| There
are two schools of thought when it comes to revealing your cards after
everyone else has folded and the hand is over. One asks, why would you?
Why give your opponents free information about how you play when they
didn't pay for it?
While I totally understand and respect this
strategy, I believe that in certain situations, it can be advantageous
to show opponents your cards. When you watch me play poker on
television, notice that I often show my hand. Of course, I'm not doing
this randomly. My reasoning is calculated, and designed to give me an
edge that I can exploit later in the game.
Think of it like this, I'm planting seeds that I can harvest later. You might consider doing a little poker gardening yourself.
Here's how showing your hands can work to your benefit, particularly when you're up against novice players.
1,
Showing a bluff. Revealing your bluff hand might be good for your table
image after you've successfully pushed your opponents out of the hand.
Bad
players tend to have very long memories. By showing just one of your
bluffs, they may conclude that you try to steal all of the pots, all of
the time. Later in the game, when you are dealt the best hand, you'll
benefit because they will call you more often than they should.
2,
Showing a strong hand. There are two ways to make the most of this
situation. If you are up against a weak player, showing him that you
bet a strong hand will often allow you to bully him for the rest of the
night. It will put the notion in his mind that when you bet, it's
always because you have great cards, even if you don't.
The
other benefit in revealing a strong hand is that it may help to keep an
aggressive player off your back. Aggressive players are the toughest to
face, and quite frankly, you don't want them attacking you.
An
aggressive player will be less inclined to attack if he has evidence
that you weren't messing around when you raised him earlier.
Befriending an aggressive player by revealing your hand can actually
tame him. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your
enemies closer.
3, Setting up a play. Revealing a hand can have
its benefits anytime you make a play that is out of the norm for you.
Let's say, for example, in a Limit Hold 'em game, you usually raise the
bet when holding top pair. Only this time, you just call your opponent
on the flop and then raise him on the turn when a safe card hits.
If
your opponent folds, showing your hand may lead him to believe that you
make this play often. In the future, when you just call on the flop, he
may worry that you'll raise him on the turn.
Conversely, if you
raise on the flop, he may think it's more likely you have a drawing
hand, since your track record suggests that you always raise on the
turn with top pair.
Here's a very important rule. I don't
recommend that you engage in this type of psychological warfare if you
are a novice player. In fact, you'd be much better off never revealing
your hand unless you are obligated to do so.
And one last piece
of advice. Don't show your cards when squaring off against great
players. Revealing your hand is much more effective against more easily
manipulated opponents.
Showing or not showing cards will always
be a topic of great debate amongst poker's elite. In my book, revealing
your hand to a weak opponent can often be an effective and profitable
tactic.
By Daniel Negreanu |
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