Showing cards, when and why?

odomazetov

odomazetov

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jun 20, 2013
Total posts
149
Chips
0
Poker is a strategy game , if that is your strategy then ok , if show / Muck is in your strategy u can use it. Yesterday i played poker with my friends. I show them my cards , but when the pot is serious i muck .
 
N

Nylan

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Total posts
85
Chips
0
hmm, yeah, but if you have a Royal flush, your just gay if you don not show xD
 
D

dragic1

Rising Star
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 20, 2013
Total posts
19
Chips
0
Showing a monster bluff can be a great way to influence table perception. You have to be selective and use showing card(s) to your advantage.
 
Ezekiel162

Ezekiel162

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Total posts
788
Awards
1
Chips
5
The only time I show my hand is when I break pattern of my play. It gives disinformation.

Same... I only do it when switching gears (or faking...) and want to throw opponents off...
 
italiano

italiano

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 27, 2013
Total posts
293
Chips
0
I think the showdown is fine but in certain situations as this affects the image you give on the table! It's obvious that if every time you make a bulff and letters samples as much as possible is to get paid with anything because they know you're a liar! Very different is involved in a big pot and win the hand before the river and show you had a great pair that will make your opponents have a picture of you that do you play with good cards!
 
S

Stretch84

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 2, 2013
Total posts
68
Chips
0
I was told never to show yeah you can get tricky and get in the villains head. But it is still -EV showing off free information unless you're in a pool full of fish. Sharks will eat you alive all day. Just make them pay heavily to see yours and use whatever information they give you for free.:cool:
 
AugustWest

AugustWest

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 10, 2011
Total posts
608
Awards
1
Chips
1
I'm in the "no show" camp.
Seems like the times where it can affect your metagame
simply aren't there. But I'm at the micros so I'm sure it's totally different at the nosebleeds.....
 
mamutmamut

mamutmamut

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 27, 2013
Total posts
94
Chips
0
Never ever show your hand! You really dont want to outhink yourself guessing if your image is now looser or tighter because of showing your cards. ;)
 
Skull_Sniper

Skull_Sniper

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Total posts
110
Chips
0
I typically show on two different occasions.

1. Show a bluff as long as it's on the river and I've taken at least half of their chips.
This can include semi bluffs and weak hands like 3rd pair.

2. Show after they mucked a big pot, and you have a huge hand.
A) use this show to let the table know I'm not bulling them, so I can get enough respect to bully them later on.
B) usually only show if you know the other player(s) had a good hand and had trouble laying it down, or if you double up your stack on the river without going to a showdown.

I might do this once or twice in a tourney if the situation arises.
 
J

jcdagenius

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 13, 2013
Total posts
295
Chips
0
I will never show my cards live and online because of information.....I get more out of knowing I bluffed without showing......
 
aa88wildbill

aa88wildbill

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 13, 2012
Total posts
647
Chips
0
For instance, you might wanna show your hand if you're trying to establish yourself as a player who always hasn't. That way later on you will be able to get a bluff off easier. Especially if you're playing with a bunch of players that like to limp in, and call a lot. They are hard to bluff against.
 
Dalsue214

Dalsue214

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Total posts
160
Chips
0
Showing your hand once in a while can be a good thing. If it's versus someone who you can tell would tilt easily, showing a bluff here and there can be good; however, be careful of what the others on the table now know about your image.
 
N

Nylan

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Total posts
85
Chips
0
You can also show if you want to come over like a non-bluffer,
and then it's easier for you to bluff
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
Live or online, I think you should only do it willingly to serve a distinct purpose (tilt a guy by showing a bluff). IOW, hardly ever. I never do. Tilting someone in an MTT for example, can seriously backfire on you. I think it has more success in cash games, maybe.

I almost never do it as any suave player can really use it to gain valuable insight into your game play. Still, I see some players make the following mistake; they call every street and then fold. Then they feel silly for doing so and they show the laydown they just made.

Critical error, if you ask me. Especially if you just showed that you will fold a big hand - this really says "go ahead and bluff me on dangerous boards, I'll let you!" Yet, they just cannot stand being thought of as a weak player...guess what? That is a tell as well! Says you care as much or more about what other players think of your play than the hand you are in or if you can beat them, frankly (You are a vanity player who fears risking the hero calls). Amazing what you can pick up isn't it?

