Mucking

How do you feel about mucking your hands? In a live game I like to advertise whether I have the hand or am bluffing... do you think this could be a downfall to a player? Or can you use it as strategy to earn a call, or make someone fold?
What are your thoughts?

Usually, the less information you give out free the better. If you have a sophisticated bluffing strategy and show the few hand you actually get, this can be good. Or, if you want to encourage calls, show a bluff or two. Every time is NOT good.

In a live game, unless you have a very good reason, don't show your cards. A good player will use it to figure out how you play certain hands. Sometimes you may want to show, for example if you have a reputation as a really tight player and aren't getting paid off for good hands you could show a bluff, although that may work against you, as if someone sees that move they may realize what you're doing.

I'm not sure though, maybe you could work it the other way. Show a bluff and then shortly after (while they still remember the hand) try another bluff. If they're actually thinking they may lay down a hand because they assume you want a call based on the previous bluff. Don't take my word for it though, I've never tried it. I almost never show in a live game however, keep your opponents guessing and make them pay to see your hands.

BUT, that brings up an important point. Why do online sites let you see hands that call you and lose? In poker, the person who called the bet can muck their cards after they see their hand is beat. Online, at least where I've played, it mucks them but the cards can be seen in the hand history. Isn't that contrary to the rules of poker?

well in on line poker i never show untill it gets down to final table
because early in torny u move so much it is hard to get a read on anyone. you win a big pot u get moved so the benefit of showing ur cards to influence other players of what u got is useless early but ehen i get down to final table i show alot

I personally never show, I want my opponents guessing as much as possible or paying me off for info.

I was in a tourney a few weeks ago and early on I was doing well stealing a few pots when it was checked to me. i made the mistake once of showing my neighbor and subsequently had to show the wholetable then. It was harder for me to steal later on as a result of this.

Since then I've been pretty religious about not showing. There may be benefits at times to showing, but ultimately I think you're best bet is to keep everyone guessing.

I don't normally show a hand unless I have to. Online I have automuck turned on, and live it's rare that I come across a situation where I even think it'd be a good idea to show.

I wouldn't rule it out, I guess, but I'd want a really good reason before I did it.

Golden Rule

NEVER show your hand unless someone has paid for it.

pigpen02 said:

Usually, the less information you give out free the better. If you have a sophisticated bluffing strategy and show the few hand you actually get, this can be good. Or, if you want to encourage calls, show a bluff or two. Every time is NOT good.

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Totally agree with your opinion on this one....Every time is NOT GOOD....
Great question !

When I started (4+ yrs ago) I decided I wasn't nearly good enough to EVER show. Experts do it sometimes for a specific reason. I was no expert. I'm still not, so I still very rarely show. Mainly if I'm a big stack and have been "stealing" a lot I'll show a strong hand just to let them know I'm honest Usually I get a sense they're about to start "looking me up" so I throw 'em a bone.

Showing a bluff only makes sense if you know next time you'll have the goods. And you can't know that. You may be card dead for the next hour.
So I very rarely show a bluff.

That's my 2 cents

goldog

DaFrench1 said:

NEVER show your hand unless someone has paid for it.

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That's what my daddy taught me. In 40+ years of playing ive yet to find a reason to do other wise. Then again never say never.

Never show your keep them gussing

zachvac said:

BUT, that brings up an important point. Why do online sites let you see hands that call you and lose? In poker, the person who called the bet can muck their cards after they see their hand is beat. Online, at least where I've played, it mucks them but the cards can be seen in the hand history. Isn't that contrary to the rules of poker?

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Technically, you have every right to see what a person calls you with. On-line it is done in the hand history to prevent some forms of collusion. You can only see them on a showdown with a called bet. This rule is actually helping gather evidence against those accounts on absolute right now that are being accused of cheating.

Live, almost every poker room has a rule that you can ask to see any mucked hand if it is retrievable. It is rude but not against the rules to ask. You should have some reason for doing so but you don't have to even give one.

A good consistant player will pull off several bluffs in a night and have several nut hands. Showing doesn't help or hurt you here. Sorry to say but most people will only remember you showing for 1 orbit. So nothing really gained unless you show several times in a row bluffing (to look really crazy) or having the nuts (just to show you are on a hot streak). I have played whole tournaments live where I show EVERY hand. I did it to see what reactions I would get. Nothing changed. Just heard "Oh, nice hand" and "Nice continuation bet" etc. Nobody played me any different. Have you honestly made a call based on someone showing their cards on one hand earlier in the session?

With programs like poker tracker around now, showing in the long term can be alittle more costly because programs will never forget. It will get a little better stats against you but nothing gained to really make any difference.

The only time i will ever show my hand is if i have hit a monster 4 of a Kind - Straight Flush. But obviously that is not very often and i dont think its much of a tell as who will rember how you play Quads or Straight-Flushes, and who would even belive you had it again if you played a different hand the same.

I ALWAYS show my huge hands... such as AA, or a monster 4 of a kind or better... If i'm in a pot where it takes me three bluffs at it to take it down I definitely show that... It shows the table that I have balls, and to not mess around while i am in the hand... I will take it from you in an instant if you show weekness... this sets it up perfectly for when i have the nuts... I have no problem raising a hefty amount with the nuts once i've let the table know i am capable of bluffing... This gets the table a little looser and pays off hefty in the end... On the other hand, if I had been bluffing previously, and I'm catching cold cards, this is bad when people actually do call...
Mix it up