Showdown (Poker)

The showdown is the term for the moment when all bets are complete and there is more than one player left in the hand. The showdown is the point when all players turn over their cards (so that they are visible to all) to see who has the best hand, with the best hand taking down the pot (unless playing a high-low variation which could split the pot with a low hand).

What makes poker such a popular game is the fact that you do not need to have the best cards to take down a pot. By leading out you have two ways of winning the pot. All players could fold to your raise or you could win by making the best hand. It is this reason that players are more likely to raise when they are the aggressors.

At showdown, if both players have the same hand (taking into account the highest card), both players would split the pot equally. For instance is both players have an ace high straight (10-J-Q-K-A, neither having made a Royal Flush, they would both have an ace high straight and would split the pot between them.