Showing cards

[2damnhype]

Wondered what people's views were on here about showing cards when the last player standing takes the pot? I always muck my cards, and I have got to be honest I don't know what kick people get out of showing that they copped for the money with either total shite or the nuts - it just pisses me off!! Is the showing of cards a way that an internet poker player can demonstrate arrogance, is it a sign or their weakness or is it something else. I haven't been playing long, but I had always been led to believe that revealing cards when you don't have to isn't the best of moves.

[WorkingForTheEnemy]

Re: Showing cards Ive kinda got mixed views. There are some benefits. If you're usually a tight player and take a pot with a rare crap hand then shwoing your cards could give the impression that you play loose. This could lead to getting called when holding a good hand as others think you play with anything.

[staffy]

Re: Showing cards TBH. I never show my cards and usually have auto muck on. There are advantages to showing cards occaisionally aswell though but just cant be honest. If I am playing with other PLers I will show my cards to prove I am not bluffing. Nothing worse than bluffing your mates out of a few quid ;)

[LadyLuck]

Re: Showing cards I don't think it's arrogant to show your cards, well not against people you know anyway. I don't show them all the time, but if I do show them, I do it to show I'm not bluffing esp on big hands against players I respect, and I like it when other people do the same tbh. Don't know why, it just seems like the fair thing to do had never thought of it as arrogance or deceitful play really (oh well guess I'm still pretty nieve! which maybe 2damnhype you'll interpret as weakness! lol)

[stekinguk]

Re: Showing cards I always have auto-muck turned on when I'm playing online as it is pretty easy for other player to make useful notes on the way you play certain hands. If you show, another player can walk back through the hand using the history and note your play in certain situations. When I am playing live, it depends what type of image I want the table to have of me. I am always showing a bluff to an 'emotional' player as it will put them on tilt and they usually jus steam off the rest of their chips :D

[Jezza]

Re: Showing cards There is a big difference of opinion on this subject....Personally when I play online I always have auto muck set on for both losing and winning hands (I dont really care if I get bad beaten and I dont really think anyone should get to see what I have unless they call the bet....). However you do notice some people who like to show cards on occasion. Doing it for a purpose is the classic reason I suppose...Showing everyone a bluff when you take down a pot with nothing (to give the image of a bluffer and make everyone call your bets when you actually have it) and of course the natural opposite, showing the nuts when you bet so you can bluff away to your hearts content for the rest of the time. It is easy to see the logic behind this and of course it DOES work to some extent I suppose however I feel there is a little flaw. When you deliberately show cards like that the better players at the table will realise what you are doing, which is trying to create an image - they WONT fall for it and indeed you will be playing into their hands. Of course your average joe might fall for it but then again you can just outplay your average joe anyway.... If you want to create a wild bluffing image then imo it is far better to have been FORCED to turn over your cards by a call after you try to pull some ridiculous play than to show them yourself. An exception might be if you are trying to put an indivudual on tilt...if you know you are getting the better of him and showing him a bluff after he folded a massive pot to you will piss him off even more then that is an ideal time to do it, this is totally different than showing the table however. Of course if im playing a friendly game with someone I will happily show my cards every hand as I would let any of my friends watch me play on the net anyway (And see how I played every hand with my cards exposed). Jez

[Doddsy]

Re: Showing cards I never show my cards unless they call the bet, why let them get free info on you? I do show my winning (or losing cards) sometimes during the PL tourneys as I respect all the players and I think we all play a good standard of poker + of course cos we are all helping each other to try and be better players so we can all milk the Americans:lol

[dave]

Re: Showing cards

so we can all milk the Americans:lol

Don't forget those pesky Swedes

[Dave Mardell]

Re: Showing cards My views tend to mirror Jezzas some what. I tend to muck my hand most of the time. 99% in fact. Poker is a game of partial information so why give out more than is needed. People like to show that look i had 4 aces but all that does is shows everyone at that table how you best when you have a monster. As a player of STT as my mainstay, Your only going to be playing these guys for around 40 minutes. Show them nothing you dont have to. I would say I have two exceptions. If im playing an exceptionally loose STT when I make a hand that is or is close to the absoloute nuts I would show it once, in the hopes that it will create a table image thats says "you really dont want to call my pot sized bet on the flop". This will be important as you really dont want 5 way action when youve got a decent hand....too many ways it can go pair shaped over the next 2 cards The exact opposite is true in a super tight STT game. There will come a time when you have to put a bluff in if your not catching cards and I would tend to show that bluff once. One people see you cna bluff they will be a lot happier getting in a pot with you. Of course you know next time you put in a big bet your gonna be sitting on an absoloute monster, and oh boy will you be paid.

[dave]

Re: Showing cards I will often show my cards when playing heads up - as others have said elsewhere, heads up is as much about playing the player and not the cards, so any psychological edge is key. But you still have to show sparingly, otherwise you're giving way too much information away.

[dave]

Re: Showing cards Something I will often try to do is get my opponents to show me their cards - not by outright asking them to, but just with a comment. For example. I hold AA pre flop. I raise big preflop, 1 caller. Flop comes A J 10 He bets, I raise, and he re-raises big. Here I'm going to have to assume that he holds KQ (because of the re-raise) and fold. So before I fold I'll type something like "strange call with KQ" in chat. If he holds KQ he won't show, but if he's bluffed (or even if he held JJ or 1010) then 90% of the time you will get to see it, and you will pick up vital information on your opponent.

[Dave Mardell]

Re: Showing cards Dunno where your playing Dave, but id say that reraise is more likely to be JT AT AJ or ah set. Even something like KJ or KT (though unlikely). A set probably wouldnt slowplay here as its a risky flop, and certainly a straight would let you do all the betting ? My view would be that of all the hands the a novice would reraise with KQ is only one of them. Id be inclined to call. All the hands above i mention are drawing near dead, and if you do indeed walk into the made straight you have 7 outs at the turn and 10 outs at the river to fill up or make quads. YOu certainly dont have odds to draw to it but theres just too high a chance you already have the best hand to fold. Unless you know you man only reraises with the stone cold nuts of course?