Home Poker Question...
 

I play in a home tourny in my neighborhood. No Limit $10-$25 buy in. Usually 8-10 guys. I have done quite well playing as the guys love to play but do not have the experience I have. I have found myself dumping in order to keep getting invited back (my wife heard some grumbling in the neighborhood...lol). Here is my problem. When there is a showdown, 2-3 people have gone all in, there have been times where they just turn over the cards and let everyone see what they have. The table then makes the call as to who has the better hand. Example: I held trips, the guy across from me called my all in. He had no idea he was holding a straight and called with two pair. Everyone at the table saw his straight and said "wait...you win with a straight". Now, I am not one to push things, but technically that is wrong yes? You must call your own hand. If he had not turned his cards over, nobody would have known what he had and I would have won the pot with his error.

So, my question is this. How does one explain this to the gang without sounding like I am a sore loser, complaining of a bad beat etc.? Any ideas?

Re: Home Poker Question...
 

The rules in every casino and card room game and the vast majority of bar games specify that the cards speak for themselves. In these games, a player could call his hand as a royal flush or nothing every time, and nothing he says would matter because his hand is read by the rules, not his own impaired judgment.

Re: Home Poker Question...
 

[ QUOTE ]
The rules in every casino and card room game and the vast majority of bar games specify that the cards speak for themselves. In these games, a player could call his hand as a royal flush or nothing every time, and nothing he says would matter because his hand is read by the rules, not his own impaired judgment.

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I'll second that... cards read themselves.

Re: Cards Speak For Themselves
 

Yes, usually it's "cards speak for themselves" unless specified otherwise.

So in such cases the best hand at showdown will win, regardless of what people declare (otherwise, you could have someone declaring a straight or flush when they only have 4 of the 5 cards needed, and someone with trips might muck their hand and surrender the pot without realizing their opponent didn't actually make their hand)

Re: Cards Speak For Themselves
 

cards speak, baybee!

Re: Cards Speak For Themselves
 

As everyone has said thus far, Cards speak for themselves.
However, if you muck before verifying their hand is infact what they say it was, too bad!

The only times cards dont always speak is in hi/lo dealers choice games where you have to declare high or low at the end of the hand.
You might have the best low hand, but think you are beat, but feel your high hand is good. You declare high and realize you are beat, but would have won low.

I play playing a game like that, and at the end I had the nut low (A-5) and had an A high flush. But in this particular game, a flush is only a winner maybe 25% of the time. The pot was big and decided to just take the low.
(if you declare both you MUST WIN BOTH to take the pot. If you declare both and only win one, you dont get anything.. thats how it is in our game, i dont like it, but I deal)

If cards just spoke for themselves in that game, I would have scooped it.

Re: Cards Speak For Themselves
 

the way you wrote that, you make it sound like this happens a lot. there have been very few times where i have seen something like this, especially in hold'em. but maybe you were playing omaha or a hi/lo game.

i have done this before in a b&m where i was sitting in the 3 seat and couldn't really see the board too well. anyways i was involved in a big pot with a 9Ts and a guy had AXs. i turned the flush and didn't realize i was drawing almost dead until 5th street brought another heart. he checked it to me and i checked. he then showed me the nut flush and i just turned over my cards and said "wow good thing that heart came or i would have lost a lot more chips" and almost mucked my hand but wanted to show the flush. the table then told me i hit a straight flush on 5th street. the guy got angry saying if i didn't know i shouldn't have won. this guy was wrong, obviously,

so i would completly disagree with you saying anything to anyone because they would probably think you are being ridiculous.

Re: Cards Speak For Themselves
 

^ same kind of thing happened to me..
I was in AC playing 3/6.. I had AxQd, another guy had AJ. Flop was Axx 2 diamonds. Turn was J diamonds. River was another diamond.
He flipped over his 2 pair... I didnt even notice I had a flush.. i flipped over my cards and said "gah, your kicker paired"
Dealer says "flush" and pushes the stack my way.. i was confused at first, then felt like an idiot.
It was my first game of live poker in a casino.

Re: Home Poker Question...
 

Unless you have a rule that differs from "cards speak" then you are wrong. The table should comment if the winning hand is not recognized

Re: Home Poker Question...
 

All of my games are cards speak, partially to make newbies feel more welcome but mainly because that's how it's done in all casino games.