Fifth Street
Suppose on fourth street that you have a good four-card low, which is also a four straight or four flush, and you bust out on Fifth Street.
If your hand is live and it appears that you still have a good chance to scoop, you should bet.
Why? Because you might pair your bad card on sixth street, and it will look scary enough for you to bet again and possibly win the pot right then.
So there can be an advantage to continue betting, even when it is not clear that you have the best hand.
Frequently, especially at the higher stakes, you will be contesting many pots heads up on Fifth Street.
When this happens, you often will find yourself going in the opposite direction of your opponent.
If you hold the high hand, you usually will be trying to knock out your opponent with the probable low hand.
But the apparent low and may actually be the best high hand, or a made low hand with a draw at a high hand, or four very good low cards with a pair.
This makes your opponent a favorite over you, unless your high hand has also improved.
So you generally will be betting into the low hands, unless he has three low cards up.
In that case, you want to be checking and calling, or checking and folding, depending on the three low cards–that is, what you think you might be up against–and on exactly how strong your high hand is.
If you are against a possible good four-card low (with one bad card), and you think you are also against a straight draw, you should be inclined to check, unless your hand is exceptionally strong.
But if you think your opponent may have three low cards, a pair, and a bust card, then you should bet and be willing to call a raise if it comes.
You may find yourself in a three-handed pot on Fifth Street. Suppose it appears that one of your opponents is going the same way as you are, but the other opponent is going in the opposite direction.
If you have the best hand, it is very important to try to eliminate the player going the other way, and you must play your hand in such a way as to make this possible.
Should you be successful, you will get to play heads up with someone going your way when you have the best hand.
Eliminating the player going in the opposite direction can be difficult. It might take something tricky, such as giving a free card until sixth street and then raising.
But sometimes the hands can be deceptive, and you might trick this opponent into thinking you have him beat.
Here’s an example. Suppose you and another player are going low, and you wish to knock out your other opponent, who has a weak high.
On Fifth Street, you have your opponent who appears to be going low is in the middle with and the player going high has If you check, the player in the middle probably will check behind you.
When the player going high then bets, you should check-raise.
Since it looks as though you may have made aces, the player in the middle might call the double bet, while the player on the end- who is going high – may fold. In the unlikely event that both of your opponents fold, that’s even better.
Most players who hold four low cards and a bad card become concerned that they might get jammed in later and not make their low hand.
If a player in this spot checks and calls, it is almost certain that he has a low draw but doesn’t have a good straight or flush draw to go along with it.
If he has an additional draw, he often will bet – especially an aggressively player – unless he is playing against some scary boards.
You also must mix up your play a fair amount on Fifth Street. For example, with a busted low hand and a high card, you may want to check-raise or even jam to disguise your hand.
Even if your are taking a little the worst of it, an occasional play like this will confuse your opponents. At a later time, when you play disguised trips the same way, the good players won’t know whether you have a high hand or a low hand.
Introduction / General Strategy / How Far Do You Go? / Fourth Street / Check-Raising on Fourth and Fifth Streets / Fifth Street / Sixth Street / Seventh Street / Afterthought
