Showing Cards

Timiata · 01-03-2006, 04:56 PM

It is possible to use the showing of your cards to your advantage. I played against a guy in Atlantic City once who kept raising with a garbage hand (I think 4 7 off suit) just to eventually buy the pot. He showed his cards so that everyone saw he was bluffing. Then the next hand he did the same thing. This time however, he had pocket kings and caught a set on the flop. I think that he showed his cards the first time to get people to think that he was playing garbage, then caught them the next time around with the best hand on the board.

dsvw56 · 01-03-2006, 05:04 PM

I think that showing your cards has the exact opposite effect most of the time. If you have any visual tells, by revealing your cards, you just gave away what your tells mean. (i.e. covering your mouth means you're weak) I'll never show my cards unless asked and even if they do ask, I still might not show them. After all, it doesnt even matter what you have in Hold'em, its about what the other player doesn't have. So keep em guessing, and keep your cards to yourself.

dj_vinson · 01-03-2006, 05:14 PM

Yes showing your cards can help but now imagine if he would of got beat with his pocket KK because someone didn't believe him and chased it down to catch who's fault would it be then? His because he has ruinned his table image so now he will get called alot more often

Timiata · 01-03-2006, 05:27 PM

Yes, but then after seeing the kings, how do you get any kind of read on the guy?

JBauerCTU24 · 01-03-2006, 05:29 PM

Absolutelly... showing specific hands is always an advantage giver...you make your opponents psychologically think you made a move for a reason... and that is to tell them I can do it again so watch out...

can be

the very next bluff...

ICBM · 01-03-2006, 05:32 PM

It's not just about the cards when playing live - you need to read the player - try and pick up whether there was something he did when he bluffed (like touched his face / moved his cards/chips around / look down / play with his hair etc etc etc) - then you saw a hand where he had the KK (did he do something here - something different) - it takes a bit of time but alot of players have reads that are quite easy to pick up. Â*And if he's showing you what cards he has it makes it all the easier because you can put the reads to the cards.

Timiata · 01-03-2006, 05:34 PM

Thanks for your replies guys. I just think it's amazing how many elements there are to the game.

eiefant · 01-03-2006, 05:37 PM

I don't favour showing my cards, but I show them sometimes..

guess it is to make an image, but it really doesn't matter.. your psychology trick will turn into reversed psychology and reversed reversed psychology and so on anyway, you can't know if your opponnent thinks you're just showing your trash or if you're just playing trash..

dsvw56 · 01-03-2006, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ICBM

It's not just about the cards when playing live - you need to read the player - try and pick up whether there was something he did when he bluffed (like touched his face / moved his cards/chips around / look down / play with his hair etc etc etc) - then you saw a hand where he had the KK (did he do something here - something different) - it takes a bit of time but alot of players have reads that are quite easy to pick up. Â*And if he's showing you what cards he has it makes it all the easier because you can put the reads to the cards.

Exactly. Thank you. By showing your cards, you are giving away information that you don't want revealed. You don't want people to know how you sit when you have good cards, or how you move your chips when you're bluffing. If I could play a game without ever having to turn a single card over, not even in a showdown, that would be the perfect game to me.

ICBM · 01-03-2006, 05:40 PM

I find it best not to show them what I had ever in a proper game (I'll show hands in our freerolls to be friendly) but tell them - they never believe you even if you tell the truth - keeps them guessing.