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While an ace or king high is still valuable on fourth street, you must realize that its value is relative. It's relative in the sense that an average opponent won't play against you with absolutely nothing but he will certainly play against you with almost any mediocre hand if he knew that that's all you had. He would play, for instance, a 7/T/8/5. This hand isn't really playable but it's got potential; it can turn into an open-ended straight or into a pair.

Therefore, you have to take this element into consideration when betting an ace on fourth street. If your opponent has called with a 7/8/9 and now catches a blank, he'll fold if he thinks you're strong but he won't fold if he thinks you're betting the ace alone. If your betting doesn't command respect by your opponents, don't bet. If you do decide to bet such a hand on fourth street, do so when the ace or king is on board. In such cases there is a greater incentive for your opponent to fold, thinking that he may be beat by kings or aces although he doesn't really think you've got it (just that it's possible).

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A samll or medium three-straight draw alone is trash on this street. You must have, at the very least, a pair, and your cards should all preferrably be live. If you have a live three-flush as well, that's good enough in a multiway pot. You are looking for immediate improvement or you're out of there.

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A three flush on fourth street is usually only playable in conjunction with somethingh else. This "soemthing else" doesn't have to be much at this point. Any pair does the trick, as does 1 or 2 overcards to your opponents probable pair. Also, if the pot is multiway, stay in with any three-flush if the suit is still completely live (no more than oen out) and noone has caught a big suited door card. Your biggest enemy in this spot is someone who already has a four flush draw to a higher flush. You should therefore be very careful if someone catches a suited doorcard and plays as if it is a flush-draw; you should fold.

If noone catches a suited door card, there are two more good opponents, two of your flush is on board and you are last to act, consider raising if you have a small pair. The advantage of this play is that your opponents might fold if you hit another card of that suit, thinking you raised with a flush-draw, thus giving you additional ways of winning the pot. This play works even better if you have a live pocket pair, since the trip card that really helps you will look totally benign if and when it comes.

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Three to a straight flush on fourth street is stilla considerably strong hand given that that there are multiple ways to win. However, you have to keep tabs on the cards you need for your straigh, flush and to pair up. If the dealer spits out all those cards on your opponent's hands and you catch absolute garbage, don't be ashamed to fold. Your straight flush will come around again. Be proud of yourself that you played your straight flush well by not playing.

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If you started with three big cards and have caught an absolute blank on fourth street, you usually should fold. Never call a raise with this hand. You should be more inclined to surrender here if the pot is multiway; this is because in a multiway pot, it is harder to win the showdown with one big pair. Even if you are lucky enough to catch a big pair on fifth street, one of your opponents might by then have two pair and you won't improve, rendering you a chaser from beginning to end. Some players bemoan their bad luck upon losing when playing such a hand; they don't realize that they really never deserved to win since they were always behind.

Always throw the hand out if in addition to catching a blank, your opponent/s have caught the cards that you needed. To reiterate, this hand should be thrown out for a bet in the following situations:

* in a multiway pot

* the cards you need are not live any longer.

* someone pairs his door card

* there's a raise to you.

Don't usually bet this hand if you hadn't raised on third street. If you did raise on third street, still don't be embarassed to check and fold if any of the above conditions apply.

If circumstances are favorable (heads-up and your cards are live), bet out (you should be high at this point). Keep betting as long as your opponent is a good player and there's a reasonable chance he'll throw his hand away soon. Against a bad player who plays his own hand regardless of what you represent, it might be correct to check, especially if he is likely to check behind you with a pair.

Realize that a good player will often fold his medium pair if your board develops kind of scary later on or if you make a small pair on board down the road. This gives you an additional way of winning the pot without having to go to a showdown, where you might lose.

If you started out with two big cards such as AK4 and you now caught a Queen, that is almost as good a hand as if you started with AKQ and now caught the 4. The reason it is weaker is that your opponents are less likely to fear you when you have a small door card; a legitimate showdown hand is more likely to be necessary. Still if the conditions mentioned earlier are favorable, play it aggressively if needed to get it heads up, or if you think you can convince your opponent that you have queens.

