Showdown (poker)

In poker, the showdown is the final stage of a hand where, if more than one player remains after the final betting round (typically the river in games like Texas Hold'em and Omaha), the players reveal their hole cards to determine who has the best hand and wins the pot.

The showdown occurs after all betting rounds have concluded and players have either called all bets or checked around (betting zero) on the final betting round. Players who have folded their hands earlier in the game are not involved in the showdown.

The order in which players reveal their hands generally starts with the player who made the last aggressive action (bet or raise) on the final betting round. If no betting occurred on the final round, the player closest to the left of the dealer button reveals their hand first. Players only need to show their hand if they are trying to claim the pot. A player can muck (discard) their hand face down without showing it if they believe they cannot win. However, if only one player remains who hasn't folded, that player wins the pot by default and is not required to show their hand.

The player with the highest-ranking hand, according to the established poker hand rankings for that specific game, wins the pot. If multiple players have hands of equal rank, the pot is split evenly among them. The dealer or a designated floor person typically determines the winning hand if there is any dispute.

The rules regarding the showdown and the process of determining the winning hand are fundamental to all poker variants.