What does GTO mean in poker?
GTO, game-theory optimal, is a strategy that cannot be exploited: no matter how an opponent adjusts, they can't gain against it. It's the equilibrium a solver computes — balanced bluffing frequencies, mixed strategies, and sizing that makes the opponent indifferent.
Why it matters
GTO is the baseline, not the goal. Against opponents who make mistakes (everyone at low stakes), the most profitable strategy is to deviate — exploit — in the direction of their leaks: bluff the folders, value-bet the callers, 3-bet the loose openers. GTO tells you what "balanced" looks like so you know which way you're deviating and why.
For most players the practical use of GTO is preflop charts and a few postflop principles (bet small on dry boards, polarize big bets, defend the big blind wide). Memorizing solver outputs for every spot is not where low-stakes money comes from.
The numbers
- HoldemPro's research on 147 diagnosed players found preflop leaks — the area most GTO study targets — are the #1 issue for under 5% of them; postflop passivity alone is the #1 issue for 46%.
- The preflop charts on this site are simplified from published solver outputs for 6-max 100bb; mixed frequencies are rounded to learnable numbers.
Figures come from the same preflop charts and research data the rest of the site uses (charts last updated July 5, 2026); they change when that data does.
Every open-raise and defense range by position, 6-max 100bb, with the frequencies below.
Common questions
Is GTO the best way to play poker?
It's the unexploitable way, not the most profitable way against weak opponents. Against players with clear leaks, exploiting those leaks makes more money than playing GTO — but you need to know the balanced baseline to exploit accurately.
What is a solver?
Software that computes GTO strategies for a defined spot by iterating until neither player can improve — PioSolver, GTO+ and GTOWizard are the common ones. Charts like HoldemPro's are simplified from their output.
Is this your leak?
Seven real hands, four minutes. The quiz finds the one pattern costing you the most — free, no signup.
Find my leak →