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small pairs are loosers. You have little chance of winning a showdown without improvement and you are not very likely to improve at all, especially if the pair is week (a week kicker and/or the pair isn't live). If, for whatever reason, you called on third street, now is the time to give it up the week pair if there's a bet to you. If it's checked to you in amultiway pot take a freebie. If it's heads up you can bet if it's checked to you, hoping your opponent folds. If he check-raises give it up right away.

Of course, in the unlikely event that you're high on board with your week pair (such as 6267 vs 45 and 27), go ahead and bet as if you're king. It's all relative!!

If you're small pair is strong, consider staying in to atleast fifth street. Your decision should be based partly on how well your opponents play. If your opponent is bad and you have a good read on him, you can stay in. He will call you all the way if you hit your door card (giving yopu trips) or make aces/kings up and he will easilly check fifth and/or sixth street if your board starts to develop a little scary, giving you free cards.

Another element that might keep you in on fourth street with a small pair is a three flush or a three straight. Although, you may have such hands with higher pairs as well, higher pairs are worth playing for their own value. With a small pair, something like 6564 becomes playable on fourth street (when you are fairly certain you are beaten by a bigger pair) if the three's and seven's are live. This hand is even stronger in a multiway pot where none of your opponents has caught a suited doorcard. With a three-flush you should also be assesing the liveliness of your suit; if there are too many of the suit out (roughly 3-4), it's not worth playing.

If you were the bring in with a small split pair and you were raised on third street by what looks like a steal, now is the time to raise if your opponent bets. You should almost automatically raise in this spot, regardless of whether your pair is week or strong or what your opponent is showing. Since you are putting him on a completely random hand, you are probably the winner thus far with a pair. Make him pay to try to beat you. However, some opponents will only try to steal with some hands (such as with another one or two big cards in the hole). In that case, if your opponent catches a big card on fourth street, that could have made his hand right there. Against such an opponent you should fold your week pair on fourth street if he catches a scare card and bets. If you are reraised, you are probably beaten; however, the pot seems too big by then to fold. Only fold for the reraise if your cards are dead; otherwise, hope that you catch a second pair or that your opponent is bluff-raising.

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Your final decision whether to bet his hand in this kind of situation, should be based on how live your pair is and whether you have a big live kicker. If you have a big live kicker, you should bet out and if raised, see at least fifth street. Otherwise, consider checking and folding or betting and folding for a raise. It is not very correct to check and call in this spot.

Checking and calling would be more correct if the opponet behind you who is betting has caught a scary card, such as another overcard or suited card. Since he is likely to automatically bet, you have to automatically call (since you don't know what he has). On fifth street, your opponent's hand will become more apparent or you might pick up a tell. Still, it does not usually pay to stay in with a week pair if your opponent catches a scare card. You should at the very least have a live overcard kicker to his door card.

If your pair is in the hole and you have a big door card, play it as if you've got a big pair if your doorcard and your pair are both live and noone caught an overcard to your kicker. Doing so is important since you have a decent chance of making kings up or aces up or at least scare the shit out of your opponent, thinking you've got aces up or kings up. If you catch a pair on board later on, your opponent will likely fold an overpair and if you are very lucky even two pair (like jacks up).

These are almost like pocket aces, but obviously weaker. Be more inclined to play it aggressively right away, even against one opponent. You should fold these hands if it looks like you're beat. This includes

* if your opponent catches a non-suited overcard on fourth street and he bets into you after you've raised on third street and he is the kind of player that will not do so unless he has just paired that rank.

* if your opponent pairs his door card, and it looks like he's got trips or two pair.

Do not hesitate to bet your hand if your opponent is high with an overcard to your pair and he checks to you; it usually means you've got the better hand. If you are check-raised, consider folding. Be more inclined to stay against someone who is apt to make this move without having a very strong hand or if your pocket pair as well as the two kickers are completely live.

However, against sophisticated players, it might be best to check, if you have raised on hird street and they now catch an ace. They are more apt to check raise, and if they do so on fifth street, it will be costly to you. You should be inclined to check behind him if the overcard he catches is an ace and it is live.

