What is a GTO in poker?
Matthew Perez
Updated on March 11, 2026
What is a GTO in poker?
Teaches Poker. Learn More. Game theory optimal (GTO) poker is an umbrella term players use to describe the holy grail of no-limit holdem playing strategy, by which you become unexploitable to your opponents and improve your winrate.
What is GTO theory?
Game Theory Optimal (GTO) is basically when you attempt to play mathematically perfect poker, so that your opponents make mistakes against you. This strategy balances your value hands and bluffs in a way that leaves you unexploitable. You’ll be following the same strategy against all opponents no matter what they do.
What is raising first in?
RFI stands for raise-first-in (aka “open-raise”). It describes a situation where the action is folded around to us preflop, and we raise, being the first player to enter the pot voluntarily. Note that it should only be considered an RFI situation when there are no limpers before us.
What do you need to run PioSOLVER?
4+GB of free RAM for comfortable usage (full single-raised-pot with 2/3 pot bets everywhere takes about 1.2GB of RAM for wide 6max ranges and 1.9GB for wide HU ranges (90% vs 70%)); you need more for trees with multiple bet sizes (25bb HU tree with 2 sizes everywhere (30%-60%) is 5.9GB, 100bb tree with 2 sizes …
How do you crush Microstakes?
Start at the lowest stake, NL2, and play for a week or two. If you are absolutely crushing that game, then move up to the next limit, NL5, and so on. Eventually you’ll discover the limits of your game: strategies that no long produce the desired results, leaks you probably didn’t know you had, etc.
Is poker GTO solved?
The GTO strategy for No Limit Hold’em exists, but is not yet known by any human, or even computer. The game is just too complicated, and hasn’t been solved. Less complex poker games, such as heads-up Limit Hold’em, have been solved (or at least essential solved).