Half of the time when I see someone using the "top of range heuristic" to make an intuitively puke inducing call, it wasn't even close to top of range anyway.

If it only beats bluffs, you can fold it at some frequency. If you don't think villain has enough bluffs in range, you must fold it always.

Just because a hand wouldn’t be top of range in GTO doesn’t mean it’s not top of range for the hero.


Sometimes game dynamics force us to self-cap and then we find ourselves in a spot with a dusty range.

I should print this post out and hang it on my wall

If you're not trying to play GTO in the first place then how does the top of range heuristic matter?

Explo capping your range to then level yourself into stationing is the worst combination possible of Exploitative thought + GTO concepts

Even if you’re not trying to emulate GTO it’s still important to not be folding your whole range in some spots

Then don't cap yourself?

If you explo cap your own range it's because villain is not aggressive enough -> calls are -EV -> you must fold your whole range if necessary.
If villain is aggressive enough to make some bluff catches +EV then don't cap yourself.

Easy example, if you cap your 1/3 value betting range on the river with only marginal value, it's because you think villain won't raise you a lot as a bluff -> If he raises you, you fold range.
If Villain is aggressive enough that you have to bluff catch to the raise, then you DON'T cap yourself

What if your stronger hands make more money by taking other lines tho?

If your strong hands make money on stronger lines it necessarily means villain is not aggressive enough on your passive line

but but but I'll get exploited by the villain if I fold here!!!

Made me lol!

Good post, I do agree with the point, and this faulty reasoning is one I'm quite prone to. Being more selective with bluff catching is the main area I'm working on atm.

Most value heavy underbluffing regs use a smaller sizing when betting for value on the river. I see these sizings and do a rough calc of how often that could be a bluff in a gto vacuum.

My experience has been that calling with enough of my range to break even reveals that these types bluff too often for the smaller size.

This is likely due to the player pool being soft. Also, there are winning regs in my pool that NEVER bluff river, but bluff earlier streets with sorta balanced ranges. Overfolding river versus these players is a given.

Agree, seen a lot of butchered hands in the name of GTO and things like "protecting my checking range" at 2nl.

99% of players at least up to 50nl have huge sizing and timing tells and awful betting frequencies (including me). We should respond accordingly. Like the post above says, third pot on the river from some players is 100% value. Also the pools are very nitty when it comes to playing big pots.

I see smaller river leads a lot with bluffs/weak SDV, and pot size bets being mostly the nuts.

This isn't really aimed at you specifically but it's an example of an error people make; you ought to know how you're playing against a villain or in a given spot and stick to it.

If we're doing things like capping our range, having unbalance raising ranges, value betting thin, calling wider etc. etc. then don't get to the river and suddenly decide you need to be optimal. We've already decided earlier in the hand that we're not playing optimally and so your decision should now be about the immediate ev of the play vs this villain and not an appeal to GTO. For one, it's too late, and for two we already committed to the idea it was better not to.

If you get to a river and you're capped or have an exploitable range, just take a step back and ask yourself why you're in that spot. If it's because you were exploiting villain then keep exploiting them. It's good to exploit villains. Awesome in fact. You want to scoop up the chips from the weak players before someone else gets a chance to. If it's because you made a mistake on a previous street, that's fine, realise that and then don't make the mistake again.

But some people get stuck arbitrarily flipping from GTO to exploitable plays, and what they're really doing is just giving in to whatever they feel like at the time. Suddenly they're neither playing GTO nor are they exploiting villain. Really all they're doing is coming up with a totally ad hoc justification for whatever button they feel compelled to press.

My IQ increased by 10 from reading this

Bladesman where you been?

Spot on. Calling to bluff, keep on the bluff. Especially with no SDV.

PSA - Buy Donkviewer

+1

Nice post

This is an obvious attempt by aner0 to increase his river bluff % against the field.

Shhh

This is one of the best threads I’ve read in a bit.

wouldnt GTO demand a mix

GTO insist that you be a station at least once in a while. like if you have middle or bottom pair + a BDFD oop their a lot of spots where GTO says check then call 30 to 35% of time if IP bets pot or less