Cash game rules

[Aralzaman]

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question, but here goes anyway. I'm playing in a 3-6 cash game and am in a hand that goes to the river. I am heads up and out of position. I have a pair of tens and decide, given the betting, to try to chase the other player out so I make a bet. The other player deliberates for a while and then turns his cards face up showing a pair of Jacks. I assume he is folding and show my pair of tens. He then says call and puts in his chips! His claim is that in a cash game you can show your cards whenever you want as long as you keep them behind the line. The card room boss won't make a ruling and since it is not that big a deal, I let him take the pot. Was he right or was I a donkey for letting him have the pot?

[HalfSugar]

That's a tricky one. In a card room, I don't think you should be allowed to show your cards to try and get a read regardless of whether you are in a cash game or tournament, unless you are playing the sort of stakes where the players dictate the rules.

In a home game, what he did would be fine provided there were no dissenting voices.

For the floor manager not to make a ruling is ridiculous, he should be shot.

[raisebot]

In cash games, heads-up, generally it is allowed to expose either one or both of your cards before betting is complete, regardless of whether it is preflop, on the flop, on the turn, or on the river. However, house rules will always prevail.

For the floorperson to not make a ruling is ridiculous. Either he should say it is allowed, or isn't. Not too difficult of a decision.

[Muck]

For the floorperson to not make a ruling is ridiculous.

Par! The floorperson what right to they have to manage the...oh wait

Wish I could just skip out on my responsibilities at work too. Sh*t I do! Damn I'm a hypocrite

[Jauron]

I personally feel the player who is about to show his cards should make his intentions clear to the dealer and the other player involved so there is no confusion. The other player can then decide if they wish to look at the hand.

No ruling by the floor is lolz.

[MrDarling]

The solution is easy, never show your card if there is no show down. Why do you want to give him free information?

[jeffonline]

Where I play it’s a rule that you are not allowed to purposely show your cards, if you do it’s considered a fold. Doyle Bruson in the bible of poker books advocates the showing of cards in certain circumstances then looking for reactions to make a decision, sounds like the villain read his book. Never show unless you know the house rule.

[smashmouth!]

the rules on this are simple: in a cash game, if you are heads up, you can show one or both cards, so long as they are not thrown into the muck and "fold" is not verbalized. now, it is important to know what "heads up" means. you are heads up so long as no other player is in the hand at all. so if there is another player that is all in, say pre-flop, and you and one other player are still betting on the river, then you are technically NOT heads up, even tho you two are the only remaining bettors. the reason for this is that if player 1 is all in pre flop for $100, and palyers 2 and 3 battle on down to the river, then showing of the hand prematurely by ANY of the players could effect the outcome of what happens with player 1 (player 1 could even go as far as make a claim of collusion).
so, in your circumstance, the guy with the jacks wins the hand legit if there are no other players in at all, but forfeits his hand if there was anyone else in the hand that was already all in. of course, the floor manager is an idiot.
and incidentally, a 'donkey' is a player who routinely calls with garbage and wins. so no, u werent a donkey in this situation.

[HalfSugar]

the rules on this are simple: in a cash game, if you are heads up, you can show one or both cards, so long as they are not thrown into the muck and "fold" is not verbalized.

It's not that simple at all. The true answer is that you obey whatever the rules are in the card room / home game you are in. If they say that exposing a card kills your hand then that is the ruling regardless of the situation.