If there is more than one player remaining after the fourth and last round of wagering, the remaining players in the game show, in order, their best five-card hand made from the seven cards. The first person to show their cards is the player that made the last bet or raise. That is the privilege the other players get for "calling". If there was no bet on the final round, then it is up to the first player to the left of the button again.
Once the first player has shown their cards, the other players may then decide whether they want to show their hand. If they have the better hand then they must show it in order to win the pot, this is automatically done in online poker rooms. If their hand cannot win, they may "muck" their cards (throw it away face down) or show their cards anyway.
A winner is determined and the pot is rewarded to that player. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be divided between the players with the best hands.
The showdown in our example plays out as follows:
1. The player in the middle put in the last bet and is thereby first to show. That players best five-card hand is a straight. The pocket J
T
combined with the board makes A
K
Q
J
T
. A player may use both, one, or none of their hole cards to make the best hand. In this case it does not matter whether the jack in the pocket or the jack on the board is used, the best hand is a straight, ace high, all the same.
2. Moving to the left, it is the player on the button's turn. As it turns out this player does not beat the straight and would not have to show the and, however for pedagogical reasons we do not let the hand go into the muck. With the pocket cards K
8
, the best hand this player can make is two pair K
K
8
8
A
. The cards on the turn and river did not improve the hand.
3. Unfortunately your hand does not beat the straight either. Your pocket jacks "only" makes a set of jacks J
J
J
A
K
. As it turns out all anybody would need to win this hand was a single ten. The player in the middle has this ten and is also rewarded the pot, which has grown to $47 with the betting on the river.
- The player that made the last bet or raise (or the player to left of the button if there was no bet on the river) is the first player to show his or her cards.
- Afterwards a player not holding a winning hand may muck their hand, throwing it away without showing it.
- The player(s) with the best five-card hand wins the pot.
Added 2005-07-19 08:09:43
Additional Poker School Articles
This is part of a series of articles designed to teach the beginner how to play poker, either "for real" or on the internet. Feel free to keep reading!
The River