AhhHaa moments in poker

I think my first ahh haa moment when learning poker was c-bets. I never knew people bet on the flop, even when they missed. I guess I just thought they were extremely lucky all the time.
I never bet my AK on the flop if I didn't see an ace or king. When c-bets came into my life, I think thats when I first realized that poker was a strategy game, and not just luck.
Now, I have stop bets, stop and go, and a few more plays in my arsenal that I've learned the past few years.
I would like to hear some ahh haa moments, and strategy plays that you all have learned. Maybe we can all learn something new.

When I first started playing poker, I played .25/.50 limit. My first such moment came after reading SSHE. I was dealt in the SB, which I normally would have folded without another look. But there were like 6 limpers in the hand, and I realized SSHE says to complete with any suited cards with that many limpers, so I did. Flop had a 3 in it.

Bottom pair? Weak.

But after I checked, there was a bet and a bunch of callers, so instead of just throwing it away, I called because I was getting some crazy odds and with a piece I should stay.

Turn was a spade, and there had been a spade in the flop. Same scenario, a bet and a bunch of calls. River spade. Pay day! Pot was over 20 BBs.

Maybe someone can quibble with the way I played the hand somewhere, but it still represents my understanding of the game taking a big step forward.

is my hand for that reason.

I always thought there were two kinds of bets. Bets when you have something and bets when your bluffing. What are stop bets, stop and go bets, and other types of bets?

1. Not being results oriented, understanding that we play for the long run and that in the long run we all get into the same situations and that if I play the situations better than others I'll make money

2. Same sorta idea, but bankroll management so I can reach the long-run without short-term results sending me home broke

3. Realizing that it's hard to make a hand people will stack on average and that to win a pot you don't need to actually make a hand.

4. Thinking in ranges. Instead of guessing if he had the flush or a pair or a bluff I started realizing that some of the time he's bluffing, some of the time he has the flush, some of the time he has the pair, some of the time he has some other hands, and instead of picking one hand to play the best against I should strive to play the best against that range

5. Thinking about my own range. What do other people think my range is? How can I exploit this?

I could tell you, but then I'd have to, well....you know.

Stop Bet:
My definition of a stop bet would be a small bet (min bet) to slow down the aggressor usually when your out of position.
ex. lets say everyone folds to the button, who puts out a 3-4x bet, and you call with A5h in the BB. The flop comes with two hearts, giving you a flush draw. you check. button makes a standard c-bet, you call.
Turn misses your flush, and you expect the button to make a raise big enough to push you off the hand. So instead of checking, you would make a min bet to confuse him, and keep the pot odds small enough to see the river.
He just calls, and a heart hits to complete your flush. This play probally won't work on a good player, but it will with most.

Stop and Go:
Usually used when short stacked. Say your in SB, and you have pocket fives. Big stack in MP throws out a 4x BB and everyone folds to you. You could go all in, but your thinking he probally will call and you'll probally be in a race. however, you could just call, with every intention to go all in on flop hoping that he doesn't connect and will be forced to fold.

I am starting to think just like that now, it took some time... Thats my ahhHaa moment, also calling just to get a hand range on someone...

Realizing i could understand and gain from the he's thinking i'm thinking he's thinking i'm thinking logic. This has helped my game.