River Hold'em takes the river card off the board and gives it to each player instead. The flop and turn are shared as normal, but the last card is yours alone, face down. It changes the river from a card everyone can read to one nobody else can see.
How a hand plays
- Blinds. Small and big blind, as in Hold'em.
- Two cards each. Everyone gets 2 cards face down. Round of betting.
- The flop. Three cards face up on the board. Round of betting.
- The turn. A fourth board card. Round of betting.
- No river on the board. Instead, everyone still in gets a third card of their own, face down. Final round of betting.
- Showdown. Your hand is the best five cards from your three and the four on the board.
You can use any combination of your three cards and the four board cards.
What changes
In Hold'em, when the river pairs the board or brings a third flush card, everyone sees it. In River Hold'em, the last card is private. That means:
- Nobody knows who improved. Every player still in might have hit their draw, and only they know.
- Bluffing on the last round works differently. You can represent a hand your private card might have made, and your opponent can't check it against the board.
- Draws are just as live. Each player gets one card from the deck, the same as a river would give them.
The board only has four cards, so it is less likely to make a hand by itself. Your own cards matter more.
An example hand
You hold Q♥ J♥. The board is 10♥ 4♥ 9♣ 2♠. You have a flush draw and a straight draw (any king or eight makes a straight, any heart makes a flush).
Your private third card is the 8♦. You now have Q J 10 9 8, a straight, using all three of your cards and two from the board. Nobody else knows the 8 came, so you can bet it however you like.
Tips
- The turn is your last look at the board. Make your read of the hand there, because the last card won't help you work out what anyone else has.
- Watch how players act on the last card. It's the only clue you get about what they were dealt.
- Don't overpay to draw. Your private card hits no more often than a normal river would.
Play it
Play River Hold'em on Bink with friends in your browser, for chips. Each player's third card is dealt to them privately, and shown only at showdown.