As for misdirection, well, I think it's like using a baseball bat to swat a fly in an MTT; weaker players might fall for it, but do you think if they are weak already they will understand? No. And better players know what you are doing and can still use it against you. Deliberate misdirection is also a tell; says you think you are a smart player and enjoy deploying a fancy strategy now for use later. The better player will just wait for an opportunity to allow you to do so and you will fancy play yourself right over to the rail.
 
N

Nylan

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 8, 2013
Total posts
85
Chips
0
If you play online,
and the other player plays on 5+ tables, i qeuss he woudn't even see if you show it ... because, 99 off the 100 times, you woudnt show, so why does he\she\it even look ;)
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
If you play online,
and the other player plays on 5+ tables, i qeuss he woudn't even see if you show it ... because, 99 off the 100 times, you woudnt show, so why does he\she\it even look ;)

Very good point; in which case, it might actually do more harm than good. If they see only one and think you are a loon based off of that, they might call with a horrible hand and suck out when they otherwise would have folded.
 
Loonbat

Loonbat

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Total posts
386
Chips
0
Very good point; in which case, it might actually do more harm than good. If they see only one and think you are a loon based off of that, they might call with a horrible hand and suck out when they otherwise would have folded.

You want this scenario though, each and every time. If they suck out, they suck out. You got your chips in good, they got them in bad, and this is what we need to strive for. I may curse when someone sucks out, but per the fundamental theory of poker, I've accomplished the goal of forcing the other player to commit an error.
 
N

Noamaw

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Total posts
42
Chips
0
So I guess it gets down to just picking if I never show or if I show for disinformation!
Thanx everyone who added their opinion
 
donkysnake

donkysnake

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Total posts
246
Chips
0
if ur an agressive player u def show only when u have big hands, never show bluffs, cauz agressive players normally bluff allot and u dont want anyone to call ur bluffs, the reverse thing goes to tight players
 
Michael Paler

Michael Paler

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 27, 2013
Total posts
1,203
Chips
0
You want this scenario though, each and every time. If they suck out, they suck out. You got your chips in good, they got them in bad, and this is what we need to strive for. I may curse when someone sucks out, but per the fundamental theory of poker, I've accomplished the goal of forcing the other player to commit an error.

if ur an agressive player u def show only when u have big hands, never show bluffs, cauz agressive players normally bluff allot and u dont want anyone to call ur bluffs, the reverse thing goes to tight players

Good luck with this guys. Good players will learn alot from your hands you show, so you are going to need all the luck you can get.:thrasher:
 
donkysnake

donkysnake

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Total posts
246
Chips
0
Good luck with this guys. Good players will learn alot from your hands you show, so you are going to need all the luck you can get.:thrasher:

btw, im just trying to say to him, in wich situation he needs to show his hand if he wants to show it, who said that i show my hands?lol ... on all poker rooms im on auto-muck :D
 
R

RaisingYa

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 28, 2013
Total posts
48
Chips
0
As a general rule if you are a new player I would never show. Each time you show you give the opponents understanding of how you play a hand. Good players will pick up on how you play hands and give you a disadvantage. I would only show hands when you have a specific reason to show them. Show hands to setup future hands. Generally I just keep my hands on muck unless I am at a final table or something like this where your image will play into future hands.
 
donkysnake

donkysnake

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Total posts
246
Chips
0
As a general rule if you are a new player I would never show. Each time you show you give the opponents understanding of how you play a hand. Good players will pick up on how you play hands and give you a disadvantage. I would only show hands when you have a specific reason to show them. Show hands to setup future hands. Generally I just keep my hands on muck unless I am at a final table or something like this where your image will play into future hands.
ok, exactly ... the great Phil Ivey has never shown a hand in his entire life, dont get me wrong i never shown a either
 
Abedin120

Abedin120

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Total posts
316
Chips
0
You show your cards always when you have good cards or never show your cards.
I not always show my cards and when I do that I only show the good cards, I never show the cards when I am bluffing, because with showing your cards you tell them how you play and that is not very smart move for me.
 
Top