showing cards early...

[Dave B]

I know that we talked about this a few weeks ago, but here is what happened to me on Monday.

I was dealt AA w/ 5-6 players in at a card club. Being in late position w/ many callers I raise preflop, everyone calls.

Flop comes Q 4 5 or something like that. Someone bets the Q, one calls, I raise, everyone else folds but 1 player.

Turn is a 10. The other player shows me 1 card, a Q and bets $6 ($3/$6 table).

I call.

River is a rag and he bets again. I call.

So-what would you have done. He is a strong player, but enjoys f*ing w/ people. I had the top pair, but by showing me the Q, he got me thinking-does he have 2 pair, pockets Qs???

If the pot hadnt already grown to $60-80 before the river, I may have raised. So I dont know if it changed the way that I played the hand-but it certainly flustered me a bit. He did NOT like seeing AA. I didnt ask to see the other card (pertended like I didnt care-when I REALLY wanted to know if he was playing AQ KQ or Q2 suited). I thought that I would get more table respect by not asking

Any thoughts??????????

[HalfSugar]

I wouldn't allow that personally, I'm amazed it was tolerated. I think that the ONLY time u should show early is if u have been raised all-in and are making a decision. Then u can show both cards I feel cos the entire rest of the hand lies totally with u. I'm glad u beat him!

[mindgame]

I hope more guys weigh in on this. My experience has been that players doing that are showing you enough to scare you, under the guise of being a nice guy. They are NOT looking for a call...the QQ is all they have and they'd just as soon take the pot right now even if they have the best hand because they don't want to have you draw out on them.

If it's me, I say..."Holy Sh** Beats the pants off my hand!" and call with my Aces. If the idiot catches another queen on the board...you're gone.

[DDiehr]

I love this kind of thing. I like to do it and I like others to do it to me. That's because it forces you to another level of thinking that usually isn't reached in the standard low/middle limit game. It gives you something extra to analyze (what's his other card, why is he showing me, what does he expect me to do, what does he want me to do, etc.).

I also like doing this occasionally whenever I know it allows me to control a player I otherwise couldn't or to present a certain table image I'm trying to establish. For example, one time I was in a hand with A7, the board was K7733. Meaning only 33, KK and K7 beat me. I bet the river and my opponent was taking a long time considering whether to call me or not. I knew he probably had either a K or a pocket pair. I also knew that he was an arrogant player that hated being showed up. So I decided to flash him my Ace (knowing he could beat it). I knew he would have hated to throw away a hand that could beat an Ace only kicker, and have me flip up a rag for my second card. He was too proud to get beat that way, so he called just like I wanted him to. I showed my seven, he mucked his hand. I was playing 9/18, and earning extra big bets at that limit isn't always easy, you have to beat your opponents anyway you can. A few moves like this per session can be the difference from being a loser to being a winner.