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Stop And Go In Cash Games

Normally the Stop and Go move is a tournament play because stacks are so much shorter.  The lite 4-bet shortened the stacks to the point that it was relevant in this hand. I really expect that the LAG is opening and raising lite.  It only take so long at the table to know that the guy can not have a hand this often.  Time to attack back.

The first major decision.  Do I try and flop a set for $20, or do I squeeze for value for $125?  I like the squeeze myself.  I might take it down immediately, or I likely get heads up in a $300 pot with a decent pocket pair and $375 back.  I likely shove any flop with that stack to pot ratio.

The LAG is having none of this.  He re-raises and clears out the competition.  He is completely capable of making this move with hands that I am absolutely crushing, like lower pocket pairs, and dominated Jacks.  He always has better hands like QQ+ in his range here too.  What I am thinking about though are hands like AQ+, KQ+.  Why am I thinking about those?

Since he has a relatively weak range here, I already know I am never folding this hand to this guy.  I could just shove it all in right now, but I suspect I am getting almost zero folds right now for $175 into a $700 pot.  Against unpaired overcards, I am getting into a coin flip for $1200.  He is not making a mistake to call it off.

However, imagine he has those same two unpaired overcards and flops no pair, no draw and I donk-bet shove into him.  He has 25% equity on a flop like 369r against this particular hand, that is 25% of ($700+$175) or $256.  He should call off the $175.  However, it is possible that he gives up when his cards miss on the flop.

Since this bad fold on the flop is the most plausible mistake he can make I need to give him a chance to make it.  I am already resolved to shoving it in blind anyways, so I might as well hope he gives up some equity in those cases.

Doug Hull
Doug Hull
I am a poker player and author of the book "Poker Plays You Can Use". Contact me if you are looking to improve your live poker game.
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