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If you call a bluff in poker, do you have to show your cards if your opponent does not?

I see players who are called just tap the table and not show their bluffing hand. You can learn a lot from your opponents bluffing strategies. If they do not show, do I need to show? Is it bad sportsmanship to insist they show their bluff?

Public Comments

1. Nope. No need to show if they don't. I personally think it's bad etiquette to not show cards at the end of a hand, but sometimes you have to preserve your strategies.
2. No one has to show their cards but I think it sucks cuz how do you know if they are bluffing or not? And you can try to insist they show their bluff, but there's no rules really saying they have too but then again, neither do you.
3. You only have to show your cards if it is a called hand. If you are in a pot and a player puts out a big bet and you fold, then you have no right to see his hand. Now if that same player puts out a bluff and you call it all the way down to the showdown, you have very right to see his cards. Some think it's rude to ask to see a players hand, but i like to make someone who tried to bluff me show it to the table. But most times he will just muck it and you will win the pot. I wouldn't ask every single hand he has played to be shown, because he will start to do the same to you, or he will start calling the clock on you just to upset you, but in some situations i like to make them show to let them know that i called there bluff.
4. If you call their hand then they do need to show first. Then it is up to you to show yours or not. Some casinos have the hand closest to the big blind show first no matter who does what.
5. The bluffer does not have to show. If he/she throws their cards in the muck, then they are not showing it. You will still win the pot. If it is only the two of you and they throw their cards in the muck, you win the pot by default and do not have to show. If you call them, though, you can force them to show or muck before you show your cards.
6. The only time someone mucks their cards is if their hand is worse than the winning hand. You can tell sometimes from the winning hand whether their play was a bluff, and everyone at the table who has any smarts sees this too. However, if someone bluffs at you and you fold your hand, they have every right to take down the pot without showing. If you wanted to see their hand, it's up to you to call the bet and pay for the information. I would never ask to see the hand though -it's poor gamesmanship.
7. Generally, I don't expect bluffers to show their cards. But, if I think someone IS bluffing, I'll wait until he shows me his cards before I show mine. Also sometimes its not a bad thing to show a bluff that failed, people will have that thought in the back of their heads when your playing a monster. Trap city..
8. Once their cards hit the muck, the hand is dead. Therefore, your hand is the only live one, which means you win by default and thus don't have to show your cards. To insist to see a failed bluff is considered bad form. It's bad enough he lost the hand, making him show it just pours it on. Here's another thing to consider- let's say the guy is going for the flush and misses so he decides to bluff at it. You call and he taps the table and mucks. Imagine if you had forced him to show his hand down. He turns it over sheepishly and although he missed it, the dealer calls out that he made a runner runner low end straight beating your two pair. So rather than take an uncontested pot, you just lost a pot that your opponent misread. Why take the chance? Take the pot and stack your chips.