Poker

River in poker

In poker, the river is the last community card placed on the board in a hand. It triggers a final round of betting and, if more than one player remains, a showdown.

Also called: River card; in Texas hold'em, fifth street.¹²
Applies to: Community-card games such as Texas hold'em and Omaha hold'em.¹³
Position in hand: Fifth and last community card in Texas hold'em and Omaha.¹²
After the river: Final betting round, then showdown if more than one player remains.¹³

Key points

The river is the fifth community card in Texas hold'em and Omaha, dealt after the turn.¹³
Once the river is exposed, the final betting round begins; if two or more players remain, the hand goes to showdown.¹⁶
The term is also used more broadly in some poker variants and in stud poker as a name for the final betting round.¹⁴

How the river is dealt

After the turn betting round, the dealer burns one card (discards it face down).¹³
The dealer then exposes the river card face up on the board.¹³
A final betting round follows, starting with the first active player to the dealer's left.¹⁵
If more than one player remains after betting, the hand reaches showdown to determine the winner.¹⁶

Common questions

Why is it called the river in poker?

The exact origin is unclear, but one common theory is that the river is the 'point of no return' — once it is dealt, no more cards can come, and the hand must 'cross the river' to a conclusion. Another idea is that the term derives from old Western slang for a final card that 'flows' to the board.

How many cards are in the river in poker?

In standard community-card games like Texas hold'em and Omaha, the river is exactly one card — the fifth and final community card dealt on the board.¹²

Where this term is used

Poker

Poker Full house poker A poker hand that can be completed on the river. Poker Pai gow poker A different poker variant that does not use community cards. Poker Gto poker Game-theory optimal strategy, which applies to river play. Poker Draw poker A poker family where players replace cards rather than use a community board. Poker Poker hand rankings The hierarchy of hands used to decide the winner at the river. Poker Texas hold em card rankings Texas hold'em card rankings are the standard order used to compare five-card poker hands

Sources

Glossary of poker terms en.wikipedia.org Primary source for the definition, alternative names, and the dealing sequence of the river.
Texas hold 'em en.wikipedia.org Confirms the river as fifth street in Texas hold'em.
Community card poker en.wikipedia.org Provides the broader context of community card poker and the river's role.
Stud poker - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Supports the use of 'river' for the final betting round in stud poker.
Betting in poker en.wikipedia.org Details the betting order after the river is dealt.
Showdown (poker) en.wikipedia.org Explains the showdown that follows the river betting round.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.