When to show hands?

I have been in a couple of situations lately, and was wondering what some of you think. It is always after I have been semi-bluffing/stealing blinds. Usually in late stage MTT or SnG. I had a couple of hands where everyone was checking or min-betting to me so I 4-5 BB bet/raise barreled into em and folded the table. The situation I mean is when I do this at least twice in a short period then get a real nutz hand, so I barrel into em again regardless of position, like AKh was one, KK was another. So I am thinking the table is fed up with me and my stealing days are over so I show the nutz, as if to say "hehe, I realy do have it" This is always after 2-3 times sucsessful stealing/semi bluffing. Good idea? Bad idea?

Showing your hand when you don't have to is almost always bad, but the situation you described makes sense.

At that stage you're highly dependent on fold equity and you're protecting your tight image. I would suggest only doing this with super standard value bets though (i.e. nothing that the other players at the table wouldn't do, you don't want to help them put you on a more accurate range).

Never show your hand.
I only will occassionally if I can tell someone had a hard time folding but I know I shouldn't.
The only other time is in CC games I really don't count those.

Show your hand only when you're called.

i was always told to never show hands, but i found showing at some spots can let the table know you will bet into your made hands, for example:

if you have a/j and the flop comes a/j/5, and you bet into it, and people call to the turn, but fold before river, show it, why? because it will tell the table you bet into your hands, then when a few hands later come, you bet and people dont call your flop bets before the turn, you might get away with more bluffs, i found this works for me, but it has backfired a _few_ times, but again, it all comes down to how you do it and when you pick your spots right

Poker is a game of information, so anytime you can help your opponents out by providing them with information they didn't have to pay for, you obv should.

I used to show in certain cases because I thought it made my image better, now I'm not showing unless called because 1) no need to give information and 2) most people dont know an image if it hit them in the teeth!

My father's advice is to almost never show, however, on ocassion my dad will show when he has bluffed. He doesn't bluff often, so when he does show the idea is to get the opponent to call him when my dad has a strong hand. Interesting strategy I've seen work.

I never show my hands unless I have to.
I use to show my bluffs from time to time,but then relized it was only giving away information.
Which imo is something I dont want anyone at my table to have.

This question keeps popping up.

Generally never show your hand as it gives the other players information on your game, however I find it usefull to occasionaly show that monster just to reinforce in thier mind that Im a nit as it helps in stealing later on in the game

budebuzz said:

I used to show in certain cases because I thought it made my image better, now I'm not showing unless called because 1) no need to give information and 2) most people dont know an image if it hit them in the teeth!

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Most the times when i see someone show their hand the image i get of them is they are retarded. The people i am mainly refering to are the people that play like they have a monster pf and then hit a monster on flop. They show which isn't even needed cause you just know they hit a hand.

Ive seen people constantly show. Granted its good free info but isn't helping their game.

in heads up after you win a pot with nothing

show your opponent who runs things. maybe put him on tilt too

I understand your strategy, but I think that only works on bad players. They can't reconstruct the hand based on what you've shown. Good players can. And they will. Just as you are intelligent enough to construct that strategy, so is many players before you (have done it myself). If they're any good, they'll start playing back at your because they understand what you are doing. Why not just let them think that you are some kind of donk?

Much easier.

I love showing and rubbing it in on our regular Saturday night game. nothing better than getting Jimmy going.

Playing for money, very rarely.

If you don't have a reason beyond 'hahahhaa look how clever I am' then don't show. Simples

Six words for you:

"You no PAY....You NO see"

Nuff said

never show your hands. I only show my hand if it is a very vlose friend I am playing agaist. most of them know I am a TA player and know I play many priemium hands. I have also went all in with what I thought was the nuts and lost to AA or crap or someone hitting something with a hand they should not of played in the first place. so always make them pay to see your hand.

WarriorStoic said:

Six words for you:

"You no PAY....You NO see"

Nuff said

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I went out with a girl once who said the exact same thing......hmmmmmm. I never knew she was a poker player....now its all clear.

the general rule would never show his hands, because we are giving information to their opponents, since they can mark in your notebook that you are a bluffer, but like every rule has exceptions, show a weak hand that you rarely won the adversaries can work if you go right after a very strong hand, but that should not be used forever

I might show a strong hand if I pick up several pots in a row just to make it look like Ive had strong hands for that many hands.
I also show at play money tables a good bit because the play money tables are usually games I dont play for real money anyway.

Showing your cards

Professional say never show. I personally like to show in certain situations. Last night during the freeroll I was called all the way to the river by someone justing wanting to see how I was betting and they chatted as such. I would have showed with someone being that open.

Except in extremely rare occasions (maybe ITM in a sng and I am a clear chip leader, if I shove steal with trash - and am not planning on doing so for a while - then I might show the crap hand to induce a call later), I will only show when all fold to me in the BB and even then only if I have AA, KK or crap like 72 or 83 - I really like to show the 72 or 83 - because I think it is funny. I do not like to show the hands that I choose to play, they need to pay for the right to see them.

In a recent tournament I raised with 67o in an unopened pot from the cut-off in an effort to pick up the blinds/antes.

To my dismay, I got called by the button and the small blind.

To my relief, the flop came 3d4d5c. SB checks, I bet 1/2 pot, BTN folds, SB calls.

Turn comes 4s, SM jams.

I think about it for a minute, he would have raised two pair or a set on the flop because of the flush draw, look up his stack, determine how much I'd have left if I'm getting my money in bad (drawing dead...), and decide a call is correct. He shows 6c8c for an open ended straight draw, a 3-outer to beat me. He whiffs and leaves the tournament.

The players at the table were surprised to see I raised with 67o, surprised I bet when I flop the nuts (even though I was trying to not give away a free diamond), and that I call on a paired board with a card to come. I don't answer any of them with honest answers, because I swore off giving poker lessons at the poker table.

Had SB bet half his stack, I would have raised him. Had he folded, I would have mucked my hand.

They got enough information from the call, which is going to effect my game (steal less for a few orbits? check the nuts if the board is dry?)

Why would I give them that information for free?

On the other hand, at a recent cash game, I had 3h5h and decided to play to mix it up a little bit. I whiff on the flop, which has two spades on it, but decide to call a bet. The turn comes another spade, the original bettor bets, I raise 3x his bet, he makes an obvious "damnit, stupid turn face" and calls. I fire $120 into the pot on the river after his check (the river was another spade) and he folds.

I show my bluff, with the intention of the next time I do that I'll have the nuts.

i havent read through this.. the only time i ever show is when in a STT and its folded to me in the SB, i pick up say AQs and shove with under 10 bb's, BB folds to me.. ill show as i want him to think im shoving only good hands into him..As i will be shoving quite loosely into opponants so i may pick up some extra fold equity....

NEVER EVER SHOW YOUR HAND unless you have to at showdown

cheers and gl