Showing your hand when all in

[mrmuzeman]

I thought this was standard procedure. All tele games Ive seen do this and all the tournies Ive played on Ladbrokes do this. Just for clarification an example of what I mean is, someone goes all in after the flop, you call, everyone else folds. Here you should get to see the cards yes? Having played on Ladbrokes cash games the last 2 nights I see this isnt the case on their tables. Any idea why this is? They dont show both hands until after the rivers dealt and I find it rather annoying to not know what your up against straight away. What is the reasoning for this?

[Jezza]

Re: Showing your hand when all in All right Mr M... It used to be the case that even in tourneys no-one had to turn their cards over when everyone was all in before the river...the turn and river were just dealt and then whoever was closest to the dealer would show their cards. If the next person could not beat them he could just muck them without having to show. A few years ago however most tournaments changed to having have the cards exposed (or "on their backs") when players were all all in before the flop. The reasoning behind this was to avoid collusion. Players colluding before could pass chips to each other by having an all in situation like this but then the big stack mucking no matter what he had and "dumping" chips on his low stacked mate/partner in crime. Having cards on their backs for the whole table to see and judge obviously eliminates a big part of collusion in tournaments. This was successful and now it is a standard rule in all cardrooms, live and internet, for tournament play. However cash table play is different. Obviously chip dumping isnt really what colluders at a cash table would do (although obviously this can go on, its with different methods that it is done)...anyone can buy the size of stack they want anyway and its not a lose everything and you are out situation like a tournament - so this did not apply at cash tables. For this reason cards tended to be mucked a lot more as players wanted to keep how they played their cards to themselves unless forced to show by being called. However a lot of the thrill in playing poker these days comes from seeing what your opponent has and either sweating the next two cards or rejoicing when you hit a one outer on the river to take a massive pot down :) For this reason a lot of internet cardrooms have now put cards over on cash tables in place when everyone is all in. Several still stick to not doing it, ultimate bet and pokerstars to name two but I would say most players prefer it. Ladbrokes I know dont have it in however the upgrade is available to them if they want to take it. Microgaming (who write ladbrokes software) licence the same software to prima poker and on prima it is now cash table cards over so if you pester laddies enough I am sure they will get it in on the next upgrade....I think they are probably waiting until they are asked by the players. Jez