Stop N Go
The classic Stop-N-Go move is when you call a raise with the intention of betting out on the next round. A simply example will illustrate this often very powerful tactic. You have 1,500 chips and your opponent has 5,000. He bets 800 when the board is J92, you have J10. You hold top pair but with a medium kicker. Now often players will simply move all in here and take their chances but your opponent is unlikely to fold to a raise of 700 after already betting out 800 on the flop.
So you use the Stop-N-Go. You call the 800 and no matter what card hits the turn you immediately bet out your remaining 700 chips. Now you opponent actually has a decision, only the river remains and if they are not holding top pair or have a weak kicker, they might think better of calling your bet. After all you called the flop raise but are now firing your remaining chips all in.
The beauty of the Stop-N-Go is that you are getting all your chips in, which you intended to do anyway but by holding back some of them to bet on the next round, you offer your opponent and opportunity to fold, which they would not have done to a minimal raise on the prior betting round. Clearly, being first to act is a nearly necessary element of the Stop-N-Go move. You do not want to be calling with your last chips, you must be betting out, offering the fold option to your opponent.
Join our forum discussion on the Stop-N-Go move.
-this is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #189
