What speed to play poker hands, fast or slow

So you've been dealt a decent hand and the flop has made it for you. You know pretty much certanly your hand is going to win no matter what, but how do you go about playing it. Do you throw lots of money in the pot in the hope someone else calls or raises you or do you slow play it and get others to do the work?

A great time to slow play is if you hit a full house on the flop and there is also the option for a flush draw out there. Also if you have the nut flush slow play as there is a good chance someone else has made or can possibly make a flush too and end up paying you off as they will be every reluctant to throw a flush away (especially if they have a King or something).

There are plenty of things to consider when you are figuring out how fast or slow to play a hand.

If your hand on the other hand is decent but far from a game winner such as having top or high pair is not a good time to slow play, there is too many ways you can get beaten so it is worth betting to try and reduce the numbers of player or win the pot early in some cases. The last thing you want is to lose to a player who you could have eliminated from the pot because they had a mediocre hand simply by not betting earlier on.

One time definitely not to slow play and give free cards is when any player (other than yourself) is on any kind of draw that is likely to beat your hand. If you give them a free card you could make their hand without them having to pay to see the card, if however you bet as there is a possible flush or straight draw on the table then they are going to have to think if it is worth them calling or not!