Michael Paler
Legend
Silver Level
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
Oh, I got you now, sorry. Thought you were in favor of it. I'm the same way, "auto muck" set at every site I play. Actually, I do not mind if people do it...I will gladly take advantage of the info.
B
Bennyb913
Rising Star
Bronze Level
If I am playing at a very tight table I will show my cards when I have a great hand to show the tight players that I am tight as well. This way I can bluff later on.
If I am playing at a loose table I will show my cards on a bluff. Then I will play much tighter and hope that they think I am a bluffer.
If I am playing at a loose table I will show my cards on a bluff. Then I will play much tighter and hope that they think I am a bluffer.
Kluchtzanger
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Showing your hand after a big bluff, and then just playing the same exact way with a strong hand might get you profitable on microtables..
But I think that on higherstakes tables this trick won't really work
I just never show them online but IRL is another story..
But I think that on higherstakes tables this trick won't really work
I just never show them online but IRL is another story..
WeenieSVK
Visionary
Silver Level
In 99% of situations I never show my cards, no matter if bluffing or I have it... I show it very rarely, just when I feel that guy can get into big tilt when I show him my bluff
Or in other situation if I feeel like I cbet too much and plying too much hands in row, I show when I am strong, just to let them know that I am guy "who has it all the time"
Or in other situation if I feeel like I cbet too much and plying too much hands in row, I show when I am strong, just to let them know that I am guy "who has it all the time"
D
Disciplined
Rising Star
Silver Level
For the most part, I say don't show your cards. But...
One very important aspect of the game is Table Image.
If you are trying to create a particular table image, showing your cards can be part of that strategy. But your opponents might realize you are trying to create that table image, and so it can backfire.
A great trick you can use to counter that is - "accidentally" show your cards. If you win a hand uncontested, muck your cards in a way that they turn over, but make it look like an accident. ;-)
One very important aspect of the game is Table Image.
If you are trying to create a particular table image, showing your cards can be part of that strategy. But your opponents might realize you are trying to create that table image, and so it can backfire.
A great trick you can use to counter that is - "accidentally" show your cards. If you win a hand uncontested, muck your cards in a way that they turn over, but make it look like an accident. ;-)
donkysnake
Rock Star
Silver Level
btw on pokerstars, more then half of the players dont know about the option off mucking the winning hand or loosing hand, and u get all kind of information u want
Propane Goat
Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't
Moderator
I sometimes see people show a deuce or trey when they muck in the BB to a button or SB raise, is this also giving too much information away?
I've done it a couple of times when I feel the need to justify not defending my blind with something like 62o and I'm afraid of looking weak, but if I'm not going to defend, is it better to just muck 100% of the time?
I've done it a couple of times when I feel the need to justify not defending my blind with something like 62o and I'm afraid of looking weak, but if I'm not going to defend, is it better to just muck 100% of the time?
Michael Paler
Legend
Silver Level
I'm not really sure about the showing only one card thing. It's kind of silly to me. Still, it can be used for info against you, maybe - really depends on what the people think your other card was, I guess. Still, they could extrapolate some info from it - for example, If you show a deuce you played UTG, well, you are now considered to maybe have a wide range UTG of any suited ace/king or possibly a 2-3 suited UTG. Those are not known as particularly "smart" opening hands. If you limped in UTG with that crap kicker, now they can feel semi-safe to raise any limp you make.
As for your "need to justify" don't bother! You want to keep them guessing. When you call the flop and the turn but then fold the river or defend your blind, they should have no clue about that or if you were chasing or making a big laydown - and you DO NOT want them to know which one you were doing! So, I would not fear looking weak as much as possibly proving it beyond a shadow of a doubt by showing - get my meaning? It's like the old saying;
"Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than open it and remove all doubt"
Many times at a table I will be giving one player fits. Want to know how I know that? They suddenly start showing me their hand after they fold to me; I take this to say "I'll show you mine, what was yours?" or maybe "See what I laid down to your raise" or a host of other things they do not really want to tell me, because I will remember! So, when they do it I say to myself "thanks for the info, but no way am I showing my hand slick!".