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This hand should be played aggressively. It is probably the best hand at the moment and you should therefore bet it if checked to you, unless you suspect that the checker is trying for a check-raise with a bigger pair. Don't be tempted to play into his evil plans. If your opponent is high and comes out betting after you've raised a third street, you may have to fold. But don't be quick to do so, for your opponent will strat bluffing you. If the bring-in is the one who caught the overcard and he now bets into you, be even more inclined to "believe" him. Bring-ins's typically are ready to throw their hand away and should therefore be given more credit if they bet.

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aces on fourth street, is in most cases still the best hand even if there are many opponents still contesting the pot. You should therefore not hesitate to bet if you are first to act and raise if another ace bets into you. He is not likely to have aces (since you do) and in the unlikely even that he does, you can still easilly beat him. If you were slowplaing pocket aces, you should generally do so on this street if there is more than one opponent. The reasoning is that a small/medium pair will likely fold for a raise, as will a bad draw (inside straight). This is to your advantage, since it makes it easier for you to win without improving to two pair. Remember, when you have aces, you are not "expecting" two pair and you will likely not catch two pair. You should therefore make it expensive for others to draw out on you; do not slowplay.

If it's heads-up, you can wait until fifth street to raise. Since your hand has a significantly better chance of winning heads up, you'd rather put in the raise when the bets double. This is especially true if you think you are up against a steal. Raising here might get your opponent to fold his utter garbage immediately. However, if it is an aggressive game, you can try raising on fourth street, hoping that your opponent reraises, so that you can cap. Be more inclined to raise on fourth if you catch a suited card (to your door card); this helps confuse your opponent and throw him off guard. He might try to convince himslef you're raising on a draw, and it will encourage him to reraise or at least call with next to nothing.

If you pair your door card giving you aces, bet it aggressively as long as noone else paired their doorcard. Don't bet the minimum, as some players who would have folded for the max, will call a small bet. An inside straight draw might even call you, or someone with a pair and a three-flush. Also, a tight player might throw out two-pair or a flush draw for a big bet and you want him to. If your opponent paired his door card as well, you should be more cautious. It's hard to know whether they're playing a draw or pairs. For the most part, if your opponent raised on third street, it usually means a pair. It would thus be wise for you to now check and fold, figuring you're up against atleast two pair. Otherwise, your best course of action is probably ot bet out, hoping that your opponent folds. If he does call you, you could be beaten badly; don't heistate checking on later streets and possible folding for a bet.

If you have split aces or pocket aces, and your opponent pairs his doorcard, analyze the player and the way he has played his hand. A typical player who pairs his queen door card after NOT raising on third street, that indicates he likely doesn't have much else. This is especially true if he called after one or two players with smaller doorcards limped in and there was no more than one overcard behind him. This kind of play doesn't look like split queens and he possibly doesn't have any other pair. Raise or call in this spot. In most circumstances, however, you should fold. As mentioned earlier, it is almost mandatory to fold if you reraised or limp-reraised the queen on third street (or if you reraised after being reraised by the queen).

Realize that your opponent will sometimes make two pair or trips on fourth street. A raise on fourth street by your opponent usually means two-pair or weaker, since your opponent is likely to slowplay trips. You should therefore call his raise if you think he's got two pair. Reraise if you think he's just "testing you out". You don't mind if he folds after you reraise (indicating that you passed the test); as a matter of fact, it is probably a mistake for him to fold at that point. Against a very tight, predictable, opponent, you should fold for a raise; such players simply won't raise unless they got aces beat. Realize that in reality it doesn't pay to chase two pair with aces on fourth street. The only reason that you should usually stay in is because you can't let your opponent get away with it easilly, or else he will start to bluff-raise you.

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Making a hidden trips on fourth street is one of the best feelings in poker. This hand is extremely difficult to read and your opponents ar therefore very likely to pay you off all the way and the price may become expensive in an aggressive game. If your trips are small (2-6) and the pot is multiway, you should raise right away, especially if the game is aggressive. If it is checked to you, bet; if you are check-raised, reraise. If you are first to act bet out regardless of whether you called on third street or you raised.

