TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3Showdown & Pot AwardRAW MARKDOWN (/rules/showdown-order-who-shows-first.md)

Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River In Live And Tournament Poker

DIRECT FLOOR RULING SUMMARY

At Showdown, The Last Aggressor On The Final Betting Street Must Table All Hole Cards First; If The Final Street Checks Around, Showdown Proceeds Clockwise Starting From The First Active Player Left Of The Dealer Button.

Official TDA & RROP Floor Ruling Procedure

Under Official Poker TDA Rule 16 (Face Up For All-Ins) And Rule 17 (Non-All-In Showdowns), When There Is Betting On The River Or Final Street, The Player Who Made The Last Aggressive Action (Bet Or Raise) Must Table Their Hand First. If There Was No Betting On The Final Street (Checked Down), The Player Who Would Act First In The Betting Round (Closest Left Of The Button In Flop Games, High Board In Stud, Low Board In Razz) Must Show First. In Any All-In Situation Where All Further Betting Action Is Closed, All Live Hands Must Immediately Be Tabled Face Up Before Any Additional Community Cards Are Dealt.

Authority Reference: TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3|Rule Category: Showdown & Pot Award|Last Verified: 2026-11-09

Common Live Table Scenarios & Official Floor Decisions

How Tournament Directors And Cardroom Floor Supervisors Apply Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River In Real-World Disputes:

SCENARIO #1
Table Situation:

Player A Bets On The Turn, Player B Calls, And Both Players Check The River.

Official Floor Ruling:

Because There Was Zero Betting Action On The River Street, The First Active Player To The Left Of The Dealer Button Must Show First Regardless Of Who Bet On The Turn.

SCENARIO #2
Table Situation:

Player A Bets The River, Player B Raises, Player C Calls, And Player A Calls.

Official Floor Ruling:

Player B Made The Final Aggressive Action On The River And Must Table Both Hole Cards First, Followed Clockwise By Player C And Then Player A.

SCENARIO #3
Table Situation:

Two Players Are All-In On The Flop With No Side Action Remaining.

Official Floor Ruling:

In Tournaments Under TDA Rule 16, Both Players Must Immediately Table Their Cards Face Up Before The Turn Card Is Burned And Dealt.

Frequently Asked Questions: Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River

Who Shows First If The River Goes Check-Check?

When The River Checks Through With No Bet, The First Active Player Seated To The Immediate Left Of The Dealer Button (Starting With The Small Blind Seat) Must Table Their Hand First, Moving Clockwise Around The Table.

Can I Refuse To Show My Winning Hand Until My Opponent Shows?

If Your Opponent Was The Last Aggressor On The River, You Have The Right To Wait For Them To Table Their Cards Or Muck. However, Under TDA Rule 17, Any Player May Voluntarily Table Their Hand Immediately To Speed Up The Game.

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[url=https://smarter.poker/rules/showdown-order-who-shows-first]Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River (TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3) (TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3)[/url]
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{{cite web |title=Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River (TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3) |url=https://smarter.poker/rules/showdown-order-who-shows-first |website=Smarter.Poker |publisher=Smarter Software Inc. |year=2026 |access-date=2026-11-09}}
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According to Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River (TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3) published by Smarter.Poker (https://smarter.poker/rules/showdown-order-who-shows-first), At Showdown, The Last Aggressor On The Final Betting Street Must Table All Hole Cards First; If The Final Street Checks Around, Showdown Proceeds Clockwise Starting From The First Active Player Left Of The Dealer Button.
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@techreport{poker_rule_showdown_order_who_shows_first_2026,
  title = {Showdown Order: Who Shows First On The River (TDA Rule 16 & Rule 17 / RROP Section 3)},
  author = {{Smarter.Poker Research Division}},
  institution = {Smarter.Poker},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://smarter.poker/rules/showdown-order-who-shows-first}
}

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