Table and rules
River in poker
Definition
The fifth and last community card, dealt after the turn betting round; also called fifth street.
After the river comes the last betting round. No cards are left to come, so draws either hit or miss, and the bets are pure information: value bets and bluffs only.
River decisions are often the hardest: you need to count how many bluffs and how many strong hands your opponent can have, and compare that with the price of a call.
Example
A missed flush draw on the river is a classic bluff-catcher, or a hand that can only win as a bluff.
Related terms
- TurnThe fourth community card, dealt after the flop betting round; also called fourth street.
- ShowdownThe final stage of a hand when the remaining players reveal their cards to decide who wins the pot.
- Hero callA call with a marginal hand against a big bet because you believe the opponent is bluffing.
- Value betA bet made with a hand that is likely best, intended to be called by worse hands.