I thought that when a player bets and gets called after the river, he's required to show his hand, or whoever the first person was to make the last betting action. But what has sometimes happened is that a player will say something like "you're good" or "nice call" and expect you to show your hand so that they can now muck. When I request that they show their hand first, they do so reluctantly and glare at me like I'm a douchebag. I've commonly seen players get called, then muck without showing their hand on TV at the WSOP and Poker after Dark.

So what's the deal? What are the proper rules for this? To me, the only douchebaggy thing going on in that situation is trying to avoid showing your hand after you were caught bluffing.

LOL. This actually happened to a friend of mine, in which he was the one who tapped his cards and said "good call"... He then stared in digust and slowly turned over his bottom pair when the other play demanded that he show his cards.

It's poker etiquette when a player taps his cards, or says "nice call/you're good" that you take as a white flag. It's like conceding a putt in golf. In this case you give the credit to the caller.

Technically, you are in every right, to have the player show his cards. You decide if you want to ruffle feathers or keep it cool.

Hmmm I see. I wasn't aware the showdown rule is that flexible. I don't wanna seem like a dick at the table, it's just that I find it annoying when a player doesn't have to show whatever hand he had and I have to show mine, and it's perfectly within my rights and the rules for me to know what he had. For example, if I call his river bet with top pair and he says "you're good," I have no idea what he bet with, while he and everyone else at the table knows I called with top pair. What was he betting with, a busted draw, bottom/middle pair turned into a bluff?

When I get called, I simply table my hand, whether it's the nuts or air. I guess I'll stop doing that now when I have air lol

The rule isn't that flexible. In other words, you are right. You paid for that information (or someone at the table did). What's flexible is the poker ettiquette/play that "allows" people to not show. In many poker situations, if there were a lot of no-shows and you were to call them all, you would seem like a {insert non swear word from middle aged female english major}.

My advice? Choose your "I need to see the cards" card carefully.

BTW, this is a related issue to a player showing one of 2 pocket cards to win a pot. Technically, both cards need to be revealed even if only one actually plays. This rule is more consistently enforced but is also somewhat subject to informal "let it go" poker play.

technically if a player bets and you call he doesnt "have" to show ... he can actually just muck conceeding the pot alltogether and you also dont have to show

Really? I know this is how if often plays out but I don't think it is "technically" correct.

In fact, I think technically, he has to show *first* upon end of hand.

If they're saying nice call, or w/e, tell them to muck their hand if they don't want to show the table. You shouldn't have to show your cards then as you'll be the only player left in the hand

If they won't muck their hand and want to know what you had they have to table their hand first.

Everything here is correct. The last person to bet is "required" to show their cards. However, if they muck, you can win the hand without showing. No need to get pissy about it. Just take the pot.

There is one thing watch out for. Some angle players will try something like this. You call and villain says something like "good call" and then casually motions like he is throwing in his cards, but he'll stop short. What he is trying to do is to get you to muck your cards. If you toss your cards in, your hand is dead and he gets the pot.

Never muck your cards until villain's cards are in the muck and the dealer is pushing the pot your way.