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Let's say we have a heads up game, or a hand in which only two players remain. After the... let's say turn, player one goes all-in and player two calls.

Are there any official rules about showing the hands here? Is it like a normal bet, when only player one shows the cards? Do both player have to show their cards?

Does it matter if the all-in bet occurs after the flop/turn/river?

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    Most tournaments are played under TDA rules, which require that once betting action is complete, all players' hands must be face up before the dealer may continue. Cash games are not played by those rules, so a player never has to table his hand unless and until he wants to claim part of the pot.
    – Lee Daniel Crocker
    Dec 15, 2015 at 21:34
  • Also check my answer here :) .
    – Radu Murzea
    Dec 16, 2015 at 7:53

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The responsibility to show first lies on the person who put in the last bet or raise on the last betting round. In your example, this will be the person who shoved all-in. If the second player sees those cards and his hand is not a winner, he can safely muck and the pot will be awarded to the shover. If the second player has the best hand and wants to win the pot, then he must show his cards eventually. In a cash game, there's typically no requirement that anyone show their hand at showdown if it's not a winning hand and you can muck at any time and relinquish any claim you have to the pot. In a tournament, there's a requirement that all hands be turned face-up in an all-in situation as some level of protection against collusion and chip dumping.

The TDA rules have this to say about the order of show in rule 16:

16: Showdown Order

In a non all-in showdown, if cards are not spontaneously tabled, the TD may enforce an order of show. The last aggressive player on the final betting round (final street) must table first. If there was no bet on the final street, then the player who would be first to act in a betting round must table first (i.e. first seat left of the button in flop games, high hand showing in stud, low hand showing in razz, etc.). Except where house policy requires a hand to be tabled during the order of show, a player may elect to muck his hand face down.

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  • A small follow-up question: if two players are left, say SB+BB. after the turn BB bets, small blind calls. after river it goes check check. according to rule 16 - SB shows it's cards first even though BB was the last aggressor. do i understand it correctly? does this rule change in cash games?
    – user1849
    Nov 19, 2014 at 15:57
  • I think you are correct. The person who would have had the first opportunity to act on the final street is the one who would show first.
    – Chris Farmer
    Nov 19, 2014 at 16:21
  • This answer is just plain wrong
    – Unknown Coder
    Nov 20, 2014 at 16:15
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    Please elaborate.
    – Chris Farmer
    Nov 20, 2014 at 16:22
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This answer will depend on whether you are talking about a cash game or tournament.

In a cash game, you don't have to show. It is acceptable for a user to not show, wait for the river and then choose to reveal or muck their cards. That's perfectly acceptable etiquette. In case of both players not wanting to show, the last aggressor is usually required to go first. However, that last part of the rule can depend on the cardroom and local rules.

In a tournament, each cardroom will have their own rules, but generally speaking you are required to show. This harkens back to worries about "chip dumping" where one player will lose to another (on purpose) in order to "give" the other player valuable tournament chips. Requiring both players to show is to demonstrate that each hand is fair and no collusion is happening.

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  • I've only seen "last aggressor shows first" when the last action is on the river. If the last action is earlier (either due to HU all-in prior, or check/check, I've always seen enforcement of closest to the SB must show (or muck) first. My experience is in cash games and I've seen this both live an online.
    – mah
    Nov 19, 2014 at 21:28
  • In my casino, we enforced "last aggressor" shows, even if it was an earlier round.
    – Lee Daniel Crocker
    Dec 9, 2014 at 8:31
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Rule 15 of the TDA states this pretty clearly.

15: Face Up for All-Ins All cards will be tabled without delay once a player is all-in and all betting action by all other players in the hand is complete.

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  • Correct, but just remember the TDA rules aren't used everywhere.
    – Grinch91 ♦
    Dec 18, 2015 at 13:56
  • TDA rules apply only to tournaments
    – Jon ♦
    Jan 29, 2022 at 0:10
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After the last aggressor shows his hand do the remaining player have to show their loosing hands

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