Cards speak ("for themselves"), also known as "cards read" is used in two
poker
Poker is a family of Card game#Comparing games, comparing card games in which Card player, players betting (poker), wager over which poker hand, hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, with varying rules i ...
contexts:
First, it is used to describe a
high-low split
In traditional poker games, the player with the best traditional List of poker hands, hand wins the whole pot (poker), pot. Lowball (poker), Lowball variations award the pot to the lowest hand, by any of several methods (see Low hand (poker)). Hi ...
game without a
declaration. That is, in a cards speak game, players all reveal their hands at the showdown, and whoever has the highest hand wins the high half of the pot and whoever has the lowest hand wins the low half.
The second is as a
house rule in
casino
A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
cardrooms. "Cards speak" means that any verbal declaration as to the content of a player’s hand is not binding. If Mary says she has no pair, but in fact she has a flush, her cards speak and her hand is viewed for its genuine value, that of a flush. Likewise if John says he has a flush, but in fact he does not, his hand is judged on its actual merits, not his verbal declaration. At the discretion of management, a player deemed to be deliberately miscalling his hand may incur a penalty.
The "cards speak" rule does not address the awarding of a pot, player responsibilities, or the similar
one player to a hand rule. It merely means that verbal statements do not make a hand value, but the cards do.
[{{Cite web , title=Cards Speak Poker Term - What Does Card Speaks Mean , url=http://www.poker-vibe.com/poker/terms/cards-speak/ , access-date=2022-09-17 , website=www.poker-vibe.com]
Notes
Poker terminology