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You might have heard of game theory optimal (GTO) or GTO poker solvers before. You might have also heard that you shouldn't try to play GTO, that you should only play an ABC poker strategy - a simple yet effective that should beat your incompetent opponents. However you would be wrong.
As of Aug 2019, the best poker bot that proved to win some of the best poker players in the world is the Pluribus made by Noam Brown and Tuomas Sandholm. They published a paper in one of the most prestige journals in the world - Scince. Top 10 Best Poker Training Apps All poker players share the same goal–becoming the best at their game. You could be a recreational player who only plays a weekly game with friends, you could be a novice who tries his luck at the casino, or you could be a professional who grinds the tables for a living. Strategy software helps players to build up strategy by integrating the tracker and also the odd calculator in a single tool. Essentially it’s just like getting both tools, it’s really a fancy reputation for the mixture of these two applications. Poker game could be simulated by its training software. PokerSnowie is a powerful AI poker training software program designed to help you improve your game and ultimately increase your profits at the poker table. Available for both cash games and tournaments, the main purpose of PokerSnowie is to teach you how to become un-exploitable in any situation. High quality poker training software is difficult to come by, but a good program can be incredibly helpful when trying to learn the game. A lot of poker instruction is focused on having the student watch others play the game, but at some point you have to get to work and play yourself.
GTO solvers are basically a super calculator for poker which allows players to set-up a hand scenario and find the optimal solution to that situation. You basically ask the solver a question and it gives you the GTO answer.
Has poker been solved and turned into a game like Tic Tac Toe?
There are still limitations to what GTO solvers can do.
For example, they currently only solve for heads-up confrontations. But there’s a lot of benefits to using a GTO solver. They aren’t cheap. And often the learning curve deters people.
This article we’ll weigh up the benefits and pitfalls of using a GTO poker solver. And reveal how to get the most out of using a GTO solver.
Is GTO the best poker strategy?
When it comes to beating poker, the term ‘GTO’ often gets thrown around like it’s the ultimate strategy. The idea of pure game theory optimal solutions (i.e. equilibria) works most effectively when players are playing perfect strategy. However, that isn’t often the case.
I HAVEN’T studied Tic Tac Toe, but I’m confident as the player going first, selecting the middle box as the first move would be optimal.
I HAVE studied poker for years, and sometimes I’m still not sure of the best play in a certain situation!
Poker is a complex game. As human players, we don’t consistently make optimal decisions. Some rarely do!
So what good is an equilibrium strategy when our opponent is deviating far from using an optimal game plan? After all, the importance of adjusting to your opponent and the mantra of ‘play the man’ has been at the crux of winning poker strategy since Cowboys on tilt were drawing pistols in saloons.
Here's a short video that addresses the role GTO plays in the poker world.
The power of GTO poker solvers
Well firstly, there are still certain takeaways from observing a GTO solver work its magic and plot an equilibrium solution. And secondly, solvers do allow you to set parameters so you can calculate an optimal strategy when playing a non-perfect player.
Benefits from eyeballing equilibrium play
Being able to eyeball a perfect strategy is a useful learning aid. It’s not always practical for the specific game type and opponents a player encounters in their regular games. But seeing a perfect strategy being modeled can be very thought provoking.
Especially when a players style of play differs in spots from the GTO mold. Players in a sense are forced to reflect on their own play and question why they exhibit certain tendencies.
Are they exploiting a certain opponent weakness or population tendency? Or is it a bad habit that’s developed that their opponents can capitalize on?
GTO Poker Solver Example
Let’s take cbetting small pairs on the flop as an example. Solvers like to bet very small pairs in a lot of instances on the flop. These marginal holdings benefit greatly from taking the pot down on the early street. They have few outs to improve, and so the board texture usually develops unfavourably for them.
It makes sense to protect them in a lot of situations. But some players might frequently check back the flop rather than cbet figuring they just want to try to showdown with a weak hand.
Identifying these types of smart strategical patterns helps players modify and improve their own play. Here’ a few more examples;
- How is middle pair played?
- Should BB check-raise low boards a lot on the flop?
- What’s the role blockers play in spots?
- Backdoor flush draw play
- When do solvers over-bet the river?
- Should ace high cbet dry flops?
Some of which might be instantly beneficial if incorporated into a players game
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Benefits from locking opponent strategies
Frequently as we observe opponent play we notice tendencies they have. Additionally using a HUD or poker tracking software online will sometimes expose bad habits.
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Once you’ve locked on to what you believe to be an opponent weakness, you can configure the poker solver to plot a new optimal strategy based on this information.
