River
Also: fifth street
The fifth and final community card, followed by the last betting round. The hand is decided at the showdown after river betting.
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Full glossaryFrequently asked questions
What is the river in poker?
The fifth and final community card in hold'em and Omaha, dealt after the turn and followed by the last betting round. After the river there are no more cards, so no hand can improve.
How does river play differ from earlier streets?
There is no draw left to protect or charge, so a bet is either a value bet — worse hands will call — or a bluff — better hands will fold. A river bet that achieves neither accomplishes nothing.
How much equity do I need to call a river bet?
It is straight arithmetic. Against a pot-sized bet you call one unit to win three, so you need to be best about 33 per cent of the time. A half-pot bet requires 25 per cent and a bet of twice the pot requires 40 per cent. No implied-odds adjustment applies, because there is no later street.
Why is it called the river?
The origin is not documented with any certainty. The most repeated story links it to riverboat games on the Mississippi, but it is folk etymology. The card's plainer traditional name is fifth street.