Understanding poker GTO charts can feel like learning a new language. After years of playing and studying, I still remember the night I lost a big pot to an opponent who seemed to know exactly when to fold and when to shove — and why. That experience pushed me to stop guessing and start studying. In this guide I'll walk you through what poker GTO charts are, how to read them, how to practice with them, and how to apply them at the tables so you gain real, measurable improvement.
What are poker GTO charts?
At their core, poker GTO charts are visual representations of game-theory-optimal strategies for specific situations. They show the mathematically balanced frequencies for actions (fold, call, raise) for every hand in a given spot. Instead of relying on hunches or simple rules, a player using these charts can make theoretically sound decisions that are hard to exploit.
GTO charts are most commonly used for preflop ranges and for certain postflop board textures. Modern solvers compute these charts by iteratively finding equilibrium strategies, and the results are translated into easy-to-read matrices and decision trees.
Why use poker GTO charts?
- Reduce predictable leaks: They help remove exploitable tendencies like over-folding or auto-bluffing.
- Benchmark improvement: Comparing your actual play to chart frequencies highlights clear areas to work on.
- Understand balance: Charts teach why you mix hands between calling, folding, and raising.
That said, GTO charts are not a panacea. They represent optimal play against an unexploitable opponent. In real games you can often do better by identifying and exploiting opponents' mistakes. The ideal approach is to use poker GTO charts as a foundation and adapt when you have high-confidence reads.
How to read preflop charts
Preflop charts typically display a 13x13 hand matrix with pairs on the diagonal, suited hands above, and offsuit below. Each cell contains color coding or abbreviations indicating the recommended action and sometimes the exact frequency. Here’s a simple way to approach them:
- Identify your seat and stack depth — charts depend on position (early, middle, late, blinds).
- Locate your hand on the matrix — for example, AQs is on the suited-off-diagonal.
- Read the recommended action: raise, call, or fold. If the chart uses mixed strategies, observe the percentages. For instance, a cell might indicate 70% raise / 30% call in some ranges.
Example practical rule derived from many preflop charts: open-raise wider from late position, tighten up from the blinds, and defend selectively depending on pot odds and your postflop skill edge.
Postflop charts and simplifications
Postflop GTO charts are more complex because of the many possible board textures and bet sizing options. Instead of full matrices, most teachers present decision trees for common textures — dry boards, coordinated boards, paired boards — showing which hands to bet for value, which to check, and which to use as bluffs.
For practical learning, focus on a few canonical textures and master default lines. For example:
- Dry Ace-high boards: Continue for value with top pairs and some overpairs; use two-barrel bluffs less often.
- Two-tone coordinated boards: Prioritize blockers and semi-bluffs; balance with some strong hands checking to protect your range.
- Paired boards: Value-bet larger with sets and two-pairs, use check-back frequency with top pair to avoid being outdrawn.
Tools that produce poker GTO charts
Several solvers and software tools generate GTO outputs. Popular options include PioSolver, GTO+, MonkerSolver, and more recent neural-network approximators that provide near-GTO strategies in a more compact form. Many of these tools export preflop and simplified postflop charts you can study and print.
When choosing tools, prioritize:
- Accuracy — how closely the solver approximates equilibrium
- Usability — ease of exporting charts and reading matrices
- Community support — available training material and example trees
For quick reference and learning, users often prefer printable preflop charts and concise postflop decision trees that can be reviewed between sessions.
Practical drills to internalize charts
Memorizing charts passively won’t change behavior at the table. Try these drills I used to embed frequencies into my instinctive decision-making:
- Flash training: Spend 10 minutes a day clicking through a hand matrix and calling out the recommended action for each hand.
- Spot drills: Pick a common spot (e.g., BTN vs BB) and play only that spot for an hour, forcing yourself to follow the chart.
- Hand reviews: After each session, tag mistakes where you diverged from chart advice and note whether deviation was exploitative or an error.
Over time, this approach builds fast pattern recognition so you don’t need to consult charts mid-hand; you’ll feel the right frequencies.
Common misunderstandings and mistakes
Players often misapply poker GTO charts. Here are frequent pitfalls and how to avoid them:
- Blind copying: Using charts without understanding the assumptions (stack sizes, bet sizes, opponent style) leads to poor decisions.
- Overreliance: Treating GTO as the only correct path. Adjust when you have clear exploitative opportunities.
- Ignoring ranges: Many mistakes come from putting opponents on single hands instead of balanced ranges. Use charts to think in ranges, not just pairs.
Balancing GTO and exploitative play
The best players blend GTO foundations with targeted exploitation. Here’s a simple framework:
- Start from a GTO baseline — it prevents easy leaks and gives you a defensible strategy.
- Observe deviations — opponent tendencies, timing tells, and bet sizing patterns.
- Exploit selectively — adjust your frequencies to earn extra EV when you’re confident the opponent is off-balance.
- Revert when uncertain — if reads are weak, fall back to the chart to avoid being counter-exploited.
One real-game example: a player who never folds to three-bets. Against them, deviating from standard call/fold frequencies to 4-bet lighter or fold more frequently can be correct, even if it diverges from the solver's balanced line.
Learning path for different skill levels
Beginners: Learn basic preflop charts for position-based opening and defending ranges. Work on hand selection and positional awareness.
Intermediate players: Start studying single-street postflop charts and common bet sizes. Incorporate solver spots and begin to understand mixed strategies (when to randomize).
Advanced players: Build custom trees in solvers, study multi-street equilibria, and translate theory into exploitative adjustments based on population tendencies.
Resources and where to get charts
To get started with ready-made charts and supplemental training, I recommend visiting resources that collect practical tools and printable matrices. For one-stop access to simple, player-focused materials, check out keywords which aggregates user-friendly content suited for learning ranges and common situations.
Other reputable sources include community forums, solver tutorials, and training sites that publish postflop decision trees. When exploring external materials, prioritize recent content because solver software and best practices continue to evolve.
Putting it all together: a training plan
Here's a practical 8-week plan I used to move from passive study to consistent application:
- Weeks 1–2: Memorize basic preflop charts for each position and do daily flash drills.
- Weeks 3–4: Study two canonical postflop textures and practice one- and two-barrel lines using decision trees.
- Weeks 5–6: Use a solver to build a small tree (e.g., preflop raise, c-bet sizing, opponent fold frequency) and compare your decisions to the solution.
- Weeks 7–8: Play focused sessions applying the charts; review hands and adjust. Introduce selective exploitative lines against non-GTO opponents.
Regular, focused practice beats sporadic long sessions. Keep notes, refine based on tracked results, and gradually increase the complexity of the solver trees you study.
Final thoughts and next steps
Mastering poker GTO charts is less about memorizing every percentage and more about internalizing balanced thinking. Charts give you a durable baseline, but the real skill comes from adapting theory to real opponents. Start small, practice deliberately, and use solver outputs to inform — not dictate — your game. If you want a simple place to access compact charts and training materials as you begin, visit keywords for quick references and actionable examples.
With consistent study, you’ll notice your decisions becoming cleaner, your leaks shrinking, and your confidence at the table rising. Play smart, stay curious, and let poker GTO charts guide your way from guesswork to repeatable skill.
