[Nate.]

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"politeness" is essentially the same reason as not embarrassing your opponents/the golden rule. i think it's more than that, actually. quite simply, it's the rules of the game--example:

if i go all-in on the river with the nuts, and get called, i must show first. after i show, my opponent can show his hand too if he wishes (some guys will do that in a "look, i also had a big hand" sorta way), but usually he will just muck. if he chooses to muck, then--according to the rules of the game--I HAVE NO RIGHT TO SEE HIS HAND UNLESS I SUSPECT COLLUSION.

i think calling it "etiquette" is a mistake; it's not etiquette, it's the RULE. having the option to withhold information, even at showdown, is the rule in live poker. the opposite is true on the internet: for the integrity of their games, it's a necessity for online poker sites to display all showndown hands in hand histories. that online rule has in turn created misunderstanding with the live-game rule.

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Good post. But again, cardrooms are catering to the drooling masses and making it easy on their floorpeople and allowing IWTSTH carte blanche. I'd say it's still a breach of etiquette and inappropriate to IWTSTH purely for information.

--Nate