This approach of analyzing a GTO strategy for the specific opponent you’re playing against is a powerful tool solver's offer and is usually referred to as ‘locking a strategy’ or ‘setting a strategy’.
It’s the best feature for most solver users because it allows for relevant, specific hand analysis based on the real situations you encounter regularly. And you can gain insight into how a solver goes about adjusting to take advantage of deviations from equilibria.
GTO Solver Example #1 : Video
For example, take the passive opponent that rarely check raises us on the flop. Since we'll get to realize our equity more often, we can cbet at a high frequency. Taking advantage of the fact we rarely get blown off our hand on the flop. Which was the situation a student asked me about recently, as discussed in the video below.
GTO Solver Example #2: Check Raising
Or perhaps you’ve spent some time playing with an opponent and he seems to be cbetting 100% on the flop, poker solvers allow you to input this tendency and work out the best response.
Whilst it might be obvious to some that check-raising a player over cbetting is likely to be a good strategy, solvers provide more than just an ideal fold percentage, call percentage and raise percentage.
Additional insights such as; what parts of your range fit best as fold/call/raise, what raise sizing is best, your equity and EV for the situation, how you should proceed on various turn and river outcomes, and all the while what your opponent’s responses should be to your moves. In fact, the extensive amount of data presented can be a little overwhelming to a first time user.
Players modifying solvers to better represent their opponent’s behavior, frequently express overall improvements in their game from the knowledge they gain.
Seeing how a solver adjusts to different situations prepares players for the next time they encounter a similar situation.
Moreover, solver users tend to get a better handle on how they should be playing their range of hands as opposed to a specific hand. Which makes any player more savvy on the felt. As well as players expressing how they start to see the game more in depth, by being able to visualize a hands decision points as branches on a game tree.
This often assists with recognizing opponent leaks and identifying opportunities to exploit. And serves to place importance on strategy as a whole. Where ultimately, consistently making better decisions than your opponents over time, leads to winning results.
Limitations Of Poker Solvers
Locking strategies requires a little more than the basic knowledge of using the solver and if not executed correctly, it could lead to unreliable results.
Use of this feature requires you to be able to fairly accurately gauge your opponent’s tendencies. And this is where a considerable ‘human element’ still remains. In fact, from the get go when you are selecting hands to include in your opponents range, and setting bet sizes, the more accurately you can set the parameters in the solver to reflect the game situation the more reliable the calculations will be.
Unfortunately, this often brings about another limitation solvers have, the time it can take to compute. Especially when setting multiple bet and raise sizes. As the game tree gets larger, so does processing time. Whilst simpler solutions might only take a minute or 2, having several betting and raising sizes, as well as the option to lead bet, might take the better part of an hour to process. And that’s presuming your PC is relatively up to date.
For extremely complex calculations, such as running scripts or doing heavy preflop work, people sometimes rent servers or use cloud computing. Or you could let the computer run over night.
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To speed up regular hand calculations, compromises can be made. For small concessions in accuracy, considerable time can often be saved. With results still acceptably accurate.
So solvers can provide GTO solutions to the heads-up scenarios you encounter at the table. Calculations that are extremely accurate, and fast enough to be usable.
So which GTO poker software is right for me?
The three most competitive solvers, with positive reviews, are;
- GTO Range Builder- More graphical/visual. Web version only. Lots of educational material (though the content is reported to be quite overwhelming for beginners).
- SimplePostflop- More tabular. Standalone version. Can start the analysis preflop.
- PioSOLVER- More tabular. Standalone version. Preferred by most players for its less complicated operation and functionality.
A discussion comparing the best poker solvers, PioSOLVER and GTORB, can be found in this post and responses on Two Plus Two.
Players new to solvers often have good things to say about GTO Range Builder. It has a web interface and is quite fast whilst some also consider it to be moderately easy to use.
However, my recommendation would be PioSOLVER. It’s operation and functionality consistently gets good reviews. And for some of the more difficult capabilities, there’s always tutorials and videos available, all backed by excellent support. There’s even a Skype group new customers can join.
See how to simulate a hand, analyze the data, and take-aways from using a GTO solver with Acesup from our 26 minute premium content video below:
The price point is also competitive for solvers, with the basic version coming in at $249.
There’s also a pro version for $475 (which offers 2 installs, and scripting capability), as well as an edge version for $1,099. Pricey because it includes a preflop solver.
Can it really help me? Will it be worth it?
If you don’t do study away from the tables and are hoping for a wonder toy calculator that will make things easy for you. It’s unlikely you’ll get anything out of owning a solver. As has always been the case with poker, the more effort you put in the more you’ll get out of it.
