Showdown in Poker lingo means when the remaining players exposing and comparing their hands to determine the winner after the last betting round. Often the most exciting part of any poker game, showdown is when nerves are racing and the level of adrenaline is the highest. Undoubtedly, poker showdown gives most players the buzz. Some poker players say that showdown is what the game is about.

Showdown is when a player must show all of his cards on the table, no matter whether they were used in the final hand or not. Cards speak for themselves: the actual value of a player's hand is taken into consideration in the event when a player deliberately or accidentally mis-states the value of his hand.

The last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand, otherwise the first player to the left of the dealer is the first to show the hand. If there is a side pot, players involved in the side pot should show their hands before anyone who is all-in for only the main pot. To speed up the game, a player holding a probable winner hand should show the hand immediately.

Because exposing a losing hand gives information to an opponent, players may be reluctant to expose their hands until after their opponents have done so. When someone asks to see the cards just to get insight on another player's style or betting patterns, he/she may be warned by the dealer, or even removed from the table.

Because the act of folding a losing hand rather than showing it down is so common, some players can take advantage of others who do this with a rare play called a call-bluff.

For example, if someone knows that their opponent always folds rather than showing his hand if he was bluffing, they might call his last bet even with a hand inferior that's been suspected of him bluffing with, expecting that the opponent will simply fold.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of poker showdown. For more information visit www.riva.com