I’m pretty new to poker and have only really played it recreationally but I’ve decided to learn the game properly but oh boy does GTO melt my brain!
It seems that if I must progress I must learn it, does anyone have advice on how they navigated through it, if they used any ‘pro training courses’ or even if they think the method is overrated?
Thanks from a humble fishy nit 
GTO assumes and builds upon a solid statistical foundation. I don’t see how anyone could start with GTO unless they really understand the basics like pot odds, implied odds, and EV, to name a few. Master the basics before you look to go all the way.
Once you do master the basics, there are loads of training resources on YouTube.
One approach would be to start by just watching a bunch of videos. This will at least expose you to new concepts, and you can then drill down on the ones you find useful or interesting.
Another way to use videos is to pause once a new card is dealt, then try to predict what the analyst will say. Now restart it and see how your analysis compares. This is a good way to learn how to think like a pro.
At some point, you will probably want to get some tools, like a solver or simulator, then use these to study specific situations. You can spend a lifetime studying, and you still won’r be done, so don’t expect instant results.
Good luck!
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I personally think my EV trying to play GTO on this site at least is much lower than when I just try to play exploitatively. I think exploitative approaches are also easier to understand.
- if opponents are calling too much, bluff less, and widen your value betting ranges
- if opponents are folding too much, add in bets with hands that have little chance of winning at showdown
- attack wide ranges, especially with a nut advantage
- play carefully against tight and/or nutted ranges
Some other key ideas to focus on:
- pot odds and implied odds
- semi-bluffing
- equity versus ranges
- minimum defense frequency
- why some medium strength hands benefit from protection bets while others belong in your checking range
- opening ranges by seat
- reducing open limping frequencies and contracting cold calling ranges (mostly raise or fold)
- get money in the pot with your better hands
- how play needs to change with more or less players
- the advantage of position
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Thanks for the reply.
I have been studying basic strategy for about a month and have subscribed to a few ‘teachers’ on youtube like Jonathan Little and Daniel Negreanu so I’m slowly learning and have watched a ton of WSOP and other posted poker content, also looked into software options too. Some great advice about watching hands and pausing, I will try that from now on and note my percentage of correct and incorrect calls, thanks again for your help!
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Thanks Yorunoame!
Yes there is so so much to learn, it is like a difficult skill in a different language for me at the moment but I am enjoying myself along the way and slowly progressing up the ranking system but I know instinct can only get you so far and a rounded grasp of basic foundational strategy is a must to get further.
Thanks!
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Why GTO does less good for you then Exploitative poker on this site is that at the lower stakes, if did things like bluffing at the optimal GTO frequencies, then wont do as well because of low stakes call stations, and will miss out on bluffing oppotunities against low stakes NITS, because doing things at the OPTIMAL GTO frequencies. Those GTO frequencies assume that opponents will also play GTO, something that doesnt happen at lower stakes, which is why GTO either doesnt work or doesnt work as well at the lower stakes.
GTO works better at Higher Stakes.
Minimum Defense Frequency, and Opening Hand Ranges by seat, is part of GTO. Thats why there are GTO hand range charts.
Jonathan Little, Upswing Poker, Nathan Black Rain Poker, Negreanu, Doug Polk videos are all very good.
You have to be careful about some of that stuff, because some of that stuff is for higher stakes play, and wont work as well at the lower stakes.
Harrington On Hold Em, is a great starting spot for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players alike. Its often called the POKER BIBLE. Its just as valid now as when it first came out. It covers the basics, fundamentals, positional play, basic exploitative, etc.
It does not have a lot of GTO, and only just barely by skin of teeth, extremely, barely, lightly touches on 1,2 minor GTO, GTO like things.
But Harrington on Hold Em will prepare you to learn GTO.
I know J Little, and others can be a little confusing at times, because of the way J Little talks, is both monitone, droning, and talks fast, and uses a lot of math, etc.
But stick with J Little, and you’ll eventually understand in time.
Also there are CLOSE ENOUGH Short cuts to the Math.
Like Example.
Calculating percent to win for straight or flush:
2 times the outs times the number of streets to come.
Example:
Say you have a flush draw, 2 of a suit on flop, with AK suited.
Your outs are assumed to be 3 Aces, 3 K’s, 9 of 1 suit, say spades(There are 13 spades in deck, 2 on board plus 2 in your hand for 4 total accounted for, leaving 9 spades in deck that could hit board on future streets to maybe make a flush for you)
Thats 15 outs.
15 times 2 is 30. 30 times 2 streets to come is 60. So there is roughly about a 60% chance that a A or K or Flush will hit the board for you.
The real chance is about 49.5% ish to about 53% ish. But 60% is CLOSE ENOUGH. It gives you a rough idea, and that helps you to know if your roughly getting the right pot odds to call. Need at least about 1.25 to 1 pot odds to call.
So count outs, then 2 times the outs, times the number of streets to come. Then to figure out needed pot odds, convert a percent to hit hand and maybe, probably win into needed pot odds to call by:
Suppose your about 23% to win. You move decimal point to .23, and write it as 23/100. Round the 23 down to 20and write it 20/100 which reduces to 1/5. Then flip 1/5 to 5/1, meaning you need 5 to 1 pot odds to call break even. Anything more, better then that, like 6 to 1 pot odds, and your profiting…
So you always figure out percent to win, then move decimal point to left of left most Digit in number. Then write that number as a that number over 100 fraction, round numbers down or up, so that can reduce fraction, then flip the reduced fraction to something like 2 to 6/1, meaning that need 2 to 6 to 1 pot odds to correctly call. Add 1 to pot odds if facing a big enough bet or all in, in a MTT tournament.
So if normally need 3 to 1 pot odds to call. If your in a tournament facing a all in with a normal stack, you would need 4 to 1 pot odds to call instead of 3 to 1 pot odds. That reflects, balancing tournament survival with chipping up, playing to win.
Remember it doesnt have to be exact, just CLOSE ENOUGH.
That should make your brain feel better because not busting brain doing rocket science calculations.
At least its that way for me.
Also eventually you learn what the percents to win, and needed pot odds for the most common situations, are without even having to count outs, figure out percent to win, figure out pot odds, etc.
Like a flush draw is usually about 33.5% to make flush, win, on flop, going to river and about 16.7% to win on turn going to river.
Hope that helps.