GTO the way to go?

[Amanda A]

I have a very preliminary understanding of GTO, but before I spend a lot of time delving in to the subject, I have some basic questions as to why you would want to play this way.

So if GTO is the strategy you implement when someone is playing GTO against you, how can you have an edge in the game? If 2 people are playing optimally, by definition neither can have an edge, right? So why would you play this game? And why would you play this way? As soon as someone is not playing GTO, then GTO is no longer optimal. So if 2 players where playing GTO and one changes to non-GTO, then the player playing GTO is no longer playing optimally. OK the other player may not be playing optimally either, but neither is the GTO player, so how does GTO give you an edge?

I'd love to also hear from players who implemented a more GTO approach - did your results improve?

Thanks so much everyone and sorry if these are silly questions I'd love to hear everyone's opinions on GTO.

 

[neart13]

I think understanding GTO principals isn't a bad thing! As for how deep you should get into it I have no idea! I'm similar to you but I just bought a book on it and I'm only on thr first section which is about the mathematics enough I already know (equity, implied odds, pot odds etc) but I'm sure it's starting here because knowing the maths will help later in the book when it talks about gto!
I'm hoping that after studying the book I won't be a robot but that the principals iwill help me figure out some of the more difficult spots and also give me an edge when studying!

 

[ph_il]

i, too, would like to learn more about gto play. and exploitative poker as well.

currently, my style of play is "well, this might be correct but i'm not sure."

 

[wyladar]

GTO helped me understand some of the things I wasn't able to decipher through experience at the table. It helped me get a handle on some of the betting patterns of others.