Show and Tell

[Conelead]

I was told that the procedure for resolving Show and Tell is as follows:

Player A plays Show and Tell
Player B declares he has no responses
Player A puts the permanent he is "Show and Telling" face down in front of him.
Player B does the same.
Both players turn their permanents face up.

Is this correct? If so, is the reason the permanents are put into play face down so that player B doesn't know what player A is show and telling? If so, why is that information restricted if Player A has to make decisions first?

[cdr]

Show and Tell 2U
Sorcery
Each player may put an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land card from his or her hand onto the battlefield.

It happens all at the same time, so it follows the rules for stuff happening at the same time.

101.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player's left) makes any choices required, followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the "Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order" rule.

Example: A card reads "Each player sacrifices a creature." First, the active player chooses a creature he or she controls. Then each of the nonactive players, in turn order, chooses a creature he or she controls. Then all creatures chosen this way are sacrificed simultaneously.

101.4a. If an effect has each player choose a card in a hidden zone, such as his or her hand or library, those cards may remain face down as they're chosen. However, each player must clearly indicate which face-down card he or she is choosing.

This gets around the 'who starts first' problem without unfairly allowing subsequent players to take advantage of the earlier players having to choose first.

[Meekrab]

long post
Just in case it's not clear, the answer to the questions are yes, yes, and because the game-world model of Show and Tell is two permanents spontaneously appearing on the battlefield at the same time.

[DerFern]

I have a further question regarding Show and Tell.

My opponent plays Show and Tell which resolves. We both chose a card to be put into play face down, then we flip it at the same time. My opponent has chosen Iona and I have a Sower of Temptation. Since Sower has a triggered ability that uses the stack and Iona has a replacement effect which should apply before Sowers trigger is put onto the stack, my opponent choses the color first.

The thing is, my opponent already knows that control of Iona would change due to my sower but he still gets to chose the color that "Iona's Opponent" (himself obviously) will not be able to play. Most likely he would chose any color that he does not play (red in Reanimator for example).

To quote cdr:

This gets around the 'who starts first' problem without unfairly allowing subsequent players to take advantage of the earlier players having to choose first.

The above scenario is contrary to the desired model of two permanents entering the game at the same time. Is there any way to avoid this?

[Malchar]

There's no way to avoid that.