Then I reverse engineer the hand: What position did he play that? Did he raise coming in/limp with it/limp-then call others raise with it?: What did he flop? Did he check a flopped pair IP or OP? Did he call two streets with that pair and only fold to a big river bet? Did he chase? Did he check-raise to find out where he was?
See how much info you can initially get from just one hand? You do not act on just that, but see a few more, you sure might have a good idea of their play!
This is why, IMO, it's best to select "auto muck" and do not show 99.99% of the time.
Propane Goat
Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't
Moderator
Thanks for the info, I wasn't sure about showing one card because I see it done all the time from the BB.
Kind of off topic, but since we're talking about show and tell, I was in a SNG the other night and raised 3x from the hijack with AsTs. Folds to BB, who is some 3 gold star reg on Carbon with a hidden sharkscope profile that I had only been in a couple of tournaments with. He says "if you have aces I'm crushed" then shoves. This dude had been kind of picking on me so far in the tournament, trying to show the table that he had me all figured out.
I thought this was utter crap, who is going to tell an opponent what hand he has before the opponent makes a decision? So, I decide to call and see what's going on, I had him covered by about 6BB. Sure enough, he has KK, but I flop two pair. Unfortunately a fourth diamond comes on the river and gives him a flush, and so he proceeds to tell me how stupid I was to make the call when he had already told me what hand he was on. This is why you don't learn poker from just reading books, where are you going to find a scenario like this in a book where people are telling the truth to make you think they're lying?
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MediaBLITZ
Legend
Silver Level
I argue with my live play buddy about this all the time (and I'm starting to convince him). I do not show. He shows way too damn much - even at final table. The reasons he has given vary from, "well he was a nice guy and showed his." - to "I want them to know I was not bluffing so I can bluff later."
HORSE CRAP
First off you are not showing your hand to one nice guy, you are showing the whole table. It only takes one not-so-nice guy to collate that info into busting one off in your ass.
Yeah I get advertising the goods to buy credibility for your bluff later - but in this era of poker, just about all of us KNOW that's why you are doing it. So as much as you would like me to think, "Oh my, he had the last two times cause he showed, so I should fold...", I am more likely to think, "Yup, time for him to try to cash in on the old advertising set up. I'm calling you down, Bluff Monkey."
And that doesn't even take into account of god knows how many tells you threw off in the difference between betting your good hand and your bluff.
The best thing you can do at the poker table is KEEP THEM GUESSING AT ALL TIMES.
HORSE CRAP
First off you are not showing your hand to one nice guy, you are showing the whole table. It only takes one not-so-nice guy to collate that info into busting one off in your ass.
Yeah I get advertising the goods to buy credibility for your bluff later - but in this era of poker, just about all of us KNOW that's why you are doing it. So as much as you would like me to think, "Oh my, he had the last two times cause he showed, so I should fold...", I am more likely to think, "Yup, time for him to try to cash in on the old advertising set up. I'm calling you down, Bluff Monkey."
And that doesn't even take into account of god knows how many tells you threw off in the difference between betting your good hand and your bluff.
The best thing you can do at the poker table is KEEP THEM GUESSING AT ALL TIMES.
Michael Paler
Legend
Silver Level
I would not sweat it. He is an idiot for telling the truth about his hand! I mean, seriously - what, you do not want to get a call when you are holding a big pair, so you forewarn the other guy in the pot with you? That is just about stew-pid, isn't it?!
I damn sure would not believe some guy flapping his mouth in chat. You never base a decision based off of a possible lie. Cards? Yes. Position? Yes. Chip stack, place in MTT, distance from bubble, yes, yes, yes. Idiot saying he has KK? Nope. Hell, if you do, he may well start occasionally bluffing you with 2-7 for all you know.
