Health Upgraders

At live poker tables, it is easier to make mistakes than when playing poker online games. The one area where this is glaringly obvious is when it comes to showdown and the dealer designates the winning hand.

When you play poker online at some room like Everest Poker, the software automatically cites the winning hand. In live poker games, that is not the case. The dealer must see the cards to declare a winner. Any time you make it to showdown at a live table, always let your “cards speak.” In other words, turn over your hand for the dealer to see it. If you called a bet from an opponent, you are entitled to see that player’s hand.

Never throw your cards into the muck because a player says, “I hit the straight” or “I’ve got your set beat.” Make sure you and the dealer see the cards to ascertain that this is correct. Don’t accept a statement from another player about the hand. The dealer has to examine the hands at showdown and declare the winner.

Don’t be hasty about tossing your cards into the muck. Some players hate to ever expose their cards because they think it gives away their strategies and makes them easier to read. It is also possible to discard the winning hand this way if the dealer does not see it.