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FAQ's

Pairing Your Door Card on Fourth Street

1. What are your options when you pair your door card on fourth poker street?
You can make either a single or maximum bet (or check).

2. Are three any situations when you pair your door card on fourth street where making the single bet is correct?
Yes, there are three distinct situations.

3. Suppose you have made three-of-a-kind or a higher two pair than your opponent can have. For example, you pair sevens and have kings in the hole, while he shows jack-five offsuit. What should you do?
This probably is one of those times when you should bet the minimum.

4. When do these times occur?
When you are quite sure that a maximum bet will cause your opponent to fold, but you don’t want him to fold even for half a bet.

5. Explain this further?
If understanding your opponent will make a mistake by calling you for half a bet, why not make that bet instead of a maximum bet that will force him to (correctly) throw his hand away.

6. When is another time that you usually should make half a bet?
When you have only one pair and are convinced that if you are beaten you will be called for either a big bet or small bet, and if you are not, your opponent will fold for either a big bet or a small bet.

7. What else may happen?
The more observant players might fold even when you are beaten, since you also are sometimes betting the lesser amount when you have made trips.

8. Example?
A weak poker player showing the 3♦ brings it in. you start off with J♥ 4♥ 7♥ and just call. Everyone else folds. Your opponent catches an offsuit queen, and you make open sevens. You should bet the minimum, not the maximum.

9. Why is the minimum bet correct?
If your opponent has queens, he will call for either the minimum or the maximum, but if he does not have queens, he should fold for just the single bet.

10. What if you bet the minimum and your opponent does call?
Then you should assume that he has queens.

11. Is this single bet still correct if you are not heads-up?
Yes. Any time you are sure that your opponents will fold for a full bet, you should consider betting the minimum instead of the maximum.

12. When does this play typically come up?
Against weak players, particularly tourists, who can’t resist a bargain.

13. When you make trips, why should you not always bet the minimum?
If you become known as someone who often makes this play, observant opponents will realize that when you do bet the maximum, you probably don’t have three of a kind.

14. In a multiway pot if you think there is a chance that someone will call the maximum (and you have made trips) what is your best play?
Bet the maximum even if his upcards look weak.

15. What is the third time to bet just the minimum?
You don’t have much, and you think you are beat and will be called if you bet. However, you also believe that if you check, your opponent will bet the maximum and you would consider calling his bet.

16. Example?
You call with 2♥ 3♥ 7♥ , are raised by a jack, and are fairly sure that you are against a pair of jacks. Now you make open sevens.

17. When should you bet the maximum in this spot?
If you think your opponent will fold.

18. Is this likely?
Usually not.

19. Why is that?
Many players automatically will call if they have a big pair or a big draw.

20. For the minimum bet to be correct, what criterion must be established?
Your opponent must be likely to bet the maximum if you check.

21. Example?
You are low with 9♥ 2♣ 2♠ . Nobody raises. Now you pair your door card, giving you trips. If the last deuce is out, and you are against four or five other people, you probably should check. notice that you would certainly check if you had only two deuces.

22. Should you raise immediately on fourth street?
Yes.

23. Why is that?
Because just calling tends to give your hand away anyway.

24. What’s another benefit of check-raising early?
It may make an opponent fold, which means he won’t get a fifth street card to beat you.

25. Suppose you make four of a kind on fourth street. Should you check?
Yes, no matter how obvious it is.

26. What is the standard advice?
Check against terrible players, but to bet against good players because they won’t be fooled.

27. Why is this probably wrong?
Even good players don’t have the psychological strength to fold a full house against one pair showing on fifth poker street, even if they are almost sure that they are against quads.

28. Example?
A bunch of small cards call the bring-in ,you have A♠ A♦ A♣ , and you raise. On fourth street, you catch the A♥ and your opponents catch nothing special. You should check.

29. What will happen if you bet on fourth street?
Anyone with two pair will fold.