Card rules · 2026-10-29
A Full Replay Is Not the View Players Had During the Hand
A spectator reviewing a completed hand may see cards that were hidden from the participants while they acted. That later visibility should not be imported backwards into the explanation.
A spectator reviewing a completed hand may see cards that were hidden from the participants while they acted. That later visibility should not be imported backwards into the explanation.
Track the audience and the time
Suppose a teaching replay reveals all private cards after the hand ends. During play, each participant could see only their own cards and the authorised public information. The complete replay is useful for reconstruction, but it is not evidence that everyone originally knew every card.
An observer's access may also differ from a player's access. A spectator view could be delayed, restricted or expanded after completion. The exact permissions need to come from the relevant mode, not from a general assumption that visible means public to all.
Reconstruct the earlier information set
Pause the reasoning at the decision being reviewed. Exclude cards revealed only after that point. A completed replay can explain the eventual result while still leaving the earlier decision uncertain from the player's perspective.
A fair replay analysis stops at the information available when the player acted. Cards revealed later can explain the final result, but they cannot become facts the player should have known earlier.
A revealed ace does not rewrite an earlier decision
Suppose the replay shows an opponent's A♠ after completion. At the earlier decision point that card was face down. A sentence saying the player ignored a visible ace would therefore be false. The review may explain how the ace affected the final comparison while acknowledging that its identity was not available when the decision was made.