River

The river is the fifth and final community card in Hold’em and Omaha. It’s also called fifth street.

When the river is dealt

After the betting on the turn is over, the dealer burns one card and deals the river face up. The full order is the flop (three cards), the turn (one card), then the river (one card).

Can you bet after the river?

Yes. There’s one last betting round after the river, starting with the first player still in the hand to the left of the button. If two or more players are left after that, the hand goes to showdown. The last player to bet or raise on the river shows first; see who shows first.

Why the river is different

There are no more cards to come, so:

• Draws are finished. A missed flush draw is now just a high-card hand.
• Equity is all or nothing. Your hand either wins, loses or splits.
• Bets are for value or as bluffs. Bet for value when worse hands will call, and bluff when better hands might fold. Betting a medium hand that only gets called by better hands loses money.

River slang

• Rivered: made your hand on the river, as in “she rivered a flush.”
• Down the river: in Seven-Card Stud, the seventh and last card, dealt face down, is also called the river.

River decisions get a full lesson in turn and river play.