the flush on me?"  He really draws it out.  Then he says, "ok, I call..."  Then he turns over the Ace high flush for the nuts.  That is also considered slowrolling and is very inappropriate.

Keep in mind that this wouldn't be considered slowrolling if there was another player to act after him.  Then it is called "hollywooding" and is acceptable if you are trying to keep a third player in the pot.  But if it's just you and another guy, there is no reason to slowroll anyone.  Like someone said, it's like pouring salt in the wound, and it really has no place in poker....