When the opponent shows his/her cards at an Indian poker game, it is known as The Showdown. If you are at an Indian poker game and you hear the word "showdown", you don't need to take cover, it is just a reference to two or more players who are in an online poker hand all the way to the end, at which time a winner is to be determined.
There are rules and procedures even to such a simple process of showing the cards at Indian poker. Can't everybody just show their cards and be done with it?
Well, yes, they could; but they don't. Unfortunately, a substantial percentage of Indian poker players possess a pathological aversion to showing their hands. They would sooner reveal the nation's nuclear launch codes than their face-down cards. You can only get these stubborn players to show their hand by following the rules of the showdown.
So, let's study these rules.
The Showdown Rules
There are two different sets of procedures for the showdown, depending on whether or not there was betting on the last stage.
- If There Was No Betting On The Last Stage
The showdown goes in the same order as all the other stages of the game: starting left of the button and proceeding clockwise. The first player still holding cards turns them face up, then each player can, in turn, out his/her cards face up. If he/she sees that they don't have the winning hand, they can just pass them back to the dealer's face down.
- If There Was Betting On The Last Stage
This situation changes everything. In this situation, the last player to bet or raise is obligated to reveal his/her cards first. Then the showdown proceeds clockwise around the table from his/her position. Similar to the no betting situation, each player, in turn, can choose to show their cards or just muck them.
That's the basic rule of the showdown, right there. But, it's worth knowing some additional nuances and etiquettes of the showdown at Indian poker. So, let's get to it, shall we?
- There’s No Rule Against Showing Early
There is no such prohibition on showing your cards early before its officially your turn. In fact, it is usually best for all the players still active to just flip their cards face up immediately; no fuss, no muss. The aforementioned procedure was developed to resolve that potential standoff when nobody volunteers to show their hand first.
- Don’t Slow Roll at Showdown
If you play online poker for real money and you have a very strong hand, yet you make everybody else show first just because that is what the rules and procedures dictate, you may as well face criticism for slow rolling. This is a social faux pas, even when you are just following the rules. It is considered polite to show you cards quickly if you believe you have the winning hand, even if it is not your turn.
If in Doubt, Just Show
It is probably wise to just show your cards. Most highly experienced players occasionally misread the situation and muck the winning hand, and novice player makes this mistake a lot. Always elect to turn your cards face up at showdown, even if you are sure you hand is a not the winning one. This way, even if you give away a little more information, you will never risk losing a pot because you misread either your own hand or the opponents. If you play online poker for real money, keep these pointers in mind and don't be scared to show your hands.
