Abstract: A water-operated hydraulic control valve is disclosed, having a throttling device which comprises a throttling element (20) which is in the form of a piston which cooperates with a substantially hollow-cylindrical counter-element (8).In order also to be able to operate such a control valve with water, that is, a non-lubricating fluid of low boiling point, the throttling element (20) projects with one end (29) into the counter-element (8). Distributed in the circumferential direction, several apertures (30) are provided in the throttling element (20) or in the counter-element (8), forming a flow path through the overlap region between throttling element (20) and counter-element (8), and distributed in the circumferential direction there is provided an arrangement of pressure pockets (33), which arrangement is in fluid connection with the apertures (30) and is arranged at least partially in the overlap region.