Show the bluff?

Is it ever worth it to show a bluff at the river when you've lost the hand? I know that the other players can just use the last hand feature to see the cards that you muck at the end of the hand, but they may or may not end up doing that. I personally always use the last hand feature just out of curiousity, so whether they show their cards or not, i know what they had. I know that if people see you bluffing, they may think your bluffing the next time that you do actually have a hand, and they may be more likely to call you, and you then get paid off for the bluff... so I'm wondering whether it is a good idea to make them aware of the bluff.

i never show an opponent my hand, it just gives them more information about how you play.

I show them from time to time when I'm switching my gameplan up. I'll bluff a tight table at a tourney and play very tight the next set of hands.

I don't see the advantage of showing a bluff when you've lost the hand though.

I RARELY show a hand..why give free information?

The Shrog said:

I RARELY show a hand..why give free information?

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I'm not one to give free information either, that was the philosophy that I always followed in those situations, no matter how good the bluff and how bad I wanted to show it... However, I was watching the full tilt poker.net tips from the pros and they were saying how you can't be a good player if you never bluff, and how even if you lose some chips when your bluff doesn't work, you have the chance to pick up an easy pot, but you also have the chance to lose a comfortable amount of chips in order to portray yourself as a bluffer so that a few hands later when you do have the flush or the straight, etc, you actually get paid off.

Watching the pros play on TV, you also see them show their bluffs from time to time, and I always wonder "Hey, why are they giving away free information" but they are the pros and they do know what theyre doing and so maybe there is something to be said for showing a bluff (of course, then agian when theyre at the TV table, they could be showing it because they know the other players will see the bluff on TV later, or just to look cool on TV)

Never say never. I rarely show cards outside of CC events and then it's usually good cards and not bluffs. If I'm playing players that I think are good and are actually watching what is happening then I think that occaisionally showing good hands increases my table image as a tight player. This could help later when bluffing and playing the same way as the hand I just showed.

I sometimes show a bluff when i win the pot and successfully stole the pot but i see no point in showing a bluff when you lose a hand. It gives away some information but it really is pointless. Atleast when you win the hand you can rub it in and maybe draw a call later from someone but when you lose and show the bluff i would just laugh if i won the hand against someone who showed their bluff.

I don't like to show the bluff because it takes away the opportunity to bluff from time to time. I like to establish a tight image. This helps the bluff work and has even allowed me to keep my big blind. For some reason unknown to me I have noticed that when I have that image established others don't like either raising my blinds or calling them.

it all depends on what image you want to create... showing the bluff when losing a pot may not be wise... it just confirms your opponents decision of calling you and he feels great... when you show a bluff it may come back and help you when you pick up a quality hand and play it out the same way.. your opponent would be really tempted to call you in that situation..

One of the keys to poker is misdirection, and misinformation. So, if you are the sort of player who will bluff very rarely then it's possible that showing in this situation could "advertise" a "indiscretion" you don't normally have.

If you bluff all the time then it is quite foolish to show it... you'll be showing some anyway.

But the #1 reason to show one is if you have reason to believe it will throw a particular player off his tracks. But this is more frequently done with a winning bluff/show not a losing one.

50/50

I think that showing the bluff is always going to be a 50/50 scenario.You might get lucky and get the reaction you want by having someone raising into you when you have the nuts, but you also might have more opponents re-raising you when you don't causing you to second guess your hands alot more.

I show my hands all the time.doesn't matter what had before.It's what I'm holding now. bluffs are great to show as long as you know that you'll be getting looked up more often so you might wanna slow down a bit and let things "cool" before doing it again.

Showing the bluff is useful in one situation only: to induce more action when you have a strong hand. For instance, if you raise on the button two times, steal both times, and show crap hands, then the SB and BB will be itching to call by the third time you raise from the button. So if you get a good hand, this is going to be lucrative for you. But don't try to steal

Show the bluff

Occasionally its good to show the bluff, it helps to confuse the other players on how your playing the game. I personally am a tight player, but if you get that rap on a table you find yourself only getting premium hand callers, so to mix up my game I will occasionally bluff and if I am sucessfull I will show it and rub it in a little to inflame a player. Once you get inside their head they will be more confident on a marginal hand and be less concerned about calling you. Its an easy way to set a future trap when your holding the nuts.

yeah I am not quite sure what you are talking about if you bluff and get called down it's pretty obvious anyhow...as far as showing a winning bluff I very rarely do...sometimes just to annoy someone if I have been playing a few big hands with them and maybe they got the best of me haha...really the only other times I will show hands is if I am stealing alot or getting a good run of cards I will show big hands when everyone folds so they don't think im raising crap all the time

edit..also if I am short stack pushing and have good hands..hopefully they won't call loose on me if I have to push weak next time

I never show a bluff...if you bluff a guy in a big pot then you like the way he's playing you...if you show him its a bluff then hes likely to change the way he plays you. Just doesn't make sense to me :/

I play at an english site(virginpoker) amongst others, but virgin must have the highest number of calling stations around.
Anyway, when I start a ring table, I run a few small-stake bluffs until I actually win one, and then I make a point of showing the bluff. These guys then think Im a bluffer all the time, it's amazing how many more people call me when i bet later on. But i wait till i get a decent hand, then bet the same way as I did when i ran the winning bluff, and make sure I have the nuts with this decent hand, and bet huge on the river.
i'd say I win big about 80% of the time playing this way, it also works on 1c/2c at PS, but it's not as effective as at Virgin.

hegezsolt said:

Never show your cards.
You will see my cards. Then pay.

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its just like you say,if someone wants to see my cards then its pay per view.i dont want anyone to have more info on me then they have to.also,i dont talk much in a game,if you say something to me ill be nice but dont expect me to talk your ear off or something.

In my opinion, Showing your Bluff is like Giving you Chips.

if you know that showing a certain bluff will affect your opponents game and make HIM start bluffing, I think it can be a good move.

I only show bluffs when players stop paying me off with my big hands.

I never show my hands. I don't give informations of me for my opponents. It's great let players thinking if I have a good hand or not. By the way I almost never bluff.

I never show my hand. Ever. I'm sure there are times when it can be beneficial to show. However, you never really know whether or not is has benefited you until your opponents use that information to make a later decision. I do in fact know that you will rarely if ever hurt yourself by not showing. So I just don't show. I never tell. I never answer any questions about my hand. I play the way I play and I let them figure it out.

I'm with alon, i sometimes will show my good cards to establish a tight table image, but not often. Then i will never show a bluff, thats what they have to pay to see (and hopefully they won't).

Showing cards is a situational thing IMO, come bubble time and you raise with a monster and all fold, I'll show, still bubble time facing a raise out of position and ss, I'll reraise with junk, if I have a good read on the player and i'm in position with a healthy stack. Then again, I could be lying, see you in the next CC buyin game,,lol