Realize, that you don't mind if a big pair or a gut-shot straight draw folds. These hands are not that far behind you and a big pair will call your raise anyway and possibly even reraise. On the other hand, it is important to be realistic. Keep in mind, that you will probably not improve this holding while your opponents will occasionally improve to a straight, flush, or even bigger trips; that's part of poker. Accept it graciously.

When your trips are bigger, you can affod the luxury ofr slowplaying just a bit. Some players may have little more than a small pair with perhaps a big kicker. They might not call a raise. Try to get as many people in the pot on fourth street. Most of them are chasing badly and will get hurt even more if they are helped on fifth street; give them a chance for that to happen.

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When you do check in order to entice a bet, you should sometimes just call and wait to fifth street to put in the raise. For one, the bet is bigger and secondly, opponents are more inclined to chase since the pot is bigger. Be more inclined to "slowplay" your trips when none of your opponents has caught anything threatening such as a suited card.

Whether to be the minimum or the maximum is debatable. In general, if you choose to bet out, bet the maximum. This could entice an opponent to challenge you through a raise. However, since there are times when you will not have trips and still want to play and you know that if you check, someone will bet the max and you are therefore betting the minimum in those cases, you therefore must confuse your play by sometimes betting the minimum when you do have trips. In essence, you will be betting the max %75 of the time (whenever you have two pair, most of the time when you have trips, three-straight or three-flush) and you will be betting the minimum or checking, the other %25 of time (including when you don't have much else, but your opponents may have still less).

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Play them aggressively. Raise right away, if there are multiple opponents. Go for a check raise if you think the bet will come from someone on your right. Your ideal should be to play this hand heads-up against someone with one pair, making you a favorite to win most of the time.

If a couple of players stay in with bigger pairs, you have to get rather lucky not be drawn out by anyone, or to hit the full house. Therefore, if your raise or check-raise fails to eliminate players on this street, you may have to slow down on a later street. Again, play this hand on fourth street in a way that you believe is most likely to drive players out.

If you get reraised by the original bettor, he may have you beat, presumably with a bigger two-pair. However, this is not at all certain, against typical players. They might think you're trying to test them or that you're just a wild player. Most players with a big pair like aces or kings will not easilly believe that you have them beat with a board showing 3,T. Consider capping the bet, if you are reraised in a heads-up situation by an aggressive player.

On the other hand, if the pot is already heads up on third street and you think you are up against a big pair, consider just calling on fourth street and raising on fifth instead. This is done in order to make sure that your opponent catches an apparent blank on fifth and also because you can afford to slowplay your two pair.

If you have two big pair such as aces up or kings up and you have only one opponent, you can now afford to slowplay. Still, since your opponent might not bet if you check, you should do the betting on this street. In a multiway pot, you should not slowplay your big two pair. Your opponents are in there with all kinds of draws and pairs. They will all have a hard time beating you. Make it expensive for them to try to do so. However, if you are fairly sure that someone to your left will bet if you check, then try for a check-raise, in order to build a nice big pot.

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If you do bet, usually bet the maximum. Consider betting the minimum only if you think your opponent will call you with a week hand for a min bet and not for a max bet. Rememeber that the big bet was designed to allow the player to "protect" his made hand. Make full use this defensive weapon; you might come to regret it later, if you don't.

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* big open-ended straight with live cards such as TJQK. This hand is very strong on fourth street when it's live, due to its ability to easilly beat your opponent's hand with a higher pair/2pair or a straight. Because this hand is so strong, you don't mind playing it against what looks like a flush draw, especially if the flush cards are small, since you have additional ways of winning if both of you miss.

Since you will be playing a big open-ended straight, you should usually raise if there's a bet to you. The reason for this raise is to force small pairs and three-flushes to fold. This is advatagous to you, since it increases your chance of winning with a straight or a single big pair. If many people have already called a bet when action gets to you, you should still raise if no one has caught a suited door card and your straight cards are live. This raise, unlike the previous one, is designed to "build a pot" when you have the best draw hand. If you want to be a little creative you can go for a check raise.

