Hi,

If you call a bluffer's bet on the river in Hold 'Em, how can the bluffer muck his cards? After all, you've "paid" to see what he's got; surely the decision is no longer his to make as to what to do with his cards.

Regards, Jack

That's a good question, Jack. He "can" muck his cards simply by doing it; there isn't a whole lot you can do if he flings them into the muck, conceding the pot. Technically, you are entitled to see them if you want to see them, but barring unusual circumstances, I think asking to see cards under these circumstances is a big mistake. First, there is always the chance the bluffer has misread his hand and actually has a straight or some other good hand. I have seen even very good players make this mistake and if the player who is "conceding" has not said "I fold" or done something else that kills his hand, your curiosity could cost you a pot every once in a while. Second, and more likely, when a player mucks without showing, you already know what he has: a stone cold bluff. Asking to see the cards will only irritate the player and possibly make him play better against you; it will also make him less likely to bluff too much, and most players bluff too much. If someone else mucks his hand when you call, my advice is to take the pot and be content with it.

Andy Glazer