Game Theory Optimal (GTO) poker play is often talked about, but what is it really? Simply put, it’s considered an unbeatable style of play with the sole and solitary goal to maximize chips. GTO is like a scientific method for poker, focused on choosing the action for each hand in each scenario that is most likely to win the most chips.
A key part of GTO is balancing your play. This means mixing up how you play different hands to keep your strategy unpredictable.
In GTO, hands are generally grouped into three categories: strong, medium, and weak. Here’s a quick look at how to play them:
- Strong Hands: These are hands like full houses, flushes, straights, sets, two pairs, over pairs, and strong top pairs. You want to play large pots with these hands by betting and raising. But, if you only bet strong hands, opponents will catch on. So, you also need to sometimes bet weak hands (Bluffs) to make them call. You might also sometimes play strong hands passively (slow play/trap) to protect your passive lines. Slow playing can bait opponents into improving their hand. When deciding which strong hands to slow play, consider those that don’t need much protection or block villain’s calling range. For example, checking Aces on a dry board or slow playing Kings on the river.
- Weak Hands: These are your Bluffs. Since you’ll have weak hands frequently, you can’t Bluff every time. Good GTO play involves choosing which weak hands to Bluff with. Bluff with hands that have a good draw (incremental Equity) or that make it less likely your opponent has a strong hand (card removal). For example, holding the Ace of Diamonds makes it impossible for your opponent to have the nut flush in diamonds.
- Medium Hands: These hands are decent but not great. They generally don’t want to play for big pots and are often checked down. They can be played as a bet or check, depending on incremental Equity. If you only play medium hands passively, opponents can exploit this. So, you sometimes slow play strong hands to protect your checking range.
Balancing is Key
By balancing your bets with strong and weak hands, you make it tough for your opponent. They’re forced to make tough decisions about which medium hands to call or fold. When deciding to call or fold a medium hand, consider incremental Equity or card removal. For instance, holding a 10 can reduce the chance your opponent has a 10-high bluff.
GTO strategy is all about combo selection – deciding which hands go in which bucket (strong, medium, weak) and how to play them based on their characteristics.
Important Caveats
- GTO balance is most important against discerning opponents. Against less observant players, you can play a more exploitative style.
- You don’t need perfect balance in real life, just enough to not be predictable.
- True GTO is calculated by computers that know exact probabilities. Human opponents don’t have this “clairvoyance,” so perfect balance isn’t necessary.
- GTO is complex! It’s influenced by many factors like previous actions, board cards, stack-to-pot ratio, and position.
Ultimately, mastering GTO involves understanding the nuances of hand selection and how to play them in different situations to maximize your edge.
Learn more about GTO strategy with the course Saulo Costa The GTO Blueprint.