Poker..

[Hicup]

I play poker. Not online but have been playing for years. Recently I've been watching the world series of poker, and I see some things I would never do.

Some of the best players in the world (According to money earned) often reveal their hands, whether it be when they want to show that they had a strong hand when the win, or when they win and have a weak hand. Showing the cards to the other player. I NEVER show my cards, EVER, and I feel that this is the superior poker players stance.

Why would you show your hand, when you win?


Thoughts..



Tim-

 

[laska]

I can think of a few off top of head. If the table is tight and you want to loosen them up and get some action showing a bluff might help. If it will put another player on tilt. But I think most of time it's wise not to show.

 

[laska]

Also sometimes the other player will show if you show and you can gain info. If you are playing with other elite players and they know you are elite and capable of playing any hand anyway then basically there is no reason not to show such as when you make a good play and want to playfully taunt.

 

[cAPSLOCK]

I believe in nearly all cases it is -EV to show your cards when you don't have to. Period. The exceptions to the rule are very few.

Poker is a game of limited information. It is highly in your favor to conceal as much as you can for as long as you can.

Showing to "put someone on tilt" is terribly overrated. If they are a good player they wont tilt. If they are a bad player you don't really need them on tilt. A tilted player is dangerous. A bad player who thinks he is good is an ATM machine.

 

[laska]

If I was playing someone like Phil Ivey it wouldn't help me if he showed his hands. I know he's capable of firing a third bullet on a bluff. I know he's capable of putting me off middle pair having nothing with a pot size bet or bluff by betting small like he's trying to value bet. I know he can shove after I show weakness to act like he's stealing pot using reverse psychology when he really wants me to call. he's capable of feeling when ace high is good, or folding the second nuts on the river, or float with nothing to bluff on river, or feel I have a good hand when he has the nuts and value betting by putting me all end. Him showing me a hand would help me none.

 

[Hicup]

If I was playing someone like Phil Ivey it wouldn't help me if he showed his hands. I know he's capable of firing a third bullet on a bluff. I know he's capable of putting me off middle pair having nothing with a pot size bet or bluff by betting small like he's trying to value bet. I know he can shove after I show weakness to act like he's stealing pot using reverse psychology when he really wants me to call. he's capable of feeling when ace high is good, or folding the second nuts on the river, or float with nothing to bluff on river, or feel I have a good hand when he has the nuts and value betting by putting me all end. Him showing me a hand would help me none.

I agree with cAPSLOCK on this. Poker is a game of concealment, in high stakes it does nothing to show your cards.


Tim-

 

[JMax]

it would be advantageous to show a strong hand to gain "respect" from the table. maybe if a player has been taking down a lot of pots before showdown, hell want to show the table hes not stealing those pots and is actually getting good hands. players will then be likely to give his bets/raises respect. however, i think higher level players will probably just ignore this, or use triple, quadruple + level psychology

 

[JMax]

I play poker. Not online but have been playing for years. Recently I've been watching the world series of poker, and I see some things I would never do.

Some of the best players in the world (According to money earned) often reveal their hands, whether it be when they want to show that they had a strong hand when the win, or when they win and have a weak hand. Showing the cards to the other player. I NEVER show my cards, EVER, and I feel that this is the superior poker players stance.

Why would you show your hand, when you win?


Thoughts..



Tim-

it might also be to show the table you are unpredictable, and therefore have them be scared of getting into pots you.

 

[randel]

i'll show sometimes especially when i won a huge pot with a weak hand...you are setting up someone down the road for when you have the 'nuts', and you want people to think you are full of shyte and call you...poker is a mindfvck game, he who can mindfvck the other players longer, harder, and faster, will make money on a regular basis:mrgreen:

 

[ecofarm]

I think showing can heat up the table and can be useful in sit-n-go and short cash games. I show in tourns too, but that's just having fun. I don't think my show is going to teach anyone about my play and it can adjust the atmosphere.

 

[randel]

I think showing can heat up the table and can be useful in sit-n-go and short cash games. I show in tourns too, but that's just having fun. I don't think my show is going to teach anyone about my play and it can adjust the atmosphere.

love playing poker, have a few beers, hang out with a couple of friends and a few of my brothers...good times good times good times...

 

[Ben K.]

If you are a particular type of player, showing a hand that casts doubt on your assumed play style would be a bluff in itself.

 

[cAPSLOCK]

it would be advantageous to show a strong hand to gain "respect" from the table.

Sounds good, but doesn't work that way.

A maniac showing me a strong hand is just making my case against him stronger. Of course he will show a strong hand. But only a fool would fall for "See??? You'' never know when one of my big bets is good!" I know that calling him down light, or coming over the top of bets when Ihave a decent made hand or draw will be hugely profitable for me even considering the times I lose.