K
kmichaels
Rock Star
Silver Level
I never show having or not a good hand because i like to make my opponent keep thinking what hand i would have, and that will influence his play style during the game and if i show him he will know a lot of my game. You don´t win anything showing it, you only lose.
Akorps
Rock Star
Silver Level
I just leave auto-muck on.
Some players show their hands to mislead. For example if they go all-in with 3-ten offsuit and everyone folds, they might show, to make people call them next time (in which case they will have a strong hand
Or if they are bluffing a lot, then catch a good hand, they might show, to make you think they weren't bluffing on the other hands
Some players show their hands to mislead. For example if they go all-in with 3-ten offsuit and everyone folds, they might show, to make people call them next time (in which case they will have a strong hand
Or if they are bluffing a lot, then catch a good hand, they might show, to make you think they weren't bluffing on the other hands
Bowman26
Rock Star
Silver Level
Show, don't show it doesn't matter if the hand is over. The next one will be different. I show sometimes but only when I have the nuts I never show a fold. It can affect your image for sure but I also use it to let people know things I want them to think. Disinformation as others have stated. Like showing a weak winning hand and then tightening up etc.
M
matiusaa
Visionary
Silver Level
I think that you can show your hands in some spots, to try to create an image thath the rest of the players have on you, and then use that image on your favour. If you are bluffing a lot, I don't know if it is good to show your hand if you have a good one, because it is obvious you didn't have anything on the other hands. Its good to bluff after you showed a good hand, but you have to play that hand exacty the same as the one before. You have to make no size-bet tells.
So I think that in some situations it is good to show your hands, to create the image you want.
So I think that in some situations it is good to show your hands, to create the image you want.
josephs333
Rock Star
Silver Level
I agree with Sniper here, this is what i do also, i like to show the bluff some of the times. I don't like to show when i raise preflop with AA or KK, why bother.
S
stefffan1
Rock Star
Platinum Level
I only show cards when I want to confuse someone , to annoy him. For example , if I play one or two bluffs with a player I consider weak (a fish) , I usually show my cards and then play another hand when I have something strong exactly like the other two. Most of the times , it works , they call.
DonV73
Visionary
Silver Level
The ONLY situation where I show is if I have AA or KK on the BB on everyone folds. That does not give any information away, since there was no play at all.
But for the rest, I never show. Poker is a game of information and they less others know about you, the better.
But for the rest, I never show. Poker is a game of information and they less others know about you, the better.
N
nottoc
Rising Star
Silver Level
It is never wrong to not show your cards. (Apologies for the double negative to any English majors out there)
I do like Antonio Esfandiari's opinion on the topic. Never show a hand that positively reinforces your opponent's action (paraphrased). i.e. don't show quads when your opponent folds a full house face up.
Generally, I will only show in the rare situation when I am playing against a player with a Phil Hellmuth-like temper who is already on the path to a tilt meltdown.
I do like Antonio Esfandiari's opinion on the topic. Never show a hand that positively reinforces your opponent's action (paraphrased). i.e. don't show quads when your opponent folds a full house face up.
Generally, I will only show in the rare situation when I am playing against a player with a Phil Hellmuth-like temper who is already on the path to a tilt meltdown.
akran75
Legend
Bronze Level
Good question )
.. my experience .. when I was the strongest on the table a winning hand if I blefao always show it, reducing their confidence .. in case I'm short on chips show only stronger hands, so we left room for bluff.
.. any tactic that gets a good tactic.
.. just because I know how to expel me from the clock, when somebody show a winning hand with the bluff, very often apply the same tactics, but, and but only if I was a leading player on the table
).. my experience .. when I was the strongest on the table a winning hand if I blefao always show it, reducing their confidence .. in case I'm short on chips show only stronger hands, so we left room for bluff.
.. any tactic that gets a good tactic.
.. just because I know how to expel me from the clock, when somebody show a winning hand with the bluff, very often apply the same tactics, but, and but only if I was a leading player on the table