What is a street in poker?

A street in poker is a betting round within a hand, and the term is also used for the card that opens that round. Every time new cards hit the table, a fresh street of betting begins. In Texas Hold’em and Omaha there are four streets: preflop, the flop, the turn, and the river.

The word is common poker slang. When someone says they “bet three streets” or “gave up on the turn,” they are talking about these betting rounds.

The streets in Texas Hold’em and Omaha

Flop games run through four streets, one after each new stage of cards:

Each street is its own round of betting. Once the betting on one street is settled, the next card or cards come out and a new street begins.

Fourth street and fifth street explained

You will often hear the turn called “fourth street” and the river called “fifth street.” The reason is simple: the turn is the fourth card on the board, and the river is the fifth. The nickname carried over from seven-card stud, where betting rounds are named by card number, and stuck in Hold’em because the counting lines up with the community cards.

Streets in seven-card stud

Stud is where the term started. There are no community cards, so the streets are named for how many cards each player is holding:

• Third street: the first betting round, when players have two hidden cards and one face-up card.
• Fourth street: the second face-up card.
• Fifth street: the third face-up card.
• Sixth street: the fourth face-up card.
• Seventh street: the final card, dealt face down, followed by the last betting round.

Street vs straight: not the same thing

These two words sound alike and get mixed up, especially by newer players and outside English-speaking rooms. They are different:

• A street is a betting round, like the flop or the turn.
• A straight is a poker hand made of five cards in sequence, such as 5-6-7-8-9.

In some languages a straight is literally called a “street,” which is where the confusion comes from. In standard poker terms, keep them separate.

What is street poker?

“Street poker” is a different term worth clearing up. It is an informal agreement, sometimes heads-up and sometimes across a whole home-game table, to play a loose and aggressive style with very wide ranges. It is played for fun rather than under any official rule, and it has nothing to do with streets as betting rounds.

Why streets matter

Streets are the backbone of how a hand plays out. Each new street adds information, changes the size of the pot, and gives you another decision: bet, check, call, raise, or fold. Strong players think in terms of a plan across streets rather than one card at a time, deciding early how they intend to play the turn and river before those cards arrive. Betting on multiple streets is also how big pots get built, since the pot grows every round the action continues.

FAQ

What are the streets in poker?

In Texas Hold’em and Omaha they are preflop, the flop, the turn, and the river. Each one is a separate round of betting that follows a new stage of cards.

What does fourth street mean?

Fourth street is another name for the turn, the fourth community card in Hold’em. In seven-card stud, fourth street is the second face-up card and its betting round.

How many streets are there in Texas Hold’em?

Four: preflop, flop, turn, and river.

Is a street the same as a straight?

No. A street is a betting round. A straight is a hand of five cards in a row. They sound similar but mean different things.