7 Card Stud playing 4th street

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A FLUSH

When you have decided that your starting hand is worth playing you will need to formulate a plan for 4th street. On 4th street the limits for betting will be just the same as they were during the deal so it should be the time you decide whether you are in or out. What 4th street does is allow you to cut your losses if you brick 4th street or start building the pot if you connected. For instance, if you started out with three spades and added a fourth spade on 4th street you will be able to start the action with a bet. If you missed your card now is your chance to escape without losing too much. While there is certainly some merit to making a bet on 4th street when you miss your draw in attempt to take down the pot, you will need to be heads up for this to be profitable. A continuation bet on 4th street will work some of the time if you were able to show some aggression on the deal. If you are up against a tight player a continuation bet will work a fair amount of the time, but if you are facing a loose player you are going to be burning money by firing out continuation bets.

So, why bet if you are one step closer to hitting your draw?

A bet when on a draw will provide you with both some fold equity and deception. A check call, especially when you are showing two cards of the same suit, will make your hand rather obvious. Think about it, what types of hands are likely to check call? The answer is draws or mediocre made hands, when you are showing two cards of the same suit it is pretty easy to narrow your range down to a draw. If you lead out, however, the other player(s) will consider the possibility that you have a decent made hand and that your two suited cards mean nothing. If the other player(s) think that you might have a hand they will be much more likely to fold. Forcing a fold out of someone when you are on a draw just as good as having to chase and hit. Your ultimate objective should be to take down the pot, if you win a $50 pot one time it is the equivalent of making your flush one out of four times in a $200 pot.

Making a bluff on 4th street

The best way to take down a pot on 4th street when you are holding nothing is to make a check raise. A check raise is best if you don’t have the opportunity to continuation bet. If you demonstrated aggression prior to 4th street you might as well use the leverage you have by making a c-bet bluff. If you weren’t the raiser you can simply check 4th street and then raise when the other player makes a continuation bet of their own. It would be ineffective to lead out on 4th street with a bluff (if you weren’t the original raiser) because it will be difficult to convince the other players that you have a strong hand.

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