To excel in the world of tournament poker, it’s no longer enough to just rely on instinct and basic strategy. The modern game requires a deeper understanding of the underlying principles, and that’s where Game Theory Optimal (GTO) solvers come in. For players who have already put in a decent amount of study, leveraging a GTO solver is an efficient way to get good at poker quickly and elevate their skills. Let’s break down how you can use these powerful tools to analyze your game and start dominating the tournament circuit.
Deep Dive with Scenario Analysis and Drilling
One of the most effective ways to use a GTO solver is to analyze specific, common situations you’ll face at the tables. GTO solvers allow you to simulate precise game scenarios. For instance, you can set up a simulation where you are 40 big blinds deep, raise from the lowjack seat, and get called by the big blind. From there, you can drill down into specific flops or analyze random ones to sharpen your play in a multitude of circumstances. This method provides a quick and effective way to study many different spots.
Mastering Optimal Ranges and Actions
A GTO solver is your guide to understanding the mathematically correct ranges and actions in any given situation.
- Pre-Flop Ranges: Solvers show you the GTO-recommended ranges for raising from various positions. For example, when you have 40 big blinds in the lowjack position, a solver might recommend raising with all pairs, suited aces, king-five suited and better, ace-nine off-suit and better, and all Broadway hands.
- Continuation Betting (C-Betting): These tools provide crucial guidance on your c-betting frequency and sizing. Players often learn to c-bet frequently with a significant portion of their range. The board texture plays a key role; GTO typically advises betting bigger on dynamic, high-card boards , while on lower, more connected boards, you are often more inclined to check some of the time.
- Playing Draws: Solvers teach players to bet with a lot of their draws. Hands like 8-7 suited and 9-7 suited are often recommended for betting on the flop the majority of the time.
- River Play: On the river, you’ll learn that the smallest value bet should be about half the pot. If your hand isn’t strong enough for a bet of that size, it’s better to check it back. Solvers also clarify which hands are strong enough for a value bet, such as King-Jack, Jack-8, 10-9, Ace-9, King-9, and any Jack in certain scenarios.
Implementing Mixed Strategies
Poker isn’t always about black-and-white decisions. GTO play often involves mixing your actions, such as sometimes betting small and sometimes checking, or mixing between calling and folding. To implement these mixed strategies effectively, players can use a randomizer, like one that generates a number between 1 and 100. This prevents you from making incorrect assumptions in spots that GTO indicates are a 100% bet or check.
Analyzing Bluffs and Value Bets
Understanding when to bluff and with which hands is a hallmark of a dominant player, and solvers can help you master this.
- GTO often suggests bluffing with King-X and 9-X hands on the turn, as well as hands like 9-7 and 8-7.
- It’s typical for players to bluff with their lowest small pairs first, such as fours and threes.
- Small and medium pairs can also be good hands for continuous bluffing if they have the potential to make better hands fold.
Adjusting to Real-World Opponents
A crucial part of using GTO is understanding when to deviate from it. A GTO opponent will bluff effectively with hands like random fives and fours, meaning you should be “call happy” against them. However, most players in the real world do not bluff as frequently or as well.
This means that a hand like pocket twos, which might be a marginal call or a mix between calling and folding in a GTO simulation when facing a check-raise, often becomes a straightforward fold against a real-world player who isn’t bluffing enough. Similarly, if you notice an opponent reaches the turn with a stronger range than GTO would suggest, you might want to bluff less often.
Committing to the Learning Process
To truly integrate these concepts into your game, you must adopt an active approach to your studies.
- Ask Questions and Take Notes: While you are studying with a solver, you should constantly ask questions and write down your findings in a notepad or book.
- Identify and Correct Errors: This active learning process helps you confirm your understanding and spot where your intuition differs from GTO strategy. By comparing your own play to the solver’s output, you can pinpoint and correct your mistakes, such as value betting too thinly on the river.