The River

No More Drawing

The river should be the easiest street in low limit stud because there are no more cards to come. Even so, this is where a lot of players lose extra bets by paying off automatically or by missing thin value bets against people who call too much. Try to keep it simple: value bet when worse hands can call, check when only better hands continue, and call only when the pot and the board make sense.

Value Bet More Than You Bluff

Most low stakes stud players do not like folding on the end. That makes river bluffing less attractive and river value betting more attractive. If you think your hand is best more often than not, bet it.

Hole Cards		Up Card	4th Street	5th Street	6th Street	River

Aces up on the river is often worth a bet in a typical low limit game, especially when your opponent has been calling rather than raising. Because only the sevens are fully visible, your opponent may still talk himself into a call with a weaker two pair or a stubborn one-pair hand from players who "have to see it."

Do Not Pay Off the Obvious Monster

The flip side is that the river is not a place to donate. If a quiet player suddenly wakes up with a raise, or if the board has been screaming a made hand for two streets, you do not need to convince yourself that everyone is bluffing.

Hole Cards		Up Card	4th Street	5th Street	6th Street	River

This board makes a flush very obvious and threatens a straight flush. If you hold just one pair, or even two small pair, a river raise from this kind of board should usually get a disciplined fold. Curiosity is expensive here.

Use the Showdown Clues

By the river you can see six cards from every player who reached the end. That is a mountain of information. Ask yourself what hands they could logically have played this way. If the line only makes sense for a strong made hand, believe it. If the line looks like a missed draw that checked to you, go ahead and bet your medium strength hand for value.

Hole Cards		Up Card	4th Street	5th Street	6th Street	River

This is a nice example of why board reading matters. Your final hand may be a straight, but if several spades were live and your opponent kept showing strength with a spade board, your straight is not automatically a value raise. On the river in stud, second best hands love to cost one extra bet.

One Last Low Stakes Reminder

On the river, bluff less, value bet more, and do not pay off raises just to satisfy your curiosity. Most of the money you save here comes from the folds you make, and most of the money you win comes from the extra value bets you stop being shy about.