When to use stop and go?

[KHALI]

I have heard the term "stop and go" many times on this posting and in particular associated with Fossilman. What exactly is this strategy and what do you feel are optimal times to employ it. With a possible scare card on board or not? Do you also require a solid opponent who will lay down good hands? Many times if I raise preflop and get called by the blind then the blind bets out into me I fold unless I hit something or possible str8 or flush draw. Am I in making the right connection here?
I am just looking to expand my knowledge of the game and moves that opponents (I think) employ against me.

[eastbay]

The play is something like this:

When your blind is raised, and you expect you have the best hand, rather than re-raising all-in (which is what you would probably normally do in this situation), you'll call, and then push all-in on the flop no matter what comes.

The idea is that you can get people to lay down hands on the flop that they would have called a re-raise all-in with. You'd rather they folded, so that you don't have to show down the best hand.

eastbay

[PrayingMantis]

[ QUOTE ]
The play is something like this:

When your blind is raised, and you expect you have the best hand, rather than re-raising all-in (which is what you would probably normally do in this situation), you'll call, and then push all-in on the flop no matter what comes.

The idea is that you can get people to lay down hands on the flop that they would have called a re-raise all-in with. You'd rather they folded, so that you don't have to show down the best hand.

eastbay

[/ QUOTE ]

Few more important points:

I think it's not to be used simply when you have the best hand, but rather when you figure to be in a coin-flip situation, while you hold the PP. The reason is that the PP is more likely to be ahead after the flop alone, against over-cards, so if you push there (no matter what flop), the mere chance that your opponent will fold his cards (that didn't hit) is what makes this move profitable.

Notice that it's important to be the one acting first (before the PF raisor) on the flop, so idealy you'r making it from the blinds. Another thing is that you should have enough of your stack post-flop, to scare your opponent. Also, if you are the one who's holding the over-cards, you might want to push PF, and not use the S&G (reverse situation from what I mentioned above). However, it depends on how you read your opponent.

Against certain opponents the S&G can be done with many other holdings, as a S&G bluff.

[Stoneii]

Hi Khali

I think the example I recall was when someone used it when they were fairly short stacked in a tournament. They were in the BB with middle pocket pair (7's rings a bell) with a stack of say 10k and were raised about 3 or 4k preflop by a bigger stack.

Now if they push here preflop they are almost certainly likely to be called and will be either small favourite or possibly big dog (overpair). So they call with the intention of moving in on any flop.

Say flop came QT6, BB moved in and unless raiser hits then he has to lay it down. Again from memory I think the raiser had pocket 9's so in this case it was the perfect move.

Imagine being the original raiser here, with 2 over cards it's extremely hard for you to call the all-in but you'd have called a preflop reraise in a heartbeat from the shorter stack.

Hope this helps (and my memory wasn't too flawed!!)

G'Luck

stoneii

[TheGrifter]

I also like to use the stop'n'go in certain situations with big cards. For instance, if I need to win a pot soon due to large blinds and someone raise my BB I may call with a hand like KJ, and then push on any board that doesn't contain an ace. This will generally get aces that miss to fold while the almost certainly would have called an all-in preflop.

I agree with the others regarding the stop n go with a middle pair, with one caveat. I will not push on flops with three overcards. The bad part of this is that you are usually pretty pot committed when you make the preflop call, but I am going to be called way too often on an AKJ board to make it worthwhile.

[AA suited]

[ QUOTE ]
The play is something like this:

When your blind is raised, and you expect you have the best hand, rather than re-raising all-in (which is what you would probably normally do in this situation), you'll call, and then push all-in on the flop no matter what comes.

The idea is that you can get people to lay down hands on the flop that they would have called a re-raise all-in with. You'd rather they folded, so that you don't have to show down the best hand.

eastbay

[/ QUOTE ]

ah..so either way you are committed. it's just that on the flop there's a chance he'll lay down the cards right there and you win w/o risking him catching a miracle on the river?