In poker, a “river” is the fourth and final card in a player’s hand. It is considered to be the “wildcard” of the deck, and can be used to either help or hurt a player’s hand.
For example, if a player has two cards that are both Jacks, they can choose to either keep their original hand or switch to a four-of-a-kind (4 Jacks). If they switch to a four-of-a-kind, the river card would be an Ace, which could help or hurt their chances of winning the hand.
Similarly, if a player has two cards that are both Queens, they can choose to either keep their original hand or switch to a straight (KQ). If they switch to a straight, the river card would be an Ace, which could help or hurt their chances of winning the hand.
As with any other card in poker, players should always keep in mind the potential consequences of playing each river card.
