How to play the 4th Street
Introduction
In this article you will learn....
- the basic strategy for playing the 4th Street
- winning by folding
- the 4th Street is the last street for Hi hands
The fourth card can have a big impact on a hand - for better or worse. Pay close attention to the impact the fourth card has on both your and your opponents' hands when deciding how to continue playing.
One of the most common mistakes players make in Stud8 is calling on the 4th Street after having been dealt a bad card. Another mistake players often make is not playing their Hi hand aggressively enough and therefore missing the opportunity to push other players off of their hands.
Many players make an automatic call on the 4th Street without paying attention to their opponents' hands and regardless of whether or not the fourth card has helped their three-card-draw. As always, position is important to your play, which many players forget when playing Stud8.
Basics for playing on the 4th Street
A call on the 4th Street is often cheap (usually just one small bet), but making a mistake on the 4th Street can end up being very expensive later on down the line. Here are some basic rules to keep in mind:
- You should almost always fold a Lo draw if you don't get help on the 4th Street and your opponents are dealt low cards. You can make an exception to this rule if you are last to act on a large pot.
- If you have a big pair and an opponent on a Lo hand is dealt an ace, fold.
- Try to get opponents to fold their incomplete hands with raises.
- Pay attention to which of your outs are still live.
Pay attention to your position: in Stud8, the positions will change from round to round and play an especially important role on the 4th Street. If you are in good position, you may be able to call with a hand that you would otherwise have to fold.
In the example below, you see the hands in the order of play on the 4th Street.
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Opponent 1
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You
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Opponent 2
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Opponent 3 |   |
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You can expect Opponent 1 to start the action - he could easily have a big pair or a flush draw. Opponent 2 is probably on a Lo hand, and Opponent 3 is unlikely to have received help from the jack and will probably fold.
Since you have a 6 and a 7, it is probable that Opponent 2 has the better Lo draw, but you can probably get him to fold by raising - if he were to call it would be a mistake on his end. The question, however, is how would a raise be helpful to you? If you complete your Lo hand you will probably win the Lo half of the pot, but you will only be playing against two opponents and your chances of winning the Hi half are minimal.
In this situation, it would be better to simply call. Opponent 2 sees your 6 and will have to assume you have him beat if you are dealt another low card on the 5th Street. If you are then dealt a 4 or a 5, you will also have a straight draw.
You should wait out the 5th Street before you start to play aggressively, and then only if you are dealt a helpful card. Should the 5th Street not bring you any help, or if your opponent is dealt a scare card, you can easily fold, which won't hurt too much since you kept the pot small on the 4th Street. Not only that, but your call on the 4th Street might lead Opponent 3 to make a mistake and stay in the pot.
Let's change the following: Opponent 1 is dealt the 9
and doesn't seem to have a flush draw, and Opponent 2 is in front of you. Should Opponent 1 have nothing more than a three card flush draw, he will probably check, which will often lead to Opponent 2 making a bet to force you to fold, and that would, technically, be the right decision from you.
You could, however, raise in order to force Opponent 1 to fold - Opponent 3 will likely fold as well. If you succeed in getting Opponent 1 to fold, you will likely have bought yourself the best Hi hand and have a chance at having the best Lo hand at the showdown as well.
Let's make another change to our example: Opponent 1 starts the action and Opponent 2 raises in front of you. This time, you won't be able to call, even if you are sure you have a better Lo draw than Opponent 2.
How do these situations differ so greatly from each other? In the first example, you don't have the chance to force Opponent 1 to fold his Hi hand with a re-raise. In the second example, you had the chance to force the Hi hand to fold, so that only one opponent remained, and whose hand couldn't have you dominate in a race for the Lo pot.
Now we turn to our third example: in this case, you can assume that even if you call, Opponent 1 and/or Opponent 2 will continue to re-raise. Since you can't be sure that you will make your Lo hand - and even if you do, it may not be the best Lo hand - it would be a mistake to stay in the pot in this situation.
You can, however, keep the action going to increase the pot size if you have a very strong starting hand, such as a three card straight draw with 6 high, and are dealt a piece of your straight on the 4th Street. You can also try to force an opponent off of a flush draw, so that your straight - should you get it - will be the best Hi hand.
How should you play a Hi Hand?
(Note: this strategy does not apply to very strong hands, such as Trips or monster draws.)
If you have a big pair, it is best to take down the pot on the 4th Street. Allowing the game to continue could cost you the pot, especially if more than one opponent stays in the action. You often don't know what you're up against and could easily be facing another, possibly better, Hi hand and it is difficult to tell if an opponent has a Lo hand or a straigh/flush draw.
You should always raise, or check-raise if possible, to force as many opponents as possible out of the pot.
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Opponent 2
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Opponent 1
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You
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Opponent 3 |   |
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In this case, you should check. You can expect Opponent 1 and Oppnent 2 to check as well, and for a raise to come from Opponent 3, as he has the best Lo hand on the board. Now you can check-raise to force Opponent 1 and Opponent 2 to fold. Do this with caution, however, in case they should be loose players. If they don't fold, you will find yourself playing for a big pot against several Lo draws with a marginal hand, which can get you into trouble as the round progresses.
The 4th Street may very well be the last point at which you are favored to win the entire pot, while the 5th Street may very well give an opponent his Lo hand and you will no longer be able to force him to fold.
If an opponent is dealt a suited or connected card on the 4th Street, you will have to consider the chances that they will not only have a Lo hand, but also a straight or flush draw as well.
This is where the play can get dangerous, as you simply can't be certain that your Hi hand is the best Hi hand. When you play a big pair, pay attention to the outs you would need for Trips or two-pair. If your outs aren't alive, it is best to give up the hand on the 4th Street and to avoid any expensive experiments.
If a player with a low door card is dealt an ace on the 4th Street and your hand doesn't receive help, you should definitely fold. Even in the best case scenario, where your opponent has three trash cards with his ace, you are not favored to win with a pair of kings.
Conclusion
Your decision on the 4th Street is much more critical than you might think. Don't underestimate the effect that a mistake on the 4th Street can have later on down the line; such mistakes are often costly.
Keep in mind: it is better to fold too often, than to pay too often. Making the wrong fold on the 4th Street will, of course, cost you the pot, but at this stage, the pot is relatively small. Making the wrong call on the 4th Street can cost you dearly, as the later streets are often capped in Stud8. It is also best to avoid playing against too many opponents, especially if you are only on a Lo or a Hi hand and not drawing for both.
The golden rule in split games: it is best to have a lock on one half of the pot, and a strong draw for the other. Be careful and pay good attention to your hand and your opponents' hands as they develop on the 4th Street. Consider the opportunities you and your opponents might have received with the 4th card.
The following article covers the play on 5th Street: 
Click here for that article
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