RE: What is the game plan for bitcoin?

Yeah - you're looking at it wrong.

There are 2 reasons why people are saying hold until 2020.

One, as you've mentioned is that this is when the next halving happens and it's highly likely that the price will then increase.
This doesn't mean - and then immediately sell, just that if there was ever a reason to hold until then - that's it. Most people will probably continue to hold, some will take profit.

The other is that the financial systems of some countries (US in particular) is at breaking point and the amount of money printing is ramping up and up to the point where it's like a car with no brakes that's speeding up - they may be able to keep printing and kick the can a year or two down the road, but at some point it's guaranteed to crash.

When this happens - cash/fiat becomes almost worthless and only things of agreed intrinsic value retain usable value. So while $1000 might only get you a loaf of bread. An ounce of gold will be worth a lot more.
Some people feel that Bitcoin has become an accepted store of value like gold and that when the crap hits the fan with the economy - Bitcoin will be one safe haven for value.

It's possible that the US dollar will have collapsed by 2020, but if not - it will be further down that path, so holding bitcoin is a hedge for that.

But NOW is the time to get started.