To win at poker, it’s not enough to know how to play pocket Aces – you need to constantly expand your knowledge base, eliminate mistakes, try to see the flaws in your opponents, and use them to the maximum. Essentially, this is exploitative poker.
Today, we will tell you what is called an exploit in poker, give several examples of typical situations, and understand the nuances of optimal play. In the end, we will recommend how to play exploitative poker and earn money.
What is an Exploit?
Exploiting in poker is the use of your opponent's weaknesses. That is, you exploit your opponents by finding their weak spots and putting maximum pressure on them to get the maximum profit.
Basically, you’re finding chinks in their armor and extracting as many chips as you can.
Almost every poker player has certain leaks that make their game exploitable in certain situations. A simple example is very stubborn opponents. It is difficult to knock such a player out of the pot if they have at least a third pair. Therefore, with such an approach, they will often call bluffs but become vulnerable to large draws from strong hands. And if such a player's opponent notices this, they will stop bluffing and only bet with nuts. This will be an exploit strategy.
Every time you play online, there’s important data you can collect to build your exploit strategies. Not all poker sites allow you to collect data, but if you can, you should. Use tools like Hand2Note or PokerTracker, play the game, and study the data post-session.
Examples of Exploits
Example 1: One of the simplest examples of exploitation is the continuation bet. Opponents often give up on the flop if they miss the board. However, with your preflop aggression, many will feel like folding when they see you continuation bet on the flop. This statement is especially true at micro-stakes, where many beginners play not so much poker as solitaire, collecting combinations. Knowing this, you can make a continuation bet on almost any board, even if the optimal game advises other lines.
Example 2: Another example of an exploit is adjusting bet frequencies. Let’s say that you spot an opponent at your table folding to almost every 3-bet. Are you going to keep your 3-bet range the same for this player? Of course, adding more bluffs into your range can take advantage of this, specifically against that player.
Example 3: Folding to a player can also be an exploit if you’re doing it for the right reason. Let’s say you notice a particularly tight opponent who seems to usually have premium hands at showdown. Well, does it make sense to call this opponent’s bets as often as you do against others? To avoid paying off their value bets, you would select the strongest parts of your range and increase your folding range.
The exploit is also related to bluffing. Movies and fiction often show how huge pots are won by bluffing. But in reality, you need to be careful here, especially when playing at low stakes. In weak fields, it is better to avoid big bluffs to minimize risks, because some opponents are not ready to part with pairs at all. This is also an adjustment – after all, GTO does not pay attention to such features of opponents.
Also, live poker and online poker exploits will be very different. In general, if you are playing live poker, stick more to the fundamentals. You may not have enough play time to create exploits for opponents who you meet for one or two sessions. But, in online poker games, you may see the same opponents regularly.
Hold on though, what is GTO?
Often, the GTO concept is used as a counterbalance to exploits. The idea is that if two poker players make no mistakes in their hands, neither of them will lose, i.e., they "simply" need to act without making any mistakes. Solvers were invented to find and calculate ideal lines. This is the most advanced and powerful poker software that calculates all possible actions in hands.
Solvers often offer several lines, suggesting using them with different frequencies to achieve balance. The programs also demonstrate how to correctly combine bluff and value bets.
The Debate About GTO and Exploit
Professionals often argue about what is more important, GTO play or exploit. Proponents of optimal play argue that without knowledge of theory, it is impossible to move up in limits because professionals from high limits study it. Fans of exploits emphasize that the solver can only play against itself, and real people are prone to mistakes, so many strategies work only in theory.
As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in the middle – as many famous players like Phil Galfond have said.
So, should you use GTO or exploits?
There are no universal strategies, even though some poker tactics are huge game changers. It is essential to learn how to combine different theories and approaches to the game to extract maximum profit at a particular moment. The easiest way to explain why it is crucial to make adjustments is to remember the game "Rock-Paper-Scissors."
If you act strictly according to the GTO theory, without paying attention to the opponent's tactics, then you will lose a third of the games, a third will end in a draw, and in a third, you will come out the winner. But the result can really be improved.
Let's say you notice that your opponent is playing scissors much more often. You can exploit this weakness by showing rock more often. It is essential how attentive and thoughtful your opponent is because your strategy can also be exploited.
The situation is similar in poker. You need to make decisions that exploit the weaknesses of your opponents that you have noticed – and "change gears" in time when your strategy becomes clear to them. This will mask the true reason as much as possible. In the long run, it is crucial to dilute bluff lines with value bets (and vice versa) – then the opponent will constantly find difficult situations against you.
How to Use Exploits to Earn More in Poker
There are very few universal pieces of poker strategy advice, like "always overbet the river – it works." It is essential to constantly learn and improve your understanding of the game – only then are stable positive results possible over the long term.
To turn poker into a source of primary or additional income, desire and studying theoretical materials alone are not enough. It is essential to practice constantly, and not in applications for play chips, but in poker rooms where the game is played for money.
But, there’s a step in between play chips and real money, somewhere you can win cash without investing.
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