[Sparks]

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In my view, the Hawaiian Gardens rule should be abolished. The rule should be this: if either of your cards hits the muck while your opponent still has a live hand, then your hand is dead and you are not entitled to any share of the pot.

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I agree with you M.B.E., if you want to get a part of the pot in a showndown, you need to show your cards, even if you are playing the board. And that means just getting rid of Rule 8. It's apparent purpose is to prevent a guy from mucking his hand (I guess inadvertantly) with a board which is the best hand, and getting a share of it. Is that so wrong? How is that any different that accidentally mucking a winning hand?

The more important reason to require a hand to be shown to win a share at showdown is because it is clearly (in my experience anyway) the prevailing understanding among poker players. That is, a hand must be shown in order for that player to win a part of the pot.

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I see no rationale for the HG exception to this rule that a player's cards can still be live if he declares he plays the board.

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The rationale at HG is that it is stated as legal in Rule 8 of RROP. A line needs to be drawn through Rule 8 before the next edition of the poker rules comes out. Bob?

Sparks