Cards speak ("for themselves"), also known as "cards read" is used in two
poker contexts:
First, it is used to describe a
high-low split
In traditional poker games, the player with the best traditional hand wins the whole pot. Lowball variations award the pot to the lowest hand, by any of several methods (see Low hand (poker)). High-low split games are those in which the pot is ...
game without a
declaration
Declaration may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Declaration'' (book), a self-published electronic pamphlet by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri
* ''The Declaration'' (novel), a 2008 children's novel by Gemma Malley
Music ...
. 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
House rules are unofficial modifications to official game rules adopted by individual groups of players. House rules may include the removal or alteration of existing rules, or the addition of new rules. Such modifications are common in board ...
in
casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
cardroom
A cardroom or card room is a gaming establishment that exclusively offers card games for play by the public. The term poker room is used to describe a dedicated room in casinos that is dedicated to playing poker and in function is similar to a ca ...
s. "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 One player to a hand is an important poker rule designed to promote fair play that is universally applied in casino play. It states that all game decisions about the play of each hand must be made by one player without any assistance. This means, ...
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 gameplay and terminology