Showdown
A showdown is the point after the final round of betting where the remaining players turn their cards face up and the best five card hand takes the pot.
It only happens when at least two players are still in after the river. If everyone folds earlier, no cards need to be shown at all, and the pot is won without anyone learning what it was won with.
Who shows first follows the action rather than the seat: the player who made the last bet or raise shows first, and if nobody bet on the river, the first player left of the button does. Rooms differ on the details, so the house rule is the one that counts.
an example
your cards
board
Both players check the river and turn their cards over. You have a pair of aces with a king kicker. An opponent with Ah 3s has the same pair, but the king outranks their best remaining card, so the pot is yours rather than split.
This example is made up. The real one is in your own hand history: find showdown in your own hands and see how often it came up and what it cost you.
related terms
Kicker
A kicker is a card in your hand that does not form part of the pair or other combination, but is still counted when two ...
River
The river is the fifth and final community card, after which no more cards come and one last round of betting decides th ...
All in
A player is all in when they have put their last chip in the pot, which means they cannot bet, raise or fold again in th ...
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Knowing the word is not the same as seeing it.
Real spots where you say which hand wins, and it keeps score.