And to be able to get a lot out of a solver, you do need to put the work in. From learning the functions and using them properly to interpreting results and implementing positive changes to your game. The onus is on you.
If you’re willing to put in the work, the rewards are definitely there. For cash game players, MTT’ers or SNG players. If you’re a serious player trying to move up in stakes. If you’re focused on winning. The opportunity to expand your knowledge of the game and implement strong winning strategies is attainable.
Use of poker GTO solvers is on the rise but certainly isn’t a ‘main stream’ application to have. In the future, with better technology solvers might be simple add-ons to a lot of the programs most players have become accustomed to using. Like a basic poker equity calculator, such as equilab.
For now, they are still sophisticated applications only a limited number of players have embraced. Getting in sooner rather than later might provide you with an edge over your rivals.
Get the most out of your poker solver
Along with the specific makers having youtube channels with tutorials, most poker training sites also have videos where GTO solvers are used. Coaches often use the popular PioSOLVER to gain more insight when analyzing situations at the table. There are several videos at sites like RunItOnce and several tutorials are part of the PokerNerve library.
Here’s a glimpse at a PokerNerve tutorial. This video demonstrates one of the ways people are benefitting from using PioSOLVER for study.
Conclusion
Despite solvers having their limitations;
- Somewhat cumbersome to learn and use
- Calculations are slow to process
- Pricey for the lower limit player
GTO poker solvers provide studious players with a powerful learning tool;
- Ability to work out GTO solutions
- Calculate optimal strategic responses to situations encountered at the table
Examining GTO solutions allows players to identify and learn strong strategical concepts. Such as how often to cbet, what size, and with what types of hands. How often to check-raise in spots. What cards to barrel on, and so forth.
General takeaways that can help a player improve their overall game plan, and gain a better understanding of what their opponents might be doing as well.
Furthermore, by using the lock strategy feature you can calculate optimal strategic responses to opponent tendencies you’ve discovered.
Exploring specific solutions to situations you encounter against opponents from your regular games. So you can see how to take action and exploit them.
It’s not a quick magical solution. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to learn and get accustomed to using a solver. The reward is having a powerful poker computing device that will help you improve your poker skill. Giving you an edge at the tables.
One of the quickest way to improve your poker game is to take on a course or join a poker training site; if that is something that interests you be sure to check out the PokerNerve Road to Success Course.
Last updated: 07/01/20
High quality poker training software is difficult to come by, but a good program can be incredibly helpful when trying to learn the game. A lot of poker instruction is focused on having the student watch others play the game, but at some point you have to get to work and play yourself. This is where it can be helpful to find a piece of poker training software that can run simulations for you. Often times it is best to try playing the game for free before you enter into the more challenging world of real money poker.
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Why Software Instead of a Coach?
The answer to this is fairly simple. Think of it like a puzzle, where coaches are one piece of the puzzle and software is another. Poker training software can help you in areas where coaches cannot. For one thing, poker training software can offer you incredible real-time simulators in which to practice. This is a great free way to improve your understanding of the game. Also, a coach can’t carry out hundreds of complicated calculations in their head in a split second like poker programs can. Powerful computing software can tell you the exact Expected Value of specific situations, like being all-in preflop with any range of hands you choose versus your opponents’ hands in a second. A human cannot possibly do this. In areas where the human brain limits us, poker software can be incredibly useful.
Expected value calculations are an area where software has a clear edge over players. This can be simple, like a preflop all-in equity calculation. However, it can also be incredibly more complex and involve intricate decision trees. Think for a moment about why poker is so complicated. Once you make a preflop decision, your opponent or opponents have multiple options against you on each street. To have any sense about what the true expected value of a decision is versus your opponent, you need multiple branches on a decision tree with numerous assumptions. Unfortunately, this is not something that the human brain can comprehend very well. As a player, all you can do is estimate something like, “If I bet ½ pot on the flop, I think my opponent will fold 50% of the time, call 25%, and raise 25% of the time.” We need to figure out what our reaction is when facing a raise and what our equity is. Also, when we move past the flop, we need to play out turn and river scenarios with the other 25% of the time. This is incredibly complicated, but with certain programs we are able to make calculations like this easy.
Accountability and record keeping is another area where humans tend to be weak. If you want to play in a simulator versus a computer opponent, it will record all of the hands you play against it and allow you to analyze the results when you are finished. Coaches can’t do this. Most coaches are limited to some fairly simple training techniques like real-time session sweats, individual hand analysis, or general theoretical discussions.
