I'll Show You Mine if You Show Me Yours!

Your letters continue to flood my e-mail inbox, and I love it. I truly enjoy seeing what types of questions you have and what types of things are bugging you. Some queries I get are silly, of course, but many are good general questions that would appeal to the masses. Things that many of us take for granted are just not obvious to the many new novice players. Recently, I got this letter from Trudi Roy of Cambridge, Massachusetts. She wrote:

Hi Jan:

I just read your latest column in Card Player magazine about the guy who kept asking to see your cards. I have a question about that. Recently, there was a situation at my weekly no-limit hold'em game regarding who has to show their cards and who doesn't. Here's the situation, and I hope you can help me out, as it has become quite a hot topic and some players are getting a little ticked. I would like to try to cool things down and also make sure we are playing by the rules.

There were four people left in the hand after all the cards were flopped and all the betting was done. The last player called the bet and then said, "I'll call to see what you all have." Well, she flipped her cards over first and called her hand. It turned out to be the best hand, and everyone else promptly mucked. She got mad, claiming that she paid to see their hands and had a right to do so. Of course, she couldn't see their hands, as they had just mucked their cards. So, what is the ruling? Who has to show his cards first? If you are involved in a pot and you want to see everyone's hand, can't you just sit there and refuse to turn over your cards until everyone else has? Of course, this would be childish, and would also irritate people. There must be a rule, as I'm sure this scenario must come up a lot. So, who must show first – the last caller, the first bettor, the first person to the left of the dealer? Got any answers? And does she or anyone else have the right to ask to see the players' hands who were involved in the pot?

Thanks, Jan. I hope your new year has started out great.

Trudi Roy

Well, Trudi, there are very distinct and specific rules regarding who must show his hand first. That being said, in order to ensure that the proper sequence occurs, the other players must cooperate! There are two schools of thought, and I will explain the more prolific of the two first.

Technically speaking, the person who made the bet is the first to turn up his cards, followed by the other players in a clockwise manner. If a player can't beat a previously tabled hand, he can throw his cards into the muck. Anyone dealt into the hand may ask to see any hand remaining to the completion of the action, but it is considered improper etiquette by most players and will not win you any popularity contests at the table. If the final round of betting is checked, the first player to the left of the button tables his cards first, again followed by a clockwise progression. In your friend's case, since she immediately tabled her hand and had the winner, there was no need for anyone else to show his cards. Had she wanted to see the other hands, she should have called the bet and waited for the bettor to show first, followed by the clockwise display of the other hands. When it then got to her, she would show her hand. It slows down the game when someone who knows he has a winner won't show it, but it is within the rules of the game. Often times, I will call a bet and am pretty sure I have the best hand. However, I want to see the other hand and would never ask to see it, so the way I get to see it without annoying the other players is to wait until it is my turn to table my hand. Make sense?

There is a less-used rule from the dark ages of poker (in my opinion) that still is utilized in some rooms. While I don't prefer this rule, it does exist, and I want you to be aware of it. In some rooms, if a hand is checked down at the end, they go back to the last round of betting where there was aggressive action. That, then, determines the player who must show first. So, if Player C bet on the flop and was called by Player D and Player E, respectively, and then the turn and river were checked, Player C would table first, followed by Player D and Player E. Trying to recall the exact betting patterns of previous rounds can get cumbersome, but there are cardrooms that do use this version. It is always best to check at the cardroom where you are playing so that you are not taken by surprise. Class dismissed.

I have gotten many inquiries about the Oasis Open, and want to let you know that it will be held May 5-10 and will be preceded by a couple of ladies-only events May 3-4. You can check out www.cardplayercruises.com, where there is a full-page flyer with complete event info. The turnout might be the biggest ever for this event, so please make your room reservations early.