Rabbit Hunting in Poker: Unveiling the Hidden Cards

Rabbit hunting, in other words, is the act of showing the community cards after a hand has been played. This feature can benefit both players and online poker platforms. By satisfying player curiosity, enhancing the user experience, and potentially increasing revenue, rabbit hunting can be a valuable addition to any online poker game.

What is rabbit hunting?

“Rabbit hunting” is a term that derives from the idea of hunting for information, just like one would chase a rabbit during a traditional hunt. This term is only applicable to poker, though sometimes it is called “fox hunting” and the two are used interchangeably.

Players typically request a rabbit hunt when they've folded a hand that had potential — perhaps they were on a draw or held a marginal hand that might have improved. It's a practice born out of the natural human desire to know “what if”, particularly in a game where incomplete information is a crucial element.

Another noteworthy thing about rabbit hunting is that it is more prevalent in online poker than live poker. In traditional live games, it's often at the discretion of the dealer and may vary according to the house rules, some casinos have banned it completely. Online, the feature is present in some platforms by default but absent in others. At EvenBet, a leading online poker software provider, we have recognised the player demand for this feature and added it to our new In-Store.

The mechanics of rabbit hunting

The process of rabbit hunting is quite straightforward, yet it still has unwritten rules of etiquette. After a hand concludes and the pot is awarded, any player who folded may request to see the cards that would have come next (undealt cards). This can only occur after all betting is complete and the winner is determined to ensure that it doesn't influence the current hand's outcome.

In Texas Hold'em, rabbit hunting might reveal the turn and river cards if the hand ended on the flop, or just the river if it concluded on the turn. For Omaha, it could show the final three community cards if the hand finished on the flop. The specifics vary depending on the poker variant.

The dealer plays a crucial role in facilitating rabbit hunting. They must maintain deck integrity and ensure the revealed cards don't affect any side bets or future hands. In live games, the dealer typically spreads the cards face down, turning them over upon request.

Let's walk through a typical “hunting” scenario for Texas Hold'em.

• You as a player hold A♠ K♠.
• The flop comes 10♠ Q♠ 2♣, giving you a nut flush draw and two overcards.
• An opponent bets heavily, and you fold, fearing they've hit a set. After they indeed reveal a set of Queens, you ask to rabbit hunt.

In a live game, the dealer would now show the turn and river cards. In online poker rooms, you'd simply click the “Rabbit Hunting” button.

• The software reveals the 7♣ on the turn and the J♠ on the river. This means you would have hit your flush.

This knowledge might influence your future decisions in similar situations. Perhaps you'll be more inclined to call with strong drawing hands, or maybe you'll feel vindicated in your fold, realising you needed to hit your flush to win.

How rabbit hunting influences player engagement

To begin with, rabbit hunting helps players on a psychological level as it gives an answer to “what if” and provides closure. It is always frustrating for players to fold and then see a flop that would have been perfect for them. Rabbit hunting helps to sweeten the pill. Additionally, rabbit hunting can be a part of a learning curve in poker, as players reflect on their choices after seeing the cards and adjust their strategy.

But, rabbit hunting is not without controversy. Critics have pointed out that this feature can cause a strong outcome bias in players, especially newcomers to the poker table, where they prioritise the outcome of the hand over all other factors. It can also make the game less exciting and slow it down — both can be considerable downsides for professional players.

Nevertheless, experience shows that rabbit hunting is more beneficial than detrimental for players and can increase their loyalty. It brings an additional level of entertainment and engagement, particularly for casual players who may feel isolated and frustrated after throwing in the towel.

Rabbit hunting in professional vs. recreational play

Professional and recreational players have different attitudes towards rabbit hunting. It is not widely used by professionals as they consider it to be a waste of time, and sometimes it makes them act on their emotions. They know that in poker, the long-term expected value of decisions is more important than the short-term results. To them, the knowledge of what could have happened does not alter the fact that the decision made was statistically correct at the time they made it.

For amateur or recreational players, rabbit hunting can be a very useful feature. It enables them to know how many times they were right and to learn more about pot odds and drawing probabilities. This knowledge can be very useful in the long run to build up a better strategy for playing poker.

Implementing rabbit hunting in online poker platforms

Rabbit hunting is a rather special poker phenomenon, which is a good testament to the game’s combination of luck, skill, and psychology. It fills the curiosity gap and adds to the learning process, though some professional players do not appreciate the interruption of the game.

From a technical perspective, it is challenging to program the revealed cards randomly and not affect subsequent hands. EvenBet Gaming has addressed this challenge by incorporating rabbit hunting as an additional feature that can be turned on and off. This way, the feature will not be seen as a negative addition that can drastically change the game, but as a gameplay improvement.