What is Showdown Value in Poker?

A hand that has a reasonable chance of winning in a showdown on a given board has showdown value.

For example, if the board runs out J♦ 2♦ 3♣ 7♠ 2♠, hands like 7♣ 6♣ and A♥ Q♥ and have showdown value, as this board doesn’t have any possible flushes or straights, and a pair or ace-high hand stands a reasonable chance of winning in a showdown. On this board, a hand like 5♦ 4♦ would have no showdown value because it is the worst possible hand.