I’m just thinking if what happens next when another player at the table bets out of turn? Any rule to consider?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Matthew Gilberg
Matthew,

When a player bets out of turn, their bet stands if nobody acts before it indeed become his turn to bet. If someone bets before it’s his turn, then he has the option to pull his bet back and continue as normal. In a tournament he will also receive a warning. Repeatedly acting out of turn can result in a penalty in a tournament.

In a recent tournament, a situation came up. I remember then that after the flop, I went all-in. Later, I had one caller for it. Well, it was the first hand of the tournament therefore both of us were all-in. I was then the dealer and when the time to flipped my two cards came, we were quite surprised as one of them hit one of the community cards. By the way both my cards were face up then.

So now, do you think that meant a dead hand and so the other guy actually won? Well some players said that I lost automatically while there are some who said that it was another way around as my cards were face up actually. What do you think?

Thanks!

Regards,
Lynette Bower
Lynette,

There should never be a rule killing your hand if your card touches the flop. This is a silly rule and there is really no good reason for it.

For sake of argument, let’s say the rule is in place. Since you are all in and the cards are already face up, then it does not matter if the community cards touch your cards. The dealer should just push your hand off to the side while they deal the cards. This should not be an issue.

At a local casino yesterday, I played at a 3/6 limit holdem table. I remember I had K 10 unsuited then. Flop came and was K Q 10, rainbow. At some point, I was confident having my 2 pair because I was the one who started the betting and another thing, no one raised me. Of course, later on, turn came and was an A. Betting came and many players were eliminated, two players were left, me and another guy. Then the river came and was a Jack. On the board then was a A-high straight, unfortunately, no hope for a flush. I placed a bet then and he raised. After few seconds, I called him. Revelation time came and he showed an A and a 10. I didn’t revealed my cards then however pushing them while looking down the common cards. I then said “my best hand is on the table”.

In the end, the pot was given to the other guy because the dealer insisted that my cards were mucked. I don’t totally agree with the dealer yet I believe I can’t do anything more about it.

Any advice or thoughts about what happened?

Thanks a lot!

Mike Lewis
Mike,

In the event that your best five card hand is on the board, you must show your cards to get part of the pot. If you toss your cards into the muck, it is considered a fold. This is such a common occurrence that a rule was written out in tournament rules just for this reason.

I got the chance to read your comment about the rule on show one show all. Well, I’m not sure but to me it appeared that in the event I am in a hand to the river and I call someone else’s´ bet, and he has me beat, he has the right to see what I have. Am I right? I admit, in my opinion, if this is the case it’s actually unfair.

Let’s assume that you have a pair. Then you bet into someone from pre-flop to river and fortunately was able to have the third card to have a winning set. It would be nice then if you could ascertain if you actually need such card or not. And on the part of the losing player, well, it’s up to him to show you if you were correct with your findings.

Any comment?

Thanks in advance!

Chris Brown
Chris,

It doesn’t matter if he has you beat or not. If he calls your bet on the river, he has the right to see your hand. He paid for the right to see your hand and can exercise it. If you paid money to see a movie, you would expect to be allowed to see the film right? The movie theatre can’t take your money and say, “Oh, we don’t feel like allowing you to watch the movie.”

I played a tourney game just the other day with my brother-in law. I considered it a friendly game like actually.

Before we started playing, we both agreed that if anyone of us called and showed the hand and any card touched the flop, it will call for mucking the cards and disqualification. Maybe we have already think of such instance to happen and so it actually did.

We played with four other players. With the last card, player 1 hit a straight and laid them on the flop. Player 2 found his straight nice but eventually he said loudly that player 1′s straight will lose to his pair as he mucked the cards. Do you think our rule makes sense?

Thanks!

Best regards,
Allie McDough
Allie,

That’s a bad rule. Why does it matter if your hand touches the flop? There is no reason that I can think of for the rule. It sounds like a rule that is made up to angle shoot in case someone’s hand hits the board. And that is what happened here. Someone tried to win with a pair.

Get rid of that rule.

I hope you are not so busy for I have three questions for you. Thank you in advance.

1. Assume that I’m the dealer but unfortunately I’m out of the hand and then there’s player 1 and 2. Player 1, at some point, revealed his cards and announced he has a pair. But without knowing, he has a straight instead. Player 2 has a higher pair and then made some efforts to win over the pot. Personally, do you think it was just right to call the straight as the winning hand as after all I’m the dealer? Or instead I’ll just wait for some things to happen as the decision was for both players to make?
2. Do you burn the cards during the dealing of two hole cards right after the deck is cut?
3. Do you know any rule about who cuts the cards during a game?

Thanks again!

Bill Stull
Bill,

1. In Holdem games, cards speak. This means that it is the dealer’s responsibility to call the hand and award the pot. Other players can assist. The only difference in this is if you have a home game where the rules require you call your own hand. In that even, you are not allowed to help. In casinos and professional games, the rule is cards speak.
   
2. You do not burn card before dealing each player their hole cards.
   
3. In a holdem game, the dealer is supposed to cut the cards. However, in many home games it is customary to have the player on your right cut the cards.

In a live Texas Holdem game, there were two players left for the pot. The dealer then had KK as hole cards while the big blind QJ. Flop came and was A J 10. Turn followed and was 7. The river was the next and was 3. Afterwards, big blind placed a bet of 10k. Eventually, the dealer called the bet the moment big blind announced an A high straight. Maybe because no one was looking, nobody saw the dealer finally threw in his pair KK. However, big blind was so ashamed to find out in the end that he only had JJ and not A high straight. Who do you think should win, if ever you were there present?

Thanks a lot!

Cheers,
Fred Buysse
Fred,

If the K-K showed his hand, he should have won the hand. In a casino, cards speak. What this means is that it is the responsibility of the dealer running the game to read the hand and award the pot appropriately. If a person miscalls their hand, that does not matter. In most home games, the rule is also cards speak. Some require that a hand be called to get the pot.

If the person called their hand and the kings mucked, then his hand is dead. The player should have made sure the other player indeed had the straight.

Say in a home game two players went all in pre-flop, do you think both players should reveal their cards face up? How about in tournament plays, do they have to or not?

Please, I need your help. Thanks!

Douglas Kintish
Douglas,

In the event a player goes all in and is called by an opponent, both players are required to turn their hands face up. This rule applies to both cash games and tournaments.

First, I would like to thank you for creating a wonderful site like this one. It has been a great help to me and to many others.

Well, I am actually here right now because of the two questions about the showdown of hands in tournament and cash games that I’ve been wanting to ask you.

1. Say there were two players left at the table, player A and player B. At some point, player A placed a bet on the river while player B folded. Then player A showed one card. In tournaments for an instance, if in case player B asks to see the other card without calling the bet, is player A required to show it? And what if it’s in a regular cash game?
2. Player A and player B were left to fight for the pot. Player A eventually checked on the river while player B checked too. In tournaments and cash games, who do you think is obliged to show down the hand first? Personally, I believe that the first player to act should show first. But, it appears to me that somehow the second player to check was required to do so. Well, in an event where a bet is called, I believe the original bettor should show first. What’s on your thoughts?

Thanks again!

Regards,
Walter Danielles
Walter,

1. If a bet was not called, Player A is not required to show. The World Series of Poker tried to institute a “Show One, Show Both” rule, but it was so unpopular that it was eliminated after one year.
   
2. In tournaments, the player that makes the last aggressive action is the person required to show first. Aggressive action is defined as betting or raising. If the hand is checked around, the player closest to the button is the person that shows first.