Assume that the river card was already revealed and no betting to expect. Then when revealing of the pocket cards came, player A flipped just one card over, he had a pair of Q’s. Player B followed and flipped his two cards over, he had a straight then and so started to collect his winnings. However, before he was able to collect everything, player A flipped his other card over and surprisingly he had a full house. Player B was upset but then insisted that once player 1 unveiled he had a pair of Q’s, he can’t already change that. Player B also said that player A can’t use his other card to have his full house because it was already too late.

Is it significant, the way you reveal your cards?

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards,
David Myers
David,

How you reveal your cards does not matter. Since Player A had a full house, he gets the pot. This is however a serious breach of etiquette known as slow rolling. In tournaments you can receive a penalty for such actions. In a cash game, you are likely to receive a punch in the face.

I want to ask something regarding the revealing of a hand before showdown. Well, once I heard that you can only do it when there are only two players left and eventually you are the last to act. However, from some people, I also heard that you can’t do such.

Just recently, I read Doyle Brunson’s “Wisdom from a Poker Champion”, and I learned that he typically reveals his hand the same condition as the one mentioned above. Any idea about it?

Thanks! By the way, your site is so great. Congrats!

Tolbert
Tolbert,

This used to be allowed and was standard. In tournaments this is no longer allowed. This is viewed as trying to get an unfair advantage by trying to get a read by influencing the action. A player may receive a penalty up to disqualification for doing this. Some casinos still allow this in cash games, but some don’t.

I’m curious, what will happen to the blinds in the event the small or large blind goes out of the play? Do you think the blinds go instantly to the two players to the left of the dealer?

Also, I would like to ask if the players blind skipped instead of obliging a player to put in a blind out of turn on the face of it. Any idea?

Thanks and great site!

Charles Nielsen
Charles,

If you mean that the players that would have received the blinds next were eliminated from a tournament, then yes, the next two players would be the blinds. If you mean that the players folded their hands, then the blind become part of the main pot.

Assume that the river card has been dealt and betting was finished. Revelation time now has come for the pocket cards.

Player A shows 1 card, he has a pair of Q’s while player B has a straight and so can now take home the pot. However, player A shows then his second card, he has a full house.

Who do you think should win then? And in your own opinion, does the way the cards are revealed matters?

Thanks! I hope to hear from you soon.

Best,
Cresswell
Cresswell,

Player A wins the pot, but he has committed a severe breach of etiquette known as slow rolling. The way you show a hand does not affect the outcome of the hand, but it is poor form. In tournaments, you can actually get a penalty for such actions. Slow rolling is considered a form of taunting and can cause lots of hard feelings at the table. He was probably just being cute, but I have seen people get into physical altercations due to such poor etiquette.

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.