showing hands

[Wyvver]

Something I have been thinking about for a while is if it's any useful to sometimes show your hands.

Right now I never show my hands if I dont have to...ever. My reason is, I want to give as few information as possible to my opponents.

Many players however do show hands, of course with the intention to manipulate their opponents in some way, and in HOH, Harrington also says that it might be good to show your cards if you want your opponent to believe something.

Like when you are stealing alot of pots, occasionally show AK or pairs after you stole a pot in order to say 'Im stealing alot, but I do have good hands so better dont try to catch me.'

To be honest Im still not convinced this does anyone any good, because you assume your opponent is dumb enough to just believe you.
But when Im playing against someone who is very aggressive and steals alot of pots, and then every 10th hand or something he shows AK or other good hands, instead of being more careful, I will actually be more sure he is playing all kinds of crap hands and just wants me to fold to his aggression so he can proceed to steal.

Everyone gets AK/AA and stuff like that sometimes, even aggressive players that try to steal all the time, we know that already. You dont have to show me AK or AA in order to remind me that when I try to catch someone bluffing or stealing he could still hold a hand.

When someone shows his cards, It's always suspicious to me and in my opinion the information you give away is just to valuable.

Same with bluffs, if someone manages to bluff with nothing and take a pot down, and then he shows his hand I get alot of information.

What is his reason for showing me that be bluffed with nothing?
He probably wants me to try to catch him in a bluff, when he is actually holding a hand, he wants action when he actually has a hand.

Sure you could think what your opponent thinks that you think that...but at some point isnt it just gambling? Id rather not show any hands at all and give no information.

Im sometimes just watching tables and try to put the players on hands. And the ones that show nothing are always the hardest to read for me. When someone shows hands sometimes I get information, even if its only knowing what he wants you to believe.

But then Im thinking when someone like Harrington suggests it, and so many players do it...is there something Im missing?

[Knytestorme]

Multi-tabling atm so will keep this short and add more later.

My feeling is also that I never show, bluffs or big hands, for two reasons.

1. I don't want to give any information that may come back to haunt me in case I have a betting pattern tell, etc.

2. I don't want an opponent to know they made a good lay-down

The second one to me is a big one, especially in MTT's or SnG's, where the opponent can gain confidence in their reads on me. If they think they have picked up a tell and then get it confirmed by me showing them a good laydown it can really lift them and that to me is a bigger downside than anything you may gain trying to put them on tilt.

[Wyvver]

definatley agree with point 2. I just realised there is one expection that I forgot to mention, when I would show my hand:
If I believe there is a reasonable chance to get my opponent to steam by showing my hand. For example when I won several pots in a row due to luck, and then I bluff him with nothing, I might show my hand if I think he was on the edge to steam already. But to be honest that situation doesnt occur very often ^^

[jackvance]

I agree with pretty much everything you said Wyvver.

The only thing is.. maybe you overreact a bit? I generally never show my hand, but meh, it's not like it would ruin my game if I did. It can be a nice thing to do if you want to tilt your opponent, or make yourself look like a donk. Let's say you normally never keep up a stone cold bluff to the river. The one time you do, you might just show it if it works. Or show some hands at random, to confuse people a bit and make em think "why is this idiot showing hands?!" Not something I do, but it's not a bad thing.

[Halv]

I show my hand in the BB if it's folded to me.

[jyms]

I play very TAGG so on the rare occasion I stone cold bluff (1/100 hands or more)with air I'll show just to try and tilt someone or put the thought in their head that I bluff. But I never bluff at them again till long after I've taken a pot or two from them because they will call you. I never show a hand otherwise.

[andy-akb]

I show my hand in the BB if it's folded to me.

This really could be my biggest pet peeve in poker, people who show their cards in the BB when its folded to them, most annoying is probably HU in a sng, but its just as bad in a ring game. If Im on the button or in the SB with 32o and its folded to me Im not going to complete and Im not going to try to steal, dont show your cards in the BB, everybody folded for a reason.

[Xianti]

Showing your hand in an uncontested BB reveals nothing about how you would have played that hand. Why does that annoy you?

I do this often just to screw with people that might get annoyed by it.

[Harry]

Sometimes people show AA or KK in the BB when its folded to them looking for sympathy.