Fifth Street

Where the Pot Gets Serious

Fifth street is where low limit stud starts to get expensive. The bets have doubled, and a lot of the people who were happy to peel one more card on fourth street are now making a mistake if they continue. This does not mean you should suddenly become fancy. At the small stakes the best adjustment is usually very simple: keep betting your made hands and strong draws, and stop paying off with weak one-pair hands that have ugly boards.

If you went to fifth street with a hand that can make a big hand and your board still looks strong, keep pushing. Players in these games love to "see one more," so charge them for it.

Ten of Spades Queen of Spades King of Clubs Jack of Spades Nine of Spades    
Hole Cards Up Card 4th Street 5th Street 6th Street River

Here you have made a straight and still have a scary four-flush board. In a loose game you should usually bet and raise this hand for value. Worse made hands will call, pair-plus-draw hands will call, and flush draws will definitely call. Fifth street is not the time to get cute and hope everyone keeps betting for you.

Good Pair, Bad Board

A very common small stakes leak is falling in love with a single pair after the hand has gotten obvious. If your board is not improving and another player is catching clean, coordinated cards, be ready to let go.

Ace of Hearts Ace of Diamonds Ace of Clubs Seven of Hearts Two of Clubs    
Hole Cards Up Card 4th Street 5th Street 6th Street River

A buried pair of Aces is nice, but on fifth street this board is not especially beautiful. If another player started with low connected cards and now shows something like three suited or straightening cards, you should be cautious. One pair is often still good in a short-handed pot, but in a multiway low limit stud hand it shrinks in value quickly.

Keep Drawing Only If You Have a Plan

Calling on fifth street just because the pot is already big is one of the fastest ways to leak chips. Before you put in the big bet, ask yourself two questions:

  1. Am I drawing to a hand that will usually be the best hand?
  2. Are enough of my outs still live?

If the answer to either one is "not really," folding is fine even in a low limit game.

Nine of Clubs Nine of Diamonds Ten of Hearts Jack of Spades Queen of Clubs    
Hole Cards Up Card 4th Street 5th Street 6th Street River

This hand looks exciting because you have an open ended straight draw, but fifth street is where board reading matters. If several Kings, Eights, or clubs are already dead on the table, and your opponent is showing a pair or a made two pair board, you do not have to chase just because the hand started pretty.

Simple Low Stakes Rule

On fifth street, bet your good hands, raise your big made hands, and fold your hopeless draws. If you are stuck between calling and folding with a mediocre hand in a multiway pot, folding is usually the cleaner answer.