Almost all of the best players in the world have put a tremendous amount of time into self-study. A big part of the reason for this is that it is actually one of the best ways to learn. A poker coach can be helpful in the early and intermediate stages of a poker player’s development, but later on there is no substitute for the one-on-one work with poker training software that many top online players do. Most of the best players that I know spend far more time studying the game by themselves than they do with other players. This brings me to a discussion about my current favorite poker tool on the market…
PokerSnowie Software Review
This is the clear leader in the field of poker training software. PokerSnowie is innovative and brings modern science to the poker tables. The software comes with a free ten-day trial, where you can test out the product for free. Its goal is to help you achieve a game theory optimal style of play. What is really cool about PokerSnowie is its ability to improve over time. Unlike other poker software on the market, PokerSnowie changes in real time as opponents play against it. In fact, PokerSnowie is actively learning from its competition, which ensures that it stays up to date with the most modern and innovative poker strategies.
Snowie is setup so that you can challenge the program. So far, the program has played over 4 million hands versus real poker players, and that number increases every day. The program has absolutely annihilated the competition for over 17 BB/100 hands during that stretch. As Snowie has played more hands, its winrate has actually been increasing, which is incredibly impressive. When you purchase the program it will provide you with tips for how to play in a wide variety of situations. This can be done in real time or after the fact. Both can be effective learning techniques.
If your goal is to learn 6-max NLHE, PokerSnowie has a great simulator for you. It will also play you at HU and full ring poker tables. Other programs on the market tend to be heads up specialists, and very few offer real time advice as you play against them. Snowie is perfectly designed for serious poker players who are looking to refine their ranges in a game theory optimal manner. While you may never achieve game theory optimal lines, if Snowie can help you get a little bit closer to them, it could help your winrate significantly. As far as poker tools go, I think this is the best one on the market currently and it would be my first recommendation.
Aside from the awesome real-time playing simulator, PokerSnowie also has an amazing scenario analyzing simulator. This allows you to create customized situations at HU, 6max, and full ring games and see what Snowie thinks. PokerSnowie will give you an expected value on every street for every decision. For example, if you want to know what to do in the SB versus a BB raise with AJ, Snowie has the answer. It also will tell you what to do when facing a cold 4-bet in the same situation. You can then modify the hand while running the scenario to see how PokerSnowie would think differently if you held AQ, 55, or some other hand. This is an incredible learning tool for players because it quantifies the expected value of small decisions for you in real time, which accelerates the learning process. Without a doubt, PokerSnowie is close to the top of any discussion about the best poker software available.
DDpoker
This is a free, downloadable piece of poker software which isn’t that great, but has a couple of neat features that are worth it for the price. For example, you can enter any hand like 22 and see the probabilities of making a wide range of hands on the flop. After downloading the software and creating a screename, simply click on the “Calculator Tool,” and add in your hole cards in the upper right box where it says “My Hand.” This can be helpful if you are wondering how many times you flop top pair or better with AK, or what the likelihood is of flopping a set or better? Not all of us who play poker are math geniuses, so it can be nice to have the nitty gritty calculations done for us.
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There are four main segments to DDpoker. They are online, practice, analysis, and poker clock. Within the online segment, you are able to chat with other DD Poker users who are waiting to play a game. You can also click the “Host Online” button on the side and hold your own online poker tournament. This can be a fun way to play against friends or fellow poker fans. If you click the “Join Online” button on the side of the DDpoker client, you will be able to see who is playing online and join in. There are also DDpoker forums that you can participate in, although they do not have a large amount of traffic.
In the “Practice” segment of the DDpoker client, it allows you to hone your poker skills against computer opponents. This is a great way to learn the game when you first start and need to familiarize yourself with basic hand rankings and betting techniques. Over time you will find this to be relatively rudimentary. The poker clock is a useful tool if you are hosting a tournament at home and are unsure about how the blind structure should work. You can set the clock to be 30 min, 20 min, or whatever you prefer, and it will tell you when it is time to increase the blinds.
This isn’t a tool that will turn you into a great poker player, but there are a couple of useful features for beginners, and it is a good website to host games on. For more advanced poker players, I would suggest looking elsewhere to a program like PokerSnowie.
Poker training software is an essential part of any modern poker player’s tool kit. However, the software alone will not make you great. When you go to the store and buy a paint brush do you expect to arrive at home and see your room beautifully painted? Of course not! Now think about how ridiculous it is to expect poker training software to turn you into an amazing player without putting the work in. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be working with the programs, just as you would rather work with a paintbrush than without one. Best of luck studying and putting in the hard work with software that will help you succeed!