Advanced GTO
Bluffing a Paired Board: J9s BB vs HJ at 25bb MTT
The hardest part of running a multi-street bluff is knowing when to keep firing and when to slow down. On a paired board, the threat of trips lets you attack aggressively, but not every turn […]
Bluff Catching with Middle Pair: T2s BB vs HJ at 20bb MTT
Bluff catching is one of the least understood skills in poker. Most players decide whether to call a big bet based on how strong their hand feels, but the solver decides based on blockers: which […]
Double Barrel Bluff: 98s BTN vs BB at 40bb MTT
A double barrel bluff with nothing is one of the scariest plays in poker, and also one of the most profitable when the spot is right. When you are the preflop raiser who called a […]
Aggression Out of Position: A9s UTG+1 vs CO 50bb MTT
Most players are too passive when they are out of position. They check, they give up the initiative, and they let the in-position player run them over on boards that actually favor the out-of-position raiser. […]
Finding Bluffs OOP: 98s CO vs BTN at 40bb MTT
Bluffing out of position is harder than bluffing in position, because you have to act first on every street and you cannot see what your opponent does before committing chips. That forces you to check […]
Pair Plus a Draw Out of Position: QTs LJ vs HJ 100bb Cash
A pair with an open-ended straight draw feels like a hand that wants to bet, bet, bet. Out of position against a caller, though, the most profitable line is often more patient and more thoughtful. […]
Calling a C-Bet With a Gutshot: 87s BTN vs HJ at 60bb MTT
Suited connectors are some of the most profitable and most misplayed hands in poker. When they hit, they win huge pots, but most of the time they whiff and leave you holding a weak draw […]
Semi-Bluffing a Gutshot: 87s BTN vs HJ at 60bb MTT
When your opponent checks and hands you the betting lead, a weak draw becomes a weapon. Semi-bluffing a gutshot is one of the most reliable ways to win pots you have no business winning at […]
Overpair on a Paired Board: KK CO vs SB at 40bb MTT
KK feels like a hand you can never fold, and on most boards that instinct is correct. But an overpair on a paired board is one of the great traps in tournament poker. The moment […]
Turning Second Pair: 87s BTN vs HJ at 60bb MTT
Suited connectors love to make a little bit of everything and rarely a lot of anything. Turning second pair with a backup draw is a perfect example: it feels too weak to bet for value […]
Facing a Turn Lead: JJ LJ vs SB at 40bb MTT
Most of the time your opponent checks to the preflop raiser and lets you steer the hand. Every so often they do something stranger: they check the flop, call your bet, and then come out […]
Playing a Gutshot on a Bad Turn: 87s BTN vs HJ at 60bb MTT
Aggression wins pots, but firing every street with a draw is how good players go broke. Playing a gutshot on a bad turn teaches one of the most underrated skills in poker: knowing when to […]
Playing a 3-Bet Pot In Position: A7s BTN vs BB at 40bb MTT
Being the preflop raiser who gets 3-bet and calls in position is one of the most common and most misplayed situations in tournament poker. You have a range and stack disadvantage, but you also have […]
When to Stop Bluffing: A3s BTN vs BB at 60bb MTT
Every poker player learns how to bluff. Few learn when to stop bluffing. The decision to fire a second barrel feels aggressive and smart. The decision to check back the river with ace-high after two […]
Three Barrel Bluff: K6s LJ vs BB at 60bb MTT
Most players understand that a continuation bet on the flop and a follow-up on the turn are standard parts of an aggressive strategy. The three barrel bluff is where the discipline breaks down. Firing the […]
Facing Check Raise on the Flop: AJo BTN vs BB 50bb MTT
Facing check raise pressure from the big blind with nothing but ace-high, the natural instinct is to look for reasons to fold. No pair on a two-tone broadway board does not feel like a hand […]
Donk Bet Bluff: J4s BB vs CO at 15bb MTT
Most players never lead into the preflop raiser from the big blind. They check their entire range, wait for a continuation bet, and then decide whether to fold, call, or check-raise. On most boards, that […]
Paired Flop Check Raise: Q8s BB vs CO at 15bb MTT
Paired board poker strategy at shallow stacks is one of the most misplayed spots in tournaments. On a board like 9-6-6, most big blind players either fold without a six or call passively with overcards. […]
Check Raise Bluff with 54o: BB vs HJ at 25bb
Check-raise bluffing from the big blind is one of the most misunderstood plays in short-stack tournaments. Most players either check-fold too much or only check-raise with strong made hands, making their aggression transparent. The solver […]
Block Bet Poker Strategy: Playing A2s UTG+1 vs CO in a 50bb MTT
Block bet poker strategy solves a very specific problem: what do you do when both you and your opponent have the nuts at high frequency? The instinct is to bet big with strong hands. The […]
Check-Raising with a Backdoor Draw: Playing A6o BB vs HJ in a 25bb MTT
At shallow stacks, the big blind’s check-raise range looks different than most players expect. The compressed stack-to-pot ratio lowers the threshold for stacking off, which means the value side of the check-raise widens to include […]