I want to see this hand (1st part)

Tommy Angelo
By Tommy Angelo
There's an old rule that is routinely taken and who doesn't. It is now time to put it aside. Some players may request to see the hand which called for the showdown. I call it the rule of ' I want to see that hand "(IWTSTH) or, in french,"I want to see this hand. This rule was invented summer for a noble reason, i.e. to avoid collusion. Unfortunately, it is not this result.


I interviewed several people working in casinos and several dealers. I asked them: "what is the reason for the IWTSTH? '' They all replied: "to prevent collusion. I then responded to them: 'when a player wants to see the cards of a player who has called for the showdown, how many times suspected that there was collusion? And the response: 'very rarely or almost never.

I have spoken to thousands of people around the time of the rule of the IWTSTH. They come to the same conclusion as me: the rule of the IWTSTH is rarely used because it suspected collusion players.

When a young player or inexperienced employs IWTSTH without malice rule, I sometimes ask him questions. I'm still learning that for this player, the IWTSTH is just part of the game. When I ask him: "What is the purpose of this rule" he has no idea or tells me something like "to see how players play. They see nothing wrong with asking to see a hand when they suspect collusion players. It is abuse of innocence, ignorance and silence.


Types of abuse

Let's look at a few situations where players use the IWTSTH without so suspect collusion.

Psychological tool. In the spirit of a player without way, the rule of the IWTSTH is used to embarrass, agitate, or irritate other players to generate voltages.

Vengeance. We've all already seen it happen. One player asks to see a hand at the showdown and this player will in turn ask to see a hand. As the expression says: "two errors do not a good shot. If the initial use of the IWTSTH is considered bad or inappropriate, how this reciprocal use cannot be as bad?  And to return to our original question, why do we have a rule making this behavior acceptable and legal?

Freedom of information.  Here is a definition of a type of cheating in poker: "the fact to give information to a player which are not accessible to all." Some may say that the fact of using the rule of the IWTSTH is a way to get information that is not accessible to all.

Most players believe, however that the fact of abusing the IWTSTH is not ethical.  So they don't ask to see hands, even though they are extremely curious and this information could be very profitable.  Those who ask to see the hand do in moments where the information will be very useful and it will be unavailable to other more ethical players, that they have not requested this information. It's like a boxer who would give often blows down while his opponent would never have it done.

Many think that poker is a battle of information, a struggle to hide information and obtain it. For them, and me, to abuse the IWTSTH rule violates privacy rights. Ask a player how he feels after someone asked him to show his hand and he will tell you he feels violated. My hand in poker is like my penis. If I want to mount it to you, I'll show it to you, but the difference with the rule of the IWTSTH is that I am forced to do so!

Misery loves company. The player on the button has a pair of ACEs in a pot to three players. On the River, the first player update, the second calls and ACEs also call. In the showdown, the first player shows a flush. The second cache her game. ACEs ask to see the hand of the second player curious about who had the best hand on the turn.

It is a natural and innocent request. Even if the player does not invoke the rule of the IWTSTH, the second player will often show his hand or tell the truth about what he had.  But what would happen if he did not? If he spoke even not? What would happen if it was a call of hope on the river and he was embarrassed? Or say that it has made a straight on the turn, got beat on the river and he wanted the hand ends without history. Why would he be forced to show his hand?

The book of the Lucky Chances Casino regulations refers to abuse of the IWTSTH. "Any player sitting at a table can ask to see all active hands at the showdown. However, it is a privilege which can be revoked or denied if there is abuse".

It is still too soft. In practice, this means that for a player is denied this practice, it must abuse and abuse still until another player calls an employee to protect it from abuse and then only, that player will be protected. Which means that this abuse is not really an as long as it did not happen again and again. What does not suit me. Think of bodily violence and you'll see what I mean.