Showdown Rule
In poker online, the winner is established in one of two ways. Either everyone folds to a bet, and the bettor takes the pot without having to show the winning hand; or the betting continues after the last card, and the hand goes to a showdown.
In both poker online and live casinos, the standard rule is the “cards speak” at the showdown, meaning a player has to show the winning hand as proof. Whoever shows the best hand wins the pot. A player who puts out a bet that is called must show the hand. The calling player has basically paid to see it. The caller might show a hand that is the absolute nuts, so it’s known that the original bettor is beat. That player may just want to toss their cards into the muck, but if asked, they have to show their cards because that player’s bet was called.
Sometimes players get too attached to their hands and hate to show them, especially when on a bluff. They don’t want to give away information about their play. When a player who has been called hesitates to show their hand, it is called “slow rolling” and is considered rude at the online poker table, especially during a timed tournament.
If it is a multi-player showdown, most often each player simply turns over their cards for the dealer to declare a winner, though only the original bettor or a raiser who was called are required to show.
When playing online, everything is automatic and the winner quickly established. Players can set the option to automatically muck their cards if they don’t have to show them.
