Showdown value
A hand has showdown value when it can win by simply being shown at the end, without needing anybody to fold.
It is the property that decides whether a hand should bluff. A hand with no showdown value has nothing to lose by betting, and a hand that beats part of the opponent range gives that up the moment it turns itself into a bluff.
The amount of it depends on who you are playing. Ace high has real showdown value against someone who bets every missed draw and almost none against a player who only bets made hands.
an example
your cards
board
Your pair of eights loses to every ace and every king and beats every hand that missed. Betting it wins nothing extra and folds out everything you beat, so the check is what collects the value the hand has.
This example is made up. The real one is in your own hand history: find showdown value in your own hands and see how often it came up and what it cost you.
related terms
Bluff catcher
A bluff catcher is a hand that beats everything your opponent could be bluffing with and loses to everything they would ...
Check behind
To check behind is to check in last position after your opponent has already checked, which ends the betting round and t ...
Ace high
Ace high is a hand with no pair and nothing better, where the ace is simply the highest of your five cards.
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Knowing the word is not the same as seeing it.
Forty hands against a bot, no account, and your own hand history at the end.