Game Theory Optimal (GTO) poker has become a crucial concept in modern poker strategy. At its core, GTO poker is about playing an unexploited strategy.
Understanding GTO
A GTO strategy is defined as the best possible strategy against a perfect opponent. This hypothetical opponent possesses complete knowledge of your range in every situation and can perfectly adapt to exploit any deviation from optimal play. Essentially, GTO is a defensive strategy designed to minimize your leaks and prevent opponents from capitalizing on your mistakes.
Nash Equilibrium and Balance
GTO is closely tied to the concept of Nash equilibrium. A Nash equilibrium represents a state of balance where no player can improve their outcome by unilaterally changing their strategy. In other words, if all players adhere to GTO, no one has an incentive to change their approach because they’ve already maximized their potential profit. This principle is the foundation of the term “balance” in poker strategy.
Generating GTO Strategies
GTO strategies are developed using software called solvers. These solvers employ EV (expected value) maximizing algorithms to calculate the profitability of different strategies across various scenarios. Solvers work by simulating gameplay between two players with initially random strategies. Through an iterative process, each player exploits the other’s strategy until a Nash equilibrium is reached. This repeated exploitation process is what makes GTO unexploitable.
GTO vs. Exploitative Strategies
It’s important to distinguish between GTO and exploitative strategies:
- GTO (Equilibrium) Strategy: This is a defensive approach that is optimal without specific information about your opponents. It’s designed to minimize the risk of exploitation and is characterized by balance.
- Exploitative Strategy: This is an offensive approach that is optimal when you have information about your opponents’ tendencies. It aims to maximize profit by capitalizing on opponent mistakes but carries the risk of counter-exploitation due to its imbalanced nature.
GTO Against Non-GTO Opponents
While perfect GTO play is unattainable for humans, a GTO strategy will always outperform an imbalanced strategy in the long run in heads-up matches. This is because if you play GTO, your opponent’s best response is also GTO. When they deviate from GTO (i.e., play imbalanced), they are leaving money on the table. A GTO player, therefore, has a minimum EV guarantee in heads-up zero-sum games. However, against an imbalanced opponent, the optimal strategy with that information is to play exploitatively and punish their errors.
Minimum EV Guarantee
A key feature of GTO is that it guarantees a certain minimum expected value in the long run in heads-up pots in zero-sum games. Importantly, if your opponents deviate from GTO, your expected value actually increases. This EV guarantee does not apply in multi-way pots.
How GTO Generates Profit
GTO generates profit when opponents make pure mistakes.
- A mixing mistake involves choosing the correct actions but with the incorrect frequencies. GTO doesn’t inherently profit from mixing mistakes unless the opponent is exploited.
- A pure mistake occurs when an opponent takes an action that strictly loses EV against your GTO strategy (e.g., always folding a hand that GTO would always call).
In Conclusion
GTO poker centers on employing a mathematically sound strategy that is difficult to exploit. This approach ensures a minimum level of profitability, particularly in heads-up situations, and capitalizes on opponents’ pure mistakes. While exploiting opponent tendencies can be more profitable against weaker players, it involves greater risk compared to the balanced nature of GTO.
Saulo Costa the GTO Blueprint will teach you practical heuristics to develop a game no one can easily exploit.