Fifth street is the fifth and final community card dealt face-up in Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker, more commonly known as the river. This card completes the board and leads to the final betting round before showdown.
In community card games, fifth street represents the last chance for hands to improve and the final opportunity to bet. After the dealer burns a card and reveals fifth street, players have access to all seven cards in hold’em (two hole cards plus five community cards) or nine cards in Omaha (four hole cards plus five community cards). The term originates from stud poker variants where each betting round was called a “street,” and this naming convention carried over to describe the community card rounds in modern games.
What Happens on Fifth Street?
Fifth street follows a specific sequence in both cash games and tournaments. After the turn betting completes, the dealer burns one card face down and deals the final community card face up next to the flop and turn. This creates the complete five-card board that all remaining players share.
The final betting round begins with the first active player to the left of the button. In games with a betting cap, fifth street typically allows a bet and three raises maximum, though no-limit and pot-limit games have no such restriction. Players can check, bet, call, raise, or fold based on their final hand strength.
Once betting concludes, any players still in the hand proceed to showdown. The player with the best five-card hand using any combination of their hole cards and the board wins the pot. In hold’em, this means selecting five cards from seven total. In Omaha, players must use exactly two hole cards and three board cards.
Fifth Street vs River: What’s the Difference?
While fifth street and river refer to the exact same card and betting round, “river” has become the dominant term in modern poker. Fifth street maintains its usage primarily in stud games where it actually represents the fifth card dealt to each player. In community card games, most players say “river” rather than “fifth street,” though both terms are technically correct and understood at any poker table.
Key Facts
- Position in dealing: Fifth and final community card
- Other names: River (most common), 5th street
- Betting position: Fourth and final betting round
- Cards available: All 5 community cards plus hole cards
- Stud poker equivalent: Fifth card dealt to each player individually
Hear It at the Table
Key Takeaway
Fifth street is the traditional name for what most poker players now call the river, the final community card that completes the board. While the terminology comes from stud poker, understanding both terms helps you follow action at any poker table, especially when playing mixed games or reading older poker literature.
