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To Show or Not To Show

poker tellsMany poker players, both online and live players, have differing opinions about showing cards at any point of a hand.

There are only two reasons that a player would even consider showing their cards, to show the ultimate bluff, setting a trap for future hands with all that observe the cards or to show that a folding player was right in their mind to have folded their hand in the mindset that you have their hand beat.

But with these reasons in mind, there are alot of negative effects that they could cause later into the game or the tournament.

Showing your cards removes the mysterious feeling about how you have played a hand, while playing online gives players the perfect platform to play their hands without giving rival players tells, facial or movement, showing the strength of your hand.

This is one of the main reasons that alot of the players play online, the ability to have ‘stealth’ while entering into hands.

We have all made a bluff on a hand that is one that you wouldn’t have bought into the pot if it hadn’t been checked to you.

Showing your cards offers surrounding players to analyse your betting pattern, so effectively you are giving them intellegence about your style of play. This is one of the ways that a showing card player will fall in their plight to enhance their bankroll.

Personally i feel that showing a hand offers free ‘intel’ to all others sat at the table which could leave all others with an upper hand on you at the table.

Looking about the internet, other players have told about how they like to use poker rooms that offer software that have the ability to show only one of the players hole cards after a hand ends, again i personally see this as a move revealing more than that of mucking your cards and keeping the value of your hand to yourself.

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