Remember the Rule of “Cards Speak”
“Cards Speak” is a fundamental rule in poker. In a Texas Hold’em game, if a player has a straight flush, even if he claims to only have a pair, the final hand will still be counted as a straight flush. For example, in the 2019 World Series of Poker (WSOP), a player holding four tens pretended to have only two pairs of tens. His four tens ultimately beat his opponent’s pair of kings, winning over $200,000.
At the table, a player might bet $300 and mislead his opponent by saying, “I only have a small pair, nothing special.” When the cards are revealed, the player’s full house is his true hand.
Another example is in a home game where Player A holds three queens, and Player B holds a straight flush. Player A might deliberately show disappointment and say, “Looks like I lost; I only have three queens.” The final win will still go to Player B’s straight flush.
In a professional poker game, a player might bet $1,000 on the river and say he has a pair of jacks to mislead his opponent. The opponent might fold, but when the cards are revealed, the player’s four aces are his true hand.
In a game, a player might bet $200, guessing his opponent has a pair of kings. The opponent pretends to be disappointed, saying, “I only have a pair of kings.” But he might actually have a straight flush, and the winner is determined by the true hand.
Show Your Cards Quickly, Don’t Delay
Each hand’s reveal time should be controlled within 15 seconds. If the reveal time for each hand exceeds 30 seconds, it will extend the game time by 20%. Over 60% of table disputes stem from delays in revealing cards. In a Las Vegas game, a player was fined $1,000 for delaying the reveal. Another player with four aces quickly revealed his cards after his opponent bet $1,000, forcing the opponent to fold.
In major poker tournaments, the average time per hand is 90 seconds. If each reveal is delayed by more than 15 seconds, a 200-hand game will be extended by 50 minutes.
In a tournament with 200 participants, each with an entry fee of $500, the total prize pool is $100,000. If each hand’s reveal time increases by 30 seconds due to delays, an average of 40 hands can be played per hour, with each hand taking 90 seconds. An hour can accommodate 40 hands.
Assuming the venue rental cost is $500 per hour and the total hourly wage for staff (including dealers, service staff, and security) is $1,000, a 2.5-hour delay will add $3,750 in costs. This means the entry fee might increase to $525, with the additional $25 coming from this increase.
Avoid Misleading Your Opponent Into Thinking They’ve Won
Player A claims to only have a pair of eights when he actually has four eights. Player B mistakenly thinks his pair of queens has won, only to realize he lost after the reveal. Disputes caused by misleading opponents have increased by 15% in the World Series of Poker, and player satisfaction has decreased by 25% on average.
Player A and Player B are in a high-stakes game. Player A holds four eights, while Player B has a pair of queens.
Player A (smiling): “Looks like my luck isn’t great; I only have a pair of eights.” Player B (relaxed): “Haha, then I’m relieved. I have a pair of queens.”
Player A reveals his cards, showing four eights.
Player B (surprised): “You actually have four eights! Didn’t you say you only had a pair of eights?”
Player A (sincerely): “Sorry, I was just joking. I’m revealing my cards now.“