The concept of optimal play is especially important in poker, as evidenced by what is known as GTO strategy, or simply GTO in poker. We are talking about a term that has completely changed the way the game is approached and has forced many players to deconstruct themselves to relearn how to shape the best of strategies.
Keep reading so you can find out what is GTO in poker, its meaning and its impact in the game. Also, you will be able to know what is the real importance of maths and stats of GTO in poker, the strategy you will be able to make in the game and what is the best way to learn GTO poker.
What is GTO poker?
Let’s start with the basics. GTO in poker stands for “Game Theory Optimal“. It is a decision making based on mathematical fairness, difficult to exploit, but very beneficial in the long run, making informed decisions based not on players or isolated readings, but based on statistics and probabilities.
That is to say, we are talking about a strategy based on numbers, not on odds. Although the GTO in poker does not renounce the importance of tells in the games, it stands out for not making this component the core of the game.
At the time the GTO burst onto the poker scene it was a revolution, although today it is taken for granted the enormous weight that mathematics, probabilities and all the statistics have in the whole of poker and in the strategy of the game.
GTO poker strategy
That’s in broad strokes, but if we delve deeper into the term, we can find the fundamental pillars that underpin GTO strategy. Because GTO is based on the notion that, if a player adopts a mathematical and very balanced approach, he can manage to avoid being exploited by the most skilled opponents, and that is the main attraction of the GTO game.
And what are these important pillars? Betting frequency, range balancing and adaptability.
- Betting frequency. Rather than betting in patterns that are easily predictable, players who adopt a GTO strategy will vary the size of their bets, as well as the frequency with which they place them, making it difficult to identify any patterns and mimicking their play. They will, in turn, prevent opponents from deducing the strength of their hand based on their actions.
- Overall rank balance. GTO players assign their hand rank in a balanced way in all possible situations, which means that they will end up playing strong and weak hands in a similar way, keeping opponents off balance and mimicking all traces of their hand strength and, therefore, their play.
- Adaptability. Although a GTO player always adheres to all the guidelines of balanced strategies, he maintains the ability to adapt his game depending on what his opponents say. This gives great peace of mind, considering that at all times it is possible to adjust the aggressiveness of the strategy without having to compromise the integrity of his overall game.
Best way to learn GTO poker
Learning to play with a GTO poker strategy is tremendously beneficial, but it is not something that can be achieved overnight. If you want to be a good GTO player tomorrow, you should make sure that, day by day, you meet a series of requirements and improve your analytical skills in order to progress along the right path.
The first of all is theoretical training, and this starts with the study of basic concepts. But soon it will be time to go further, and to transform those terms and that understanding into relevant aspects of a poker game. How? By using poker software to help you analyze your hands and make the right decisions.
In the beginning, they will be a very helpful tool that will bridge the gap between what you will study in the books and what you will actually experience in the game. Assimilating everything in between will be essential to be a good GTO player someday.
These programs will also help you to make better analyses of your hands. Because studying hands and situations is key to being a better GTO player. Thus, you will have the opportunity to analyze how your hands behave in different scenarios and improve your decision making.
Another important point: constant practice. GTO poker, its meaning and the chances it offers will be only available for you if your game is based on consistency and your ability to analyze and decide with better judgment in the games, something that, like almost everything in poker, is trained with practice.
It is important that you dedicate time to post-game analysis, as this is where your understanding and analytical skills can be strengthened. With hours of dedication, you will transform the theory into something more than just guidelines, making your game transform and the quality of your plays will be reinforced.
It is interesting, on the other hand, that you consider the possibility of getting personalized coaching from professionals, to take full advantage of all that the GTO game has to offer. In addition, it can improve your learning ability and help you to focus your strategy in the most complex games.
