When to show cards

[pudley4]

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I was thinking about this and discussing it with a friend recently. When, if ever, should you show your cards (at a B&M or online)? I've only done it a couple of times and I dont think they were at all required. Thoughts/comments?

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In limit holdem it's simple: don't show.

1 - Most of your low limit opponents won't care, won't adjust or won't even know how to adjust. So it's pointless to try to set up future plays.

2 - Even if they do know how to adjust, you can't guarantee you'll get into any of the profitable situations you're hoping for. Say you show a bluff, intending to get paid off the next several times you get a big hand, but you then spend the next 2 hours getting shi[/b]t for cards, or missing all your draws! By the time you get a decent hand, your opponents are either gone or they've forgotten all about your bluff.

3 - You can't be sure of the response you'll get. Showing a bluff to a weak player may embarrass them and make them leave. It may piss them off and make them take shots at you, thus turning them into a more formidable opponent.

4 - In limit holdem, showing a bluff and planning to get paid off may make you an extra bet or two. It's very different from NL, where you may be able to get someone's entire stack by inducing them to call. All the negatives associated with showing may more than offset the benefit you get.

Just don't do it.

[shummie]

Oooh... I do want to add that I have shown cards before when I'm about to leave the casino. I show these cards for what are obviously non-game related reasons.

1) I was playing out my free hands, ready to leave. I got in a pot with this one guy who always draws. I saw him like 7 times call to the river then fold. I was actually on a draw too with 85s (This was before I tightened up). I flopped an OESD-flush draw and bet it hard. HU with the calling station... I miss the turn and river and end up with 8 high. I bet into the river and he folded. I showed him the bluff. Hahahahahahahaha... I was leaving soon anyway. The rest of the table might have been mad about this one though if the call-station smartened up after that one.

2) Exact opposite. About to leave, and playing free hands. I picked up AA. Flop was unders with a flush draw. Turn was non-flushy A. River gave me a boat no flush. Everyone folded... I didn't get paid off. But I showed to the boat cause it made me feel better about myself and I was about to leave anyway.

- Jason

[bernie]

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2 - Even if they do know how to adjust, you can't guarantee you'll get into any of the profitable situations you're hoping for. Say you show a bluff, intending to get paid off the next several times you get a big hand, but you then spend the next 2 hours getting [censored] for cards, or missing all your draws! By the time you get a decent hand, your opponents are either gone or they've forgotten all about your bluff.

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I really like this one.

If one puts themselves on the other side, do you like to be shown a bluff? How do you think of it afterwards compared to finally catching someone bluffing who's just dragged 3+ decent pots without a showdown?

Anytime you don't have to show, you could have 'anything' in your hand that would've won the hand. Leave the seed of doubt in there. Even if it's a small seed. It can really blossom.

b

[goofball]

poker is a game of incomplete information

don't give away more than you have to

[ODB72]

An example from last night.

B&M 10-20 4 handed. My opponents are signicantly weaker and passive. I have been playing aggressively and taking down pots uncontested.

I raised AQ preflop, flopped AQ, bet it until river when my opponent folded. One seat asked what I had, the player who folded said I never show. Immediately, I could tell this made one seat, who is weak-tight and prone to folding too much, suspicious.

Next hand I have KQs, raise preflop, heads up against one seat. Bet the whole way and get called down by Ace high which beats my King high.

If I had shown my AQ winner in the prior hand, I am almost positive one seat would have folded that hand and others. Instead, he will now play more correctly by calling me more instead of continuing to fold too much. By not showing I have lessened my ability to exploit weak opponents making basic mistakes.

[shummie]

You using some results oriented thinking here. What if you had flopped a set this time. This guy would have called you down with A-high. If you had shown him your AQ earlier, he would have folded the river, and you would have lost 1 bet.

- Jason

[Blackjack]

Live: I almost never show my cards. You get so much less info about peoples cards live and you should use that to your advantage. On Party poker, you can always look at what hands were mucked etc.. I don't like giving this advantage. Especially in a limit game.

If it's a NL game, I occassionally show down a bluff in order to tilt the other players. People hold grudges easily live and hopefully, you can try to have them gun at you.

Online: I like establish a loose image early by showing down a bunch of bluffs in order to be paid off later on.

Blackjack

[mrjim]

I'm in the never show camp, with 2 rare exceptions.

1. You're playing with friends or social players who won't invite you back if they think you are too serious when you won't show.

2. When you know a single person very well who will totally go nuts if you show him a crazy bluff and start spewing chips.

Like I said, rare situations. I've probably show a half dozen times ever. I almost never show.

[mrjim]

If you're playing low-limit online, few people will notice what you are doing and even fewer will stick around long enough for you to exploit it. Also, some of those who do notice will know what you're doing. So it's not worth it to "establish an image."

[CORed]

I almost never show cards. I would rather keep people guessing, and I think giving away information is usually -EV.

One exception is that I sometimes show when I am in the big blind with really crappy cards and everyone fold to me. I don't know if this encourages looser play or not, but I'm not giving away any useful information about how I play.