Stop signs, in poker, are in-game signals that should make you stop, think, and move forward cautiously. 

I’ll give you examples of these poker stop signs and show you how to use them to avoid costly mistakes.

Watch this episode #552 on YouTube:

Or, listen to the podcast as you follow along below:

Missing These 12 Poker Stop Signs Wrecks Your Win Rate 🛑

Hand 1: Underpair Facing River Aggression

Action:

• Preflop: CO Villain 4 raises to 2.5 BB, Hero calls, both blinds fold.
• Flop: CO checks, Hero bets 3 BB (<1/2 pot), CO calls.
• Turn: CO checks, Hero bets 7 BB (>1/2 pot), CO calls.
• River: CO bets 12.6 BB, Hero folds.

Stop Signs

🛑 Turn: He calls again vs a larger bet. The more chips committed, the more they like their hand or spot.

🛑 Turn: A TAG, positionally aware player, calls again from OOP. This makes it more likely they hold a value hand.

🛑 River: Going from flop & turn passivity to river aggression. Sudden river aggression is often for value, not allowing you to check-back.

Critical Strategy: At every stop sign, you must ask and answer Poker’s Ultimate Question:

What’s he doing this with?

Use all available information to get a read on the purpose behind their actions, then make the appropriate play.

Ignition Hold Cards Exposed:

Hand 2: Two Pair on a Wet Flop

Action:

• Preflop: Hero opens to 3 BB, the SB Villain 7 calls.
• Flop: SB donk bets 2 BB, Hero raises to 12.8 BB, SB calls.
• Turn: SB donk bets 10 BB, Hero folds.

Stop Signs

🛑 Flop: Small donk bet. These are likely blocking bets with weak pairs and/or draws. Can be super cheap bluffs, or trying to get you to raise.

🛑 Flop: He calls a big raise. He donk/calls from OOP on this wet board vs a >pot raise… Mikey likes the flop!

🛑 Turn: The turn connects with the flop and their range, they double-donk. He made his hand and wants value.

Ignition Hold Cards Exposed:

Hand 3: An Overcard to Your Overpair

Action:

• Preflop: Hero raises to 3 BB, the SB Villain 13 calls and the BB calls.
• Flop: SB bets 6.5 BB, the BB folds, Hero raises to 13 BB and the SB calls.
• Turn: SB bets 16.7 BB, Hero folds.

Stop Signs

🛑 Flop: A total fish makes a large flop donk bet. The larger donk this time indicates strength, like TP+. And he called our raise.

🛑 Turn: Double-donking large again on the turn. He likes that turn card… do we?

🛑 Turn: An overcard to overpair and he donk bets. Sometimes you get bluffed. But all the signs were there that he had an Ace or better. I think it’s a good fold.

Ignition Hold Cards Exposed:

Hand 4: TP on a Monotone Flop

Action:

• Preflop: UTG Villain 17 raises to 2.5 BB, Hero calls 2.5 BB and the blinds fold.
• Flop: UTG checks, Hero bets 3 BB, UTG raises to 9.1 BB, Hero calls.
• Turn: UTG checks, Hero bets 11.8 BB, UTG raises to 35.4 BB, Hero calls.
• River: UTG bets 106.4 BB and is all-in, Hero folds after finally seeing the stop sign!

Stop Signs

🛑Flop: Hitting TP on a monotone flop facing a XR. Top pair and a 3rd nut flush draw gets you to stay in, but what’s he check-raising on that flop?

🛑Turn: Facing a 2nd XR, at 3x again! Yep, he means business. Our hand is marginal and should fold.

🛑Turn: A HUGE pot with marginal hand. Notice the growing pot and if you’re going to fold to his expected shove on the next street, just fold now.

Ignition Hold Cards Exposed:

Stop Signs Recap

The 12 stop signs above aren’t an exhaustive list, but take note of them:

1. He calls again vs a larger bet.
2. He calls again from OOP.
3. Flop & turn passive to river aggressive.
4. Small flop donk bet.
5. He calls a big raise.
6. Wet flop, turn completes, he donks.
7. Large flop donk bet.
8. Double donk on overcard.
9. An overcard to your overpair, he donks.
10. TP on monotone flop facing a XR.
11. 2nd XR, at 3x again!
12. A HUGE pot with marginal hand.

The critical strategy is to remember that at every 🛑, you ask and answer “What’s he doing this with?”

Take Action

If you watched this episode on YouTube, please 👍, leave a comment and subscribe for more.

Play with Purpose:

Stop at every 🛑! Look in every direction for cops, cars and pedestrians.

Ask and answer Poker’s Ultimate Question: “What’s he doing this with?”

Use all info available, make a read and make a play.

Win More Poker Hands by Telling a Better Bluff Story!

In the follow-up to last week’s episode, I give you the 5 parts to a convincing bluff that will help you steal more pots.

And using two of the hands above, I discuss how all 5 parts were in place to steal more pots.

The best way to learn from this episode #553 is through this video:

You can also listen to the podcast: 

5 Parts to Convincing Story:

A Thinking Villain

You’re against a thinking player who cares about more than just their hole cards. They use a HUD, they think about your range, they can read the board and your actions. They can find a fold and won’t call just b/c they have TP or they hope you’re bluffing. Look for TAG and LAG regs.

Logical Actions

Your actions on each street match a strong hand or great draw. When you make plays that logically correspond to holding strong hands or strong draws, your thinking opponent will notice. You want them to think you’re at the top of your range.

A Helpful Board

The board makes your range stronger. When your thinking opponent believes you connected with the flop, and the turn and river cards also connect, they’ll see “monsters under the bed” and will fold more often.

A Foldable Hand

They have weakness in their range. Their actions could signify strength, like cbetting and raising. But, because bluffing is such a big part of their game, these thinking, aggressive players often hold weak hands. And weak hands, versus your convincing story, will fold.

Smart Sizing

Your bet size = going for value. Your thinking opponent will read “value” in your size if you ask yourself, “What would I bet with strong hand?” Bet or raise it to that size.

Take Action

Practice & Study Bluffing

Put the 5 parts for a convincing story on a sticky note:

1. A Thinking Villain
2. Logical Actions
3. A Helpful Board
4. A Foldable Hand
5. Smart Sizing

Create two hand tags in PokerTracker 4: “GoodBluff” “FailedBluff”

During your studies, pull up the “GoodBluff” hands for review. Ask yourself, “Why did it work?” and note what you did right.

Pull up the “FailedBluff” hands for review and ask yourself, “Why didn’t it work?” Take notes on what you did wrong.