Just Flip Them Over: The Simple Poker Habit That's Costing You Money

We've all been there. That awkward, silent standoff at the end of a big hand. You called the river bet, and now you and your opponent are locked in a bizarre game of chicken over who has to show their cards first. It's a silly, time-wasting ritual, but what if I told you it's also costing you cold, hard cash?

There's a simple, almost laughably easy exploit that not only avoids these situations but can literally win you pots you have no business winning. It's time to get over the shyness, the ego, and the fear of looking silly.

The advice is simple: at showdown, just table your hand. Immediately. Every single time. Whether you're holding the stone-cold nuts or a hopelessly busted bluff, flipping your cards over without hesitation is one of the most +EV plays you can make, and not for the reasons you think.

That Awkward Silence at the Table

You know the moment. It’s the most awkward part of any live poker game. The river action is done, someone got called, and now… crickets. Two players are locked in a silent duel. A little head nod. A hesitant gesture. “You first.” “No, you’re the caller.” It’s a pointless little dance that wastes time and frankly, makes everyone at the table sigh. Here's the thing: this hesitation, this unwillingness to just show your hand, is more than just a social tic. It’s a leak. A big one.

There's a shockingly simple fix that will plug this leak forever, speed up the game, and—this is the best part—literally win you pots you should have lost. Ready for it? If you get to showdown, just table your hand. Instantly. Pick up your cards and spread them face-up for the whole world to see.

• Did you value bet and get called? Table your hand.
• Did you run a massive bluff that blew up in your face? Table your hand.
• Are you playing the board with your 2-high? Table your hand.
• Does your opponent announce, “I have a straight,” but keep their cards face down? Table your hand.

You'd Be Shocked How Often You're Actually Good

This isn't just about etiquette or speeding up the game, though those are nice perks. This is about pure, unadulterated profit. Live poker players, bless their hearts, are notorious for misreading their own hands.

I cannot begin to count the number of times I’ve seen someone confidently announce “trips!” or “straight!” only to muck their cards in disgust the second I table a simple top two-pair. They were so sure, so confident in their verbal declaration, but when the cards were actually on the felt, the truth came out. And guess what? If I had mucked based on their words, I’d be out of that money.

I’ve heard stories, and seen a few myself, that are just wild. One guy told me he was once richer by about five grand over his lifetime just from hero-calling and tabling his hand after an opponent verbalized something better. People get flustered. They get excited. They see three clubs on the board and their one club in hand and suddenly they have a flush. It happens!

Even when you’re bluffing with absolute nonsense, you might win. There’s a non-zero chance that if you confidently and quickly flip over your 7-high like you meant to do it all along, your opponent will just get confused, assume they misread something, and muck the winning hand out of sheer embarrassment. Don’t believe me? I heard a tale of a player who bluff-jammed a four-flush board with nothing but Ace-high. He got snapped off. He tabled his Ace-high, expecting to rebuy, and his opponent sheepishly turned over... 9-high. Nine. High. The caller said he “knew” it was a bluff but couldn't beat Ace-high. You can’t make this stuff up.

"But I Don't Want to Give Away Information!"

Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. The number one reason people give for their showdown secrecy is, “I don’t want to give away information.” In a vacuum, this makes sense. Poker is an adversarial game of incomplete information. Why would you willingly give your opponents a free peek into your strategy?

But let’s be real. At the $1/$2 or $2/$5 games most of us are grinding, is Jeff the plumber—who is currently on his fourth beer and trying to see a cheap flop with any two cards—really building a sophisticated GTO model of your play? Is he taking detailed notes that you opened QTs from the cutoff? Probably not. The few opponents who are paying that much attention are often adjusting poorly anyway. The information you gain from seeing what garbage hand they just paid you off with is almost always more valuable than the information you give away by showing your bluff.

Showing your bluffs can also cultivate a specific table image. If you confidently table a ridiculous bluff, people might just think you’re a wild, gambling maniac. And who gets paid off light? Wild, gambling maniacs. You're setting yourself up for more action down the road.

Let's Be Honest: It's About Ego, Not EV

If we're being brutally honest with ourselves, the real reason we don’t want to show our cards has very little to do with strategy. It’s about ego. It’s about insecurity.

Nobody wants to flip over that 93o they tried to bluff with and have the table see how badly it failed. We’re afraid of looking stupid. We’re so concerned with how these random strangers, who are probably just as bad at poker as we are, will judge our play. This fear, this deep-seated concern for what other people think, is a far more destructive mental game leak than showing a hand ever will be.

If your ego is so fragile that you can’t bear to show a losing hand, how are you making other tough decisions? Are you making thin value bets? Are you running big bluffs? Or is that same fear of judgment holding you back? Poker becomes so much more fun—and profitable—when you let go of that. Better yet, find the humor in it. Amuse yourself with the idea that everyone thinks you're a terrible player, right up until you're stacking their chips. If Phil Ivey, one of the greatest to ever play, can get caught bluffing and calmly table his losing hand on national television, you can do it at your local casino.

The Easiest Resolution You'll Make All Year

So, what's the takeaway? It’s simple. Make it your new rule. Make it your New Year's resolution. Every time you get to showdown, just turn your cards over. Protect your hand, of course—keep a finger on your cards until the pot is pushed your way to avoid any dealer errors—but show them without hesitation.

You will avoid arguments. You will prevent weird, confusing rulings from the floor. You will speed up the game, which means more hands per hour. And most importantly, you will win pots that you had absolutely no right to win. Stop having a funeral for your hand every time you get called. Stop the silent standoff. Just flip them over. You might be surprised by how much money you find.