A rock showing me a strong hand is just making my case against him stronger. Of course he is going to show down strength. This is his style. I know to stay out of his way when he acts strong, and that when he calls my reraise of his continuation bet I am as good as dead. Of course he will fold 2/3 of these making the play profitable in the long run.

A really good versitale agressive player showing me a strong hand is meaningless. I know he will balance his range and I know I will have to think more deeply when I am in a hand with him. I will avoid confrontations with him in the first place. Also, he is not very likely to show anything anyway.

poker is a mindfvck game, he who can mindfvck the other players longer, harder, and faster, will make money on a regular basis

First of all I am going to need some nice mindinner and a few mindrinks before any mindfvcking.

But seriously poker is fundamentally a game of making correct decisions WELL BEFORE it is a game of misrepresentation. In fact I just got a little read on you. Chances are you are representing strength when you are weak and weakness when you are stong. Until you know I am on to you - and assuming you are even capable of adjusting - you are going to find most hands with me to be fairly frustrating. "Why does he always fold?" and "How on the earth could he call that bet?" will be alternating out of your mouth along with frequent accusations of my donkeyness and luckboxery...

I think we should get a DP game going.

 

[rocket88]

Depends on the table and how things are playing. If it's a very loose table where people play a lot of marginal hands, I'll show if I have the goods. Let's them know that they're playing with fire. It's psychological, and if people think you're bluffing, they're going to call your bluff at some point. It's a difficult balance of showing just often enough so that they're not sure if you're bluffing or not.

 

[randel]

Sounds good, but doesn't work that way.

A maniac showing me a strong hand is just making my case against him stronger. Of course he will show a strong hand. But only a fool would fall for "See??? You'' never know when one of my big bets is good!" I know that calling him down light, or coming over the top of bets when Ihave a decent made hand or draw will be hugely profitable for me even considering the times I lose.

A rock showing me a strong hand is just making my case against him stronger. Of course he is going to show down strength. This is his style. I know to stay out of his way when he acts strong, and that when he calls my reraise of his continuation bet I am as good as dead. Of course he will fold 2/3 of these making the play profitable in the long run.

A really good versitale agressive player showing me a strong hand is meaningless. I know he will balance his range and I know I will have to think more deeply when I am in a hand with him. I will avoid confrontations with him in the first place. Also, he is not very likely to show anything anyway.



First of all I am going to need some nice mindinner and a few mindrinks before any mindfvcking.

But seriously poker is fundamentally a game of making correct decisions WELL BEFORE it is a game of misrepresentation. In fact I just got a little read on you. Chances are you are representing strength when you are weak and weakness when you are stong. Until you know I am on to you - and assuming you are even capable of adjusting - you are going to find most hands with me to be fairly frustrating. "Why does he always fold?" and "How on the earth could he call that bet?" will be alternating out of your mouth along with frequent accusations of my donkeyness and luckboxery...

I think we should get a DP game going.

that would be fun..

 

[Centrehalf]

I never show my hand. When I'm playing I'm figuring odds and that's about it. Some personality types can do well with the mind games but I think they're pretty rare.

 

[JMax]

Sounds good, but doesn't work that way.

A maniac showing me a strong hand is just making my case against him stronger. Of course he will show a strong hand. But only a fool would fall for "See??? You'' never know when one of my big bets is good!" I know that calling him down light, or coming over the top of bets when Ihave a decent made hand or draw will be hugely profitable for me even considering the times I lose.

A rock showing me a strong hand is just making my case against him stronger. Of course he is going to show down strength. This is his style. I know to stay out of his way when he acts strong, and that when he calls my reraise of his continuation bet I am as good as dead. Of course he will fold 2/3 of these making the play profitable in the long run.

A really good versitale agressive player showing me a strong hand is meaningless. I know he will balance his range and I know I will have to think more deeply when I am in a hand with him. I will avoid confrontations with him in the first place. Also, he is not very likely to show anything anyway.

you couldve saved yourself three paragraphs by not cutting out my last statement

however, i think higher level players will probably just ignore this, or use triple, quadruple + level psychology

 

[cAPSLOCK]

Good point. But to be honest I dont' think think my three paragraphs describe anything beyond level 1 and 2 poker thinking. This is the first place you depart from just playing your cards.

 

[Hicup]

Good point. But to be honest I dont' think think my three paragraphs describe anything beyond level 1 and 2 poker thinking. This is the first place you depart from just playing your cards.

At a table of 8 or 9 players, one initially plays their cards, however justified the strenght of your position might be, it is determined in your mind by the relative strength of your opponent. As poker players we must disconnect from the cards all the time. We must do the math, and then we must do the opponent justice by assigning some level of strength to his positon, in-spite of the math, or the cards. This is why, any, and I mean any indication your throw off as a player that would add to your opponents knowledge base is ultimately unsatisfying, and not measurable by your success and or failures.


Tim-