Poker glossary · Basics
What does “showdown” mean in poker?
Definition
Showdown: Showdown is the point after the final betting round where the remaining players reveal their hands and the best hand wins the pot.
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A hand reaches showdown if two or more players are still in after the river betting, or if someone is all-in and no more betting is possible. In most games the last player to bet or raise on the river shows first. If everyone checked, the first active player to the left of the button shows first. Online, the software reads the hands and awards the pot for you.
Example: You bet the river with A♣ J♣ and your opponent calls. You show first, they show K♦ J♠, and your ace kicker wins at showdown.
Related terms
- RiverThe fifth and final community card, followed by the last betting round.
- MuckTo muck is to discard your hand without showing it; the muck is also the pile of folded and discarded cards on the table.
- PotThe pot is the total of all chips bet by every player during a hand, which the winner or winners collect at the end.