To show or not to show this is the question?

Poker Discussion
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I’m sure that many off you on Replay Poker have notice the inordinate amount of players who show there cards at every opportunity even when everyone has folded preflop. Sadly, a few players mistakenly think it is a courtesy to show there cards, while most do it to give the illusion (in there mind only) that there are great players, when in fact they are nothing more than annoying braggers.

Those of us who play regular cash games Poker will know that it is extremely rare for players to show there cards. On the rare occasion that a player does show his or her cards it usually is a strategic move to show a bluff with the goal of being called later in the game with a much stronger hand. To all the braggers on Replay Poker I leave you with these words of wisdom.

The game of Poker is a game of skill and respect and while it takes no skill to show cards it does show fellow players a lot of respect when you don’t.

Show respect not cards!

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I show most of the time to let players I play with regularly that I play with quality cards. and some times I will even show a bluff to Luar an opponent into a false scene of security

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Do you have any data to support any of these claims? How, exactly, do you know why people are doing the things they do, or the statistical distributions of these motivations?

If everything you do at the table conveys information, strategically showing or not showing can be one way of distorting that information in a way that might lead your opponents to make poor decisions. Is it disrespectful to manipulate people like this?

Is check-raising disrespectful? How about bluffing? Trapping? Big stack bullying?

Showing or not has nothing to do with respect.

I think I’ll keep showing or not showing the same way I’ve been doing it.

I hope people understand that the rules allow it, and it would be very disrespectful to be critical of my personal choices when I’m operating within the rules.

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here, here I totally agree with SPG. All your doing MightySpurs is putting people down for reasons you don’t know, you are just assuming well you know what they say about that!
You do not no the reasons people show and don’t show, I do both and like SPG i will continue to do so.

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To be clear, I’m not bashing @MightySpurs. Everyone has the right to state their opinions, it’s what forums are for. We should discuss ideas, not personalities.

All I’m saying is that, in my opinion, it’s not disrespectful to show your cards.

Other people have different opinions, and are free to act accordingly.

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You’re right SPG, I’m not bashing either, but I did take offense to it somewhat for the fact that he stated

“while most do it to give the illusion (in there mind only) that there are great players, when in fact they are nothing more than annoying braggers”.

That to me, showed to be disrespectful.
I have reasons when I show my cards and reasons I do not show, and I think my reasons are good reasons, reasons that result in winning.
And also as you stated, we are here to discuss, not put people down.

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I’m not offended by that statement, I just don’t understand it… at all.

I often show quads, straight flushes, and royals, not to brag, but because they are rare hands and nice to look at. Everyone should take a look!

Yes, I did sit here so skillfully that I didn’t fall out of my chair, even when the pRNG decided I should get the perfect cards. Why would anyone brag about being on the right side of something over which they had no control? What, exactly, would I be bragging about if all I did was sit there?

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Yes those are very good hands to show, I show them as well,
However I have only got 1 Royal flush since I have been here, and folded 2 because the other person went all in right from the start, so needless to say if I would have called their all in I would of had my other two Royals, one time I was holding 10 jh and BAMM would of hit the Royal, and the other time, had KJs and there again I would of hit the other Royal but, I didn’t want to go out so soon.
As forrest Gump said…life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get, think I cried to lol, well almost anyway, I also show quads and st8 flushes.

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I very seldom show my hands unless, like SPG mentioned, it is something that is very rare. I do not mind others showing their hands, although I seldom look at them. I prefer to play my hand, what you had really does not grab my attention, that hand is gone and forgotten.

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I don’t know what caused this posters flair up but obviously he is not a happy camper and cannot support his theories. I guess this is what you can expect from someone that joined the site this week and has hurt feelings about being burnt by players more seasoned than himself. I hope that he’s able to see all sides so he can enjoy himself playing, after all that’s why we are here.

Enjoy

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11

I hate to admit it, but my show/no show strategies are based on classical Pavlovian conditioning, and since they’re designed to trigger instinctive responses, they act on the subconscious mind, and are thus difficult to detect, much less counter.

I’ll give just one small example of this in practice.

Im in the BB with KK, and it folds around to the SB, who thinks awhile, then folds. I show the KK. If he had a middle of the road type hand, he is now glad that he folded. The whole table is glad they didn’t try to challenge my blinds. Not attacking my blinds is smart, attacking my blinds is dangerous.

It doesn’t matter at all that your conscious mind knows that this is a ridiculous thing to think. After all, I can’t magically get great cards just because it’s my blind, right? You know this, I know this, we all know this. Too bad your subconscious mind didn’t get the memo.

You got rewarded for making the choice you made. You would have been punished had you made a different choice. Like it or not, by showing, I’m conditioning your responses. I’m planting a seed, and you will remain unaware as it grows within you.

You may be thinking that I wanted a call in position with KK, and yeah, of course I did. But the blinds are ever increasing, and there will be more and more times where I won’t mind the walk. Showing now costs me nothing, and if it could possibly earn me a few free rounds of blinds and antes later on, it seems well worth doing.

There are many times this sort of thing is worth thinking about, this is just one small example.

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That is why I don’t look at them!

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First, I want to say thankyou to those who don’t think I am a bragger or disrespectful card player. Anyone who plays enough with me, knows I have always showed my cards. My honest outlook from years of playing poker is that I never bluff, so why not show. My opponents could probably tell you just what is in my hand before I flopped them over. This once again makes me say, aren’t we just playing for play chips? They won’t buy anything, and won’t pay the rent. I just want to have fun. I did have a new team mate in the Championships say that maybe I should try not to show because those challengers don’t know me and the fact that I don’t bluff. Things like this is why I don’t play for real money. Oh, and that luck factor!! Like SPG and Zona said, to each their own opinion. Maybe we need to smile and laugh more. Have fun!!

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Thank you so much. If you all think I shouldn’t show my cards, please tell me. Just a very very old habit. lol PS. You are very sweet too, and I am lucky to have met you and many others on here. After my husbands stroke, I needed you all. Have fun♥

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No, That is completely up to you Sue with the cards, sometimes I show, sometimes I don’t.
You play your cards how you want to, don’t ever let anyone try and change your mind on how you play,
You are very good card player :slight_smile:
I’m so very sorry to hear about your husband and my heart goes out to you and your husband both :pray: :hugs:
:heart:

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I don’t think you should show your cards.

I also don’t think that you shouldn’t show your cards.

I think that you should show or not show whenever you want to, for any reason or no reason, and that you are under absolutely no obligation to justify your actions one way or the other. It’s your time, they’re your chips, your cards to show or not as you see fit.

By the way, have you heard that it’s very dangerous to attack my blinds? Yup, it is.

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you shouldn’t be upset that players show their cards. its free information as to how they play their hands.

as others said they show for different reasons. think its good to show a few hands not bluffing but then sometimes show hands totally bluffed with. given players a mix of both keep them guessing.

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Me thinks you judge too much, spurs.

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Occasionally I would like to show cards to another player, of my choice, whom I’ve had a bit of a tussle with but not the whole table.

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I never show my cards and will never do it, more fun with the players wondering what you had! Have no problem with people showing the cards or not!

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