Poker ettiquete at the showdown

[Cloodie]

Hoping to play my first 'live' game in a casino soon and I'm wondering what the etiquette is at the showdown. If my opponent announces he has 2 pair and shows them is it okay to muck my 1 pair without showing? Also, if I do that, can he demand to see my cards?

[Big_Ham]

You can muck anytime. People CAN demand to see cards, but it is done less frequently than you may think. Casinos also tend to have different ways of handling someone asking to see cards.

[ChuckyB]

Don't muck until you see his hand that beats yours. The rare ass-munch will intentionally mis-call his hand (and some people do it accidentally as well). Be sure to see that you're beat before you let your hand go.

[KipBond]

In my opinion, if he called you, show your hand or muck it fast. If you called him, vice versa. The last one to bet/raise should be the first to show the cards (or muck before seeing their opponents cards*).

EDIT:
* - e.g. if you were bluffing and don't want to show your cards; not on your opponents word that he has you beat.

[AngusThermopyle]

Unless your opponent asks to see your hand all the time, don't let it upset you. Just ask the dealer (or get up and ask the floor) if he is allowed to abuse the privilege.

[Cloodie]

Thanks for the advice guys. In the home games I've played everyone has shown their cards at the showdown but I knew this wouldn't be the case at the casino.

[Gordon Scott]

[ QUOTE ]
In my opinion, if he called you, show your hand or muck it fast. If you called him, vice versa. The last one to bet/raise should be the first to show the cards (or muck before seeing their opponents cards*).

EDIT:
* - e.g. if you were bluffing and don't want to show your cards; not on your opponents word that he has you beat.

[/ QUOTE ]

What I hate is when you make a real thin but good call and the better says "you win" and holds his hand over the muck waiting for me to show. Is it wrong to make him show his hand or muck before I show? I've had this happen a time or two on a 4 straight board or flush board when I made a good read but was still got beat.

IMHO If you bet or raise last, show your cards or put them in the muck.

Just my 2 cents

GS

[Mr Rick]

At Foxwoods if nobody bets on the river then people are supposed to turn over their hands in the order that they checked. Otherwise the last to bet on the river should turn over first. I have no idea what is supposed to happen if there is a bet and a raise on the river with one or more other callers, aside from the raiser turning over first. I would guess that after the raiser turns over, then the bettor exposes, then the callers in the order that they called but maybe its just the order of the callers.

Having said all of that, what is supposed to happen, happens somewhat infrequently. If I bet on the river and am called I almost always turn my cards over in front of myself - thus making sure my hand is alive. Your hand is NOT alive if you show it to anybody/everybody and then throw it face down into the muck! Always table your cards. On maybe one or two occasions when I was totally bluffing and got called down I verbally declared my hand like "King high" or "I don't have anything" and the other guy tabled his pair or better (and I was glad not to show what I had come in with). You will likely see people do this occasionally. For the most part, if somebody says "I have an Ace" they won't have to show their other card - because the person who beats them will show their pair or better to speed things along. If you want to see their hand you can wait until they either open up both cards or muck them. The dealer should ask the player to expose his hand or muck it. And you can make it clear that you are waiting as well.

When everybody checks on the river, cards are rarely turned over in order. Everybody usually waits for somebody to turn over at least a pair (or Ace high). Then you might see somebody with a slightly higher hand turn over their hand sheepishly. Again, you can wait until the dealer instructs the players to turn over their cards or muck.

The only drawback to asking to see another players cards is that they may not realize that they have you beat but once they table their cards you lose if their hand is better than yours - regardless of what they think they have. The cards speak. If you are not in the hand and ask to see a hand, the dealer is supposed to touch their cards to the muck before showing them to signify that they are dead. In general, people don't ask to see players cards on the river if the player doesn't turn them over - because the rule is there to help prevent collusion not satisfy curiosity. Some casinos will want to know why you want to see the hand...

[DeMaci]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In my opinion, if he called you, show your hand or muck it fast. If you called him, vice versa. The last one to bet/raise should be the first to show the cards (or muck before seeing their opponents cards*).

EDIT:
* - e.g. if you were bluffing and don't want to show your cards; not on your opponents word that he has you beat.

[/ QUOTE ]

What I hate is when you make a real thin but good call and the better says "you win" and holds his hand over the muck waiting for me to show. Is it wrong to make him show his hand or muck before I show? I've had this happen a time or two on a 4 straight board or flush board when I made a good read but was still got beat.

IMHO If you bet or raise last, show your cards or put them in the muck.

Just my 2 cents

GS

[/ QUOTE ]

In most casinos, if someone ever uses the exact phrase "You win", you can throw your cards into the muck and the pot must be awarded to you, reguardless of wether he shows a hand that actually beats you. True story.

[AngusThermopyle]

[ QUOTE ]

In most casinos, if someone ever uses the exact phrase "You win", you can throw your cards into the muck and the pot must be awarded to you, reguardless of wether he shows a hand that actually beats you. True story.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then player says "I didn't say that" and dealer says "I didn't hear it" and you are SOL because your hand is in the muck.

Very Bad Advice.