A small straight should be played very cautiously. If more than one player has caught a suited door card, you probably shouldn't even call. The Ideal situation is when you are up against 2-3 opponents and they both catch complete blanks on fourth street while you hit the open-ended. You have to be lucky for this to materialize; that is why we generally advise against playing small straights.

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1. the card you need for the inside straight is live.

2. the pot is bigger than usuall (i.e. it's not heads up, or there was a raise/reraise on third street).

3. the draw is to a big straight.

4. it looks like noone is playing a bigger straight or has two pair or three of a kind.

5. it's only one bet to you and it doessn't look like there will be raise behind you.

6. no one has caught a suited card on fourth street.

7. the other cards (other than the card needed for the straight) are live.

Obviously, the most important consideration here is whether the straight card is live. If you have seen one or two of them out it's not worth a call if it looks like someone has something as little as a pair and the pot is small.

Other cards being live is important, as well as the draw being to a big straight. This allows you to win by way of pairing one of your big cards. In addition it gives you a stronger hand since you won't be afraid of any bigger straights. You can therefore, call a bet from what looks like a medium pair if you have a couple of overcards in your straight draw, even if the card needed for a straight isn't very live. It's a good idea to raise in this situation, representing a bigger pair. This raise can give you information about your opponent's strength and has the potential to scare him out of the pot with a better hand at some later point. If you are first to act with something like a 9JQK, go ahead and bet.

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A four flush on your first four cards is a hand that you will encounter very often in poker. This hand is a lot harder to play successfully than one might think. It's not as simple as "play it to the river if your cards are live, no matter what the cost". You will sometimes call, sometimes fold, and sometimes raise. Realize that you will NOT complete the flush MOST of the time. Don't "expect" the fifth suit to fall on your hand just because four of them are already there. Sometimes, your opponents will catch all of that suit. Sometimes, you'll ctach one or two of the suit and sometimes noone will catch any of that suit no matter how live those cards seem to be.

heads-up:

It is correct to play this hand to the river even in a heads-up situation IF the suit is completely live. If you do choose to play when it's not live, play for one card only. If you don't catch immediate improvement, get out. The reason for folding this monster hand is simple. You might not catch the flush even when it's live; if it's not live, it makes all the more less likely that you will catch it. It's just not worth it when the pot is small. Don't try to be brave or adventorous; it'll cost you money on the long run.

It is especially correct to fold this hand heads up, when you are up against a good player who has just paired his door card or is showing something like QA and is playing it aggressively. The irony of this situation is, that he might have little more than a couple of big cards, but he'll still win at a showdown. And if he considers you a good player, he'll often figure out that you're playing a flush. If you make the flush on fifth street or sixth street he will often not pay you off, and if you don't make it on the river, a bluff-bet will not succeed often. If your opponent does have aces or queens, you have little chance of beating him with a hand other than a flush since you don't have any live overcards.

Here's an ironic piece of advice: Against a typical opponent who, say, catches open aces on fourth street, be more inclined to play your flush if you think he DOES have three aces. Heres' why: He will continue betting, perhaps even after you catch your flush card. If he does check when you make the flush, he'll call you and he'll probably call your river bet too. If he does raise you on the river, you can safely fold. That doesn't make the river bet a good bet, since he is quite unlikely to fill up and he is quite likely to call you with such a monster hand, "just in case" you don't have the flush. On the other hand, if your opponent only has aces, he is likely to check and fold if you catch another one of that suit, giving you no implied value for your flush draw.

If the pot is multiway, you will almost allways want to stay in to fifth street and in most cases to the river. How to play this hand varies depending on the following variables:

* You have two or more live big cards along with a live suit.

If they are hidden, even better. Play this hand very aggressively if the suit is live (in addition to the big cards). This means that is you have AK4J and there's a bet and a call, raise. If the original bettor reraises and the sandwhiched guy calls, you can now cap it. You want to have as many opponents as possible and you want to build a huge pot. Since an AK-high flush is only beatable be a full house, you have the best possible draw hand and you know that as long as noone is showing a pair on board your flush is the nuts. Make your drawing opponents pay a heavy price for chasing you with smaller draws. Make other opponents pay to have the courage to withstand your onslaught and win with a pair of tens or queens.

