4th Street? 5th Street? What does it Mean?

Fourth street and 5th street refer to betting rounds in the game of poker. They are particularly applicable to seven card stud poker.

4th Street

The second round of betting in poker is known as the 4th street. At this stage of the game, each player has four cards. The player who holds the highest ranking card will start the next round of betting. If the player who is holding the highest ranking hand, is holding a pair, he can choose to bet the high or low betting limit. The bet that he chooses to make will become the raise amount for the rest of the game. This means that the other players must follow this amount when they raise their bets.

5th Street

The third round of betting in poker is known as the 5th street. At this stage of the game, the players each hold five cards. The betting limits during this stage are set at the highest limit amounts. The player who holds the highest ranking hand starts the next round of betting.

Strategy for 4th Street in Seven Card Stud

You need to pay close attention to how your opponents bet and what they are dealt on 4th street. This will help you work out what they are likely to be holding and help you to put together a successful game strategy.

4th Street with a High Pair
If you are dealt a pair and have not improved by 4th street, you should jam the pot and force your opponents out. If you were leading in the round before and have not been beaten on 4th street, you still have a chance of being in the lead.

4th Street with Two Pair
Two pair at the 4th street stage is a strong hand. However, it is not a sure win so you have to be careful how you play. If you have Aces high, you could probably play slow, while if tens are your top pair, you should rather jam the pot. If you only have a few opponents left in the pot and you think they have weak cards, play slow. On the other hand if there are more than four players left in the pot, you should try to force out a potentially better hand that you could beat you later.

4th Street with a Dominating Hand
If you are dealt a hand that is likely to win outright, then it is best to play slow and let the other players raise and re-raise. Once the bets are doubles, you can jam the pot. If your hand is very good, but could still be beaten, you can try to bet to drive some of the other players out.

Strategy for 5th Street in Seven Card Stud

5th Street is the beginning of the important decision points in the game. This where the big money is won and lost. You must take careful note of how your opponents are playing and what they are dealt in order to be able to work out the best strategy for yourself.

5th Street with a High Pair
If no-one raises your bet on 4th street, you want to continue to force off your opponents. This means that you must continue to jam the pot. If an opponent holds a pair that beats yours, fold.

5th Street with 2 Pair
2 pair is a strong hand, but there are plenty of other hands that could beat you if you let them draw out on you. Bet and raise and hope to win the pot in this round.

5th Street with a Dominating Hand
If you hold a dominant hand that is likely to have won the pot either way, then your aim should be to try to win as much money as possible. The way to do this is to play slow so that you can work as many chips out of the other players as possible and make the pot grow as much as possible. A dominant hand is considered to be a royal flush, four of a kind, full house, flush or straight. If you hold a good hand, like three of a kind, but you feel that you may be beaten by a flush or straight, then jam the pot and try to force some of them out.