What do you guys think about showing your hands? Are there any benefits?
I really like to do it in the later stages of an MTT, specifically in situations where I've been raising a lot of pots and have been pushing the table around.

Lets say I'm the table's CL and have been fairly active for the last 10 hands or so. Suddenly I pick up AK in the CO and make a standard 3bb raise. Everyone folds and I pick up the blinds/antes. I will usually show this hand just to make the table think that I'm only pushing them around because I'm getting good cards.

On the flipside, I'll NEVER show a bluff. I don't want to have to deal with the action that showing a bluff always seems to generate. I'd rather just keep bullying the table and picking up small pots as often as I can. I also never show my hands in cash games since in cash games I usually play a much tighter game and just wait for the big hands. I don't need to bully the table to pick up the blinds and win the small pots since it's just not worth it (at the limits I play.)

What do you guys think?

I dont show bluffs, I have auto-muck winning hands on. That being said, I really dont mind being caught bluffing a few times. I tend to play fairly agressive when I'm new to a table to gauge reactions, also when I get caught a show down a few bluffs I just tighten up and wait for a real hand. I think getting caught bluffing is more powerful than showing a bluff, b/c it makes the player feel good for calling you down (we all know how it feels great to catch a bluff). So they'll be more likely to do it on later pots. This is for cash games tho..

For tournies your alot happier when you can steal blinds uncontested, so I'd say you lose alot of value showing or getting caugh bluffing, and gain value when you're showning down solid hands. I guess I've never really had a problem getting action in tournies.

You always want your opponents to think you are the opposite of what you are. I bluff rarely so generally show big bluffs like all in on river as 95% of the time I make that move I am not bluffing. If 1 player makes a note of that bluff, 19 times out of 20 it will help me.

Originally Posted by WotaWaster

You always want your opponents to think you are the opposite of what you are. I bluff rarely so generally show big bluffs like all in on river as 95% of the time I make that move I am not bluffing. If 1 player makes a note of that bluff, 19 times out of 20 it will help me.

That makes perfect sense.
In the situation I was talking about above, I want my opponents to think I'm tight while I'm robbing 'em blind.