By building such a gigantic pot on the come, you are enticing your opponents to stay in even after you complete the flush. Bad opponents will call you (after you make the flush) with little more than a smaller draw or one pair. Again, since you are drawing to such a strong hand, you will very likely be the winner, even against a large field of opponents. Also, the big cards your hand contains, gives you a viable alternative way to winning in case you pair them up giving you kings up or aces up or perhaps even trips. Your opponents will have a hard time figuring out what you have. They will often call on the river with little more than a pair, thinking you were on a draw and missed, allowing you to win with just kings.

* you have a live flush draw with no big cards

A hand like 7T2J is considerably weaker for two reasons. Any other flush will beat yours (unless you improve by catching an A/K). Also, it's hard to win with these rags against a couple of opponents by pairing up (making jacks up, for instance). This hand should be played cautiously on fourth street. Do not usually raise on the come with this hand. An exception would be if there have been a couple of callers and noone is showing a two-flush or paired their board. However, one possibility that may develop here is that the original raiser will reraise and everyone else will fold leaving you heads up with no overcards. That's not a very good situation, although pot odds certainly will justify to continue playing. If you think this might happen, don't raise on this street.

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If your opponent is betting with absolutely nothing, your hand is better than his and it's at least worth a call. If your opponent is good and will lay his hand down for a raise or on the next round if he catches a blank, then it is important to raise with your garbage since it is better than his garbage. However, against a bad opponent, you shouldn't raise since you won't get him out anyway and you will have to show down something in order to win.

Four big cards are especially playable if the real big cards (ace and king) are live and in the hole and you're up against an opponent who will not fold his pair when you catch that ace or king on fifth street, even if you bet out or check-raise him. This gives you implied odds of three big bets since you can expect to be called on the river too.

Still, it is correct to fold your hand against a bet from someone who probably has a medium pair and your board cards are week. If you have something like AQT9 and your opponent is betting with what looks like split jacks, your best play is to fold. On the other hand if it's 9TAQ and you think there's a decent chance your opponent will fold his jacks if you bet, then go ahead and bet. If he does call you, there's a decent chance that the fifth street card will give you something that either legitimaizes your hand or scares your opponent out, such as any broadway card or a third of that suit.

If you make four-of-a-kind on fourth street, your primary concern now is how to get others to stay in. You should therefore consider what the game is like. In a conservative game, it is almost mandatory to check since a bet will very likely scare everyone out. Good players know the significance of an opponent pairing his door card early and will thus fold bigger pairs and some draws, and you don't want them to. If the game is wild, consider what kind of image have you been presenting. If you played aggressively and always bet the fourth street when you paired your door card, try representing aggressiveness; perhaps you will even get raised.

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bluffing of fourth street is never recommended. The pot is too small to get involved in that. If you have garbage, throw it out. However, a semi-bluff is a potent tool and should be made with various hands on this street as discussed earlier.

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If you have absolutely nothing and have somehow gotten to fourth street, you should usually check a small pair into a large field of opponents and fold for a bet. It's simply not worth to try to bluff your opponents if you have absolutely nothing else and thus no other ways of winning legitimately if you don't improve. Go ahead and bet with any hand that you would call with, such as a three straight, three flush or two big cards in the hole. Since you will call anyway, you might as well bet giving you the added chance of winning right then and there. This play is especially correct if you have little fear of a raise, as the case will usually be.

If you have a legitimate calling hand and you think that if you check, your opponent will bet the max and if you bet the max your opponent will call, it's important to bet the minimum; this way you get to see fourth street cheaply while your opponent maintains the possibility of you having two pair or trips

On the other hand, it is possible that your opponent cannot beat your pair and will now fold if you bet, making a bet mandatory in order to protect your hand. Therefore, if your single opponent catches a blank on fourth street, go ahead and bet even if you have absolutely nothing else, since it is very likely that your opponent called or raised on third street with no pair and hasn't improved his hand and will now fold. In such cases, consider betting the minimum, since there's no need to risk any more money. However, don't make it obvious that that's all you have. That's why it's important to bet the minimum sometimes when you have two pair or trips.

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