The key to winning the game of poker is your ability to read other players – their betting pattern, their moves, the subtle clues that people give without knowing it, anything that might give you an idea of how to go about your move.

Poker is a very unpredictable game. You never know what your opponents have up their sleeves, and therefore, you have to be all eyes and all ears at all times throughout the game. The better you are at reading a player and the way they show their hands, the better you’ll be  at the game and extracting information from them.

However, you have to guard yourself from revealing certain information about yourself too, which is why you should not reveal your cards to your opponents if it is not necessary. Just take the money if you win the game without being challenged, but do not reveal the cards. Leave the other players in distress and confusion as to whether it was a smart move to fold or whether they should have continued. Many players like to brag when they have exceptional cards, and show them to everyone. However, really, there is no point in doing that. Creating suspense and leaving your opponents wondering is a very clever move.

If you do not reveal your cards, it will also make other players less focused towards the game, because they will never be able to find out what hit them. If it is a large sum of money your opponent lost, he will still be thinking about the previous game throughout the next round, and you can use this distraction to your advantage.

While it can be smart to not reveal your cards on certain occasions, sometimes revealing your hand can help you. The most important time to reveal your hand would be when you want other players to have a different perception of you. This is known as your table image. Therefore, if you have set your table image as a tight player, in order to change other players’ perspectives, play a weak hand as if you had a very strong hand. If other players fall for this bluff and you win the pot, this might be a good time to reveal your hand. It would make other players think twice before any moves they make. This would also make you very unpredictable, which is always a good thing to be while playing poker.

However, keep in mind that if you are playing with smart and keen players who notice your every move, you had better know the right time to reveal your hand. If you are monotonous in showing either bad or good hands, then your position in the game might not be the best, as other players will be able to tell your future hands. Your opponents should only know things about you, which you want them to know.

Now you have an idea of when to reveal your hand and when not to. Be cautious, and look at the situation before deciding it is a good time to do so.

Click now in order to further expand your poker knowledge by finding answers to some frequently asked poker questions from other poker players like yourself.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/online-gambling-articles/when-you-should-reveal-your-hand-in-poker-1562664.html