Searched for this in the forum but got all random results back so apologies if this has already been answered.

When should we show our hands to opponents in any situation ie. We vb and they fold, we bluff and they fold, we call and they win, they call and we were bluffing, multiway pot checked through to showdown etc.

I get that we want to show as little as possible but what instances are good to show?

Not sure honestly, I never show my hands unless I have to

Any time you are called you should always fast roll your hand. Keep the game moving. If you are bluffing, be proud.

If you don't have to show (they fold) then just fold and move along. Showing bluffs is 95% about ego and ego has no place at the poker table for winning players.

While we're on the subject, I've also become a bit more thorny when it comes to guys betting the river and getting called and saying "you got it" but not mucking their hand. I tell them "muck it then." If they don't want to show their bluff then I'm not showing my hand, either. So yeah, if you were the aggressor on the river and get called, insta-flip it or insta-muck it.

To answer the OP's question entirely though, if I'm on an a table full of terrible players/drunks/etc, I'll sometimes show my bluffs on sticky tables. On those types of tables I bluff infrequently enough that I want to get the sticky action against my value hands.

I only show when I have to or for the friendly, social atmosphere necessary for the game to run. For people to want to play poker, it needs to be entertaining. Playing against a robot that never talks or interacts with the other players is no fun.

From a strategic standpoint, it doesn't have any merit in my opinion.

I hate this too but I hate the stand off at showdowns even more where the 1st person to show just waits hoping the opponent will show 1st. Slows the game down too much.

I used to show my hands wayyy to much but cut it down now to hardly ever apart from situations like dmccoy mentioned. I don't bluff enough so showing these could add something for me but I think that's more to do with me needing to be more balanced

I will show now and then when I dont need to. Sometimes just to be friendly to a reg in a small pot. I may say "now you owe me one later one".

I may show at some point to manipulate someone into making a mistake later on. Its pretty rare though.

Perfectly said. When I bluff otr or the ott get called & he checks to me otr, I immediately turn my hand face-up, even if I have 3rd pair with a deuce kicker.
It keeps the game moving & it's the only time people see that I'm capable of bluffing. I was last aggressor, so I'm obligated to show first.

None of this: "All I have is a pair of X" or "Your str8 wins" trash, trying to get V to show so I can fold w/o showing my hand.

Pretty much agree with this.

And as a random anecdote, even in very passive pots where it checks down, I immediately turn over my 9 high, I"ve even made on two separate occasions people fold because of how fast I turned it over they just instamucked with better according to them (not much better, but better none the less) lol.

I agree with the first sentence...keeping the game fun, especially when you are running well, is important. So, showing and laughing about "your good luck" with others keeps them re-buying.

Don't agree with the second statement. There are plenty of times when showing can be very strategic, especially for future hand play. It is all about influencing your opponents on how you play and then using what you have shown/told them against them down the road. Obviously we should show too much but a timely show of wither the stone nuts or a bluff can make you $ on a later hand in the same session.

The thing about showing is you don't know what your card strength will be over the time span that showing your hand will impact your opponent(s). IE, if we show a bluff to get our opponents to call too often, it's a disaster if we get a cold run of cards but great if we run good. If we show value to get our opponents to respect our bluffs, we then lose value when we run well.

From this perspective, I would say showing the nuts is better than showing a bluff, but overall it kind of cancels out.

I could get behind that it makes our opponent more exploitable if we know how he/she is going to play as a result of it, as you said. But that is contingent on correctly assessing how the opponent(s) will react.

I agree with that part of it. If I check three streets or something passively from the blinds I'm happy to just turn my 9 up, or my 5th pair, without waiting for anyone.

The more I play the more I think always having that seed of doubt by not showing anything if I don't have to is the best overall play.

So I basically never show if I don't have to, with the exception of fast rolling what is obviously a winner against a friendly fish.

ETA: Also agree with others in keeping a friendly game moving, and I'll always quickly table my hand if I'm the one that is supposed to.

GcluelesshandshowingnoobG