Showdown in poker is the last stage of the game, accompanied by the opening of the cards of the hand participants to determine the winner. Many novice players who’ve just started playing at CookieCasino don’t know in what order cards should be shown, or if they can be not shown at all if the hand is lost. Keep reading to learn more about showdown.
Showdown Rules
In live poker, showdown involves the simultaneous opening of cards by all participants who are fighting for the pot. Poker etiquette requires that a player with a presumably winning hand must show it to the others immediately. But at showdown, it is not necessary to show the cards to all participants, and the showdown must take place strictly in order.
Some players do not show their winning hand for a long time at the opening, playing on the nerves of their opponents. This unseemly and condemned in poker circles is called slowroll.
So, who should be the first to showdown in poker? This role is assigned to the last player who showed aggression, i.e. the last player to bet or raise.
If the other players, after seeing the cards of the first opener, realized that they lost, they can just discard them in the out. This is what many professionals take advantage of because this way they don’t give themselves a chance to be read. On the other hand, some players show a losing hand to form a certain opinion of the opponent and then use it.
Losing players may not reveal their cards, reveal one, discard the other, or reveal both cards.
A player who claims to win the pot must show both of his cards (in Texas Hold’em), even if only one of the two cards wins.
Each participant in the showdown may ask another player to show him his cards if he has thrown them away with their shirt up. He can agree and show the cards, or just say what he had. Naturally, no one can oblige him to tell the truth.
Common Questions About ShowdownÂ
Why Should the First to Open Cards Be the Player Who Was the Last to Bet?
The point is that in most cases the player makes a large bet, and his opponent has to make a difficult decision – to call or to fold. If he does call, his risk must be rewarded by the chance to see his opponent’s cards. That’s why many people say, “I paid to see your hand.”
Does the Order of Opening Cards in Poker Differ From Hand to Hand?
If we take into account the position of the players relative to the dealer, the order of the opening remains the same from game to game. Considering that every deal the dealer’s chip is moved clockwise by one position, the opening sequence will also be shifted by one position.
Do I Have to Show My Cards?
You must if you see that your hand is winning, otherwise you can’t take the pot. You don’t have to if you’re not the first to show up, and you see that your hand has lost.
