Tristan & Mike,
The example Tristan gives is a perfect example of what's wrong with tournament poker rules. In a cash game, at showdown, the dealer would ask Player A to show first. If Player A elects to muck, he may...that's it... the hand is dead! In Tristan's example, Player C has a right to see Player A's hand but, the hand is tapped to the muck and dead...he can only have a live hand if Player B (holding the presumed winner with his straight) asks to see Player A's mucked hand.
There is an obvious difference, (as it should be) between cash and tournament play.
Cash poker allows for player's to throw winning hands away, any time they want!
Tournament poker should protect all of us from any pot ever being awarded to the wrong player, if the best hand is in for all bets!
I don't like the idea that the only player that has to show his hand is the winner...It opens the door for every kind of collusion, and chip dumping imaginable.
Forcing all player's to show their hands at showdown, for tournament poker, is the only answer.
Tristan, if this will help you better follow the point I'm trying to make; The excellent example you gave should be the best argument for showing all hands at showdown in tournaments...there is no issue, no problem, no question about the winner, no thought of chip dumping, and no opportunity for undisclosed collusion. The best hand gets the pot!
One more explanation; in your example, If Player A were all-in...the situation you describe is impossible.
I hope I've explained it better this time. If you need more on dealer procedure in this situation, I'll keep trying.
Thanks for the great example.
I just read Ken's reply and I'd like to say that I do not agree. In cash games, you can muck your hand. When you do...it's dead. In a tournament, we must be allowed to see every called hand at showdown...just the way we do when there's an all-in.