10 Essential Texas Hold’em Moves: The Stop & Go

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Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: January 17, 2025

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Winning at poker isn’t all about the fundamentals.

There are a handful of special moves that, when mastered, can make the difference between winning a little and winning a lot.

In this ten-part beginner poker strategy series we’re going to show you exactly how to use these powerful poker moves to make more money.

Today we examine the Stop and Go, a move that will disorient, confuse, and ultimately break even the toughest of competition.

How to Do a Poker Stop & Go

The What: At its most basic the Stop and Go consists of just calling a pre-flop raise while out of position with the intention of betting (usually all-in) on the flop no matter what cards come.

The Where: The Stop and Go is a tournament move that can be used effectively in MTTs and SNGs. The most common scenario involves calling from the blinds against a late-position opening raiser.

The When: This move is best used when short-stacked, with between five and ten big blinds.

The Why: The objective of the Stop and Go is to make your opponent throw away hands on the flop that he would have called with if you shoved pre-flop, therefore increasing your chances of winning the hand and staying alive in the tournament.

The Stop And Go Done Right

The Stop and Go is a powerful move you need to add to your short stack tournament strategy repertoire. 

Picture this: You’re in the big blind, holding A-J with a 10,000 stack at 600/1,200 with a 100 ante. It’s folded to the button who puts in a raise to 3,600.

The small blind folds and you’re faced with a decision. Do you move all-in now, just call, or fold? Even if you’re holding a premium hand like A-K, there’s good reason to just call.

If you move all-in, the button will have to call 6,400 to win over 20k, which means he’s priced into calling with basically anything. In fact, most good players will already have taken note of your short stack and will only raise if they’re willing to call your shove.

Because your A-K is going to lose to two random smaller cards about 35% of the time, you’re better off taking down the pot uncontested. Since that’s unlikely to happen by just shoving pre-flop, you need to take another approach.

That’s where the Stop & Go comes in. Call pre-flop with the intention of moving all-in for 6,400 regardless of the cards that come down.

When you bet all-in on the flop, your opponent is faced with a much tougher decision. Two random cards are going to miss the flop about two thirds of the time.

First of all he will fold a lot of hands he would have been right to call with pre-flop. Let’s look at the hand from before.

If your opponent had a hand like pocket threes he’s going to be looking at overcards on the flop, and will have a harder time calling than he would have pre-flop. 

If he called with a hand like K-Q and the flop came T-8-5, he’s also faced with a tough decision.

By just calling before the flop you not only stand a better chance of winning the pot uncontested, you force your opponent into tough spots where they can make mistakes.

Example: You open-raise to 2.5 big blinds with K Q in late position. The cutoff calls, and you both see a flop of 9c 5d 2s. You have around 8 big blinds behind. Instead of having shoved pre-flop and given your opponent an easier decision, you push all-in on this flop. Now your opponent must decide whether they want to risk calling with a weak pair or no pair at all. This can lead to more folds and higher profitability in the long run.

Related Reading:

Learn the Stop and Go in Less than 3 Minutes!

Watch the video below to see the Stop and Go move explained in less than 3 minutes:

Daniel Negreanu Explains the Poker Stop and Go

In case you’re still wondering about the effectiveness of the stop and go, let Daniel Negreanu school you up.

Additional Strategies for the Stop & Go

This technique may seem straightforward, but the nuanced decision-making involved means there’s room to refine your approach for more advanced play. Understanding your opponents’ calling ranges, tendencies, and stack sizes is critical, because exploiting their comfort level can turn an average short-stack situation into a profitable one.

Applying modern poker concepts like balanced bet sizing or careful equity calculations can help you identify ideal moments to use the Stop & Go. The strategy works best when you have strong fold equity but still retain decent showdown value. It is most valuable in situations where your opponent’s pre-flop calling range is wider than their post-flop calling range, giving you a tactical advantage once the flop appears.

Analyzing Stack Dynamics and Opponent Ranges

Effective stack sizes play a major role in deciding when to deploy the Stop & Go. With fewer than ten big blinds, committing yourself to a post-flop all-in requires you to gauge how likely it is that your opponent will miss and fold. If the opener in late position is raising with a broad range, their willingness to call a shove post-flop often decreases when they see a flop that doesn’t connect with their hand.

Analyzing your opponent’s range with even a rough mental model can help guide the decision. If they frequently raise with hands like A-9, K-T, or smaller pairs, you can anticipate how these holdings might respond to a post-flop jam. Adjust your strategy accordingly, particularly in bubble or near-bubble scenarios where your stack preservation might be more important than raw chip accumulation.

Integrating the Stop & Go into Your Overall Game Plan

Incorporating the Stop & Go into your tournament arsenal should be balanced with other strategies. While it can be extremely effective at inducing folds and maximizing fold equity, it’s not always the optimal line. Sometimes a standard pre-flop shove will be more profitable, especially if you observe that your opponent rarely folds or overestimates their hand strength post-flop. By mixing up your approach, you keep opponents guessing and avoid becoming predictable.

FAQ

What is the Stop & Go?

It is a tournament tactic where you call a pre-flop raise while out of position with a short stack, planning to move all-in on the flop no matter what appears. The idea is to exploit your opponent’s tendency to fold more often after seeing unfavorable community cards.

Why not simply shove pre-flop with strong hands?

Because many opponents will call a short all-in pre-flop with a wide range, reducing your fold equity. By shoving on the flop, you give yourself a better chance to force folds from hands that missed.

Is the Stop & Go more effective in MTTs or SNGs?

It can be equally effective in both, provided you choose the right situations. Its usefulness depends more on effective stack sizes and your opponent’s tendencies than on a specific format.

How do I choose good spots to use the Stop & Go?

Look for situations where you’re short-stacked but still have enough chips to force a tough decision. Facing late-position raisers who open wide is often a good scenario because their post-flop calling range may shrink.

Can the Stop & Go be used with speculative hands?

Yes, as long as your stack is in the right range and you believe the pre-flop raiser will fold frequently if they miss. You should still consider how often your hand can improve on the flop.

How does the Stop & Go relate to equity and pot odds?

You force opponents to re-evaluate their odds after seeing a flop. Instead of getting favorable odds to call pre-flop, they might face a board that doesn’t connect with their holding, leading to a fold that wouldn’t have happened before the flop.

Does using the Stop & Go too often become predictable?

It can, which is why it should be balanced with other strategies. Overusing it may lead vigilant opponents to adjust by calling lighter, so vary your tactics to keep them off-balance.

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