Poker Sciences

❌ What does NOT change compared to GTO

The structure of the spot remains exactly the same:

We are still out of position versus the BTN.
We still have to act before the BB, who can theoretically squeeze.

These constraints do not disappear. But… our opponents do not play perfectly. And that is where exploitative opportunities arise.

Never forget that in Spins, the mistakes made by recreational opponents are the main source of your profits.

✅ What DOES change compared to GTO

Many recreational players have two major leaks:

They squeeze too little from the BB.
They are not aggressive enough as the BTN postflop.

😴 As you will have noticed many times in the Strategy Guides, the lack of aggression is a recurring trait of recreational players.

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These two tendencies give us several advantages:

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1️⃣ We can call the BTN open more often

Since the BB rarely squeezes, we are less likely to face a 3-bet shove from BB.

This allows us to call certain hands that GTO would normally fold or shove.

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2️⃣ We realize our equity more easily

A recreational BTN bets less often, uses smaller sizings, and gives up more frequently.

This means that our borderline hands realize their equity more easily, making calls more profitable.

Once again, we take advantage of their passivity to maximize our EV.

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3️⃣ We reduce variance

Against recreational profiles, a non-aggressive line (calling) with similar EV to a shove is often preferable.

Why take a high-variance preflop spot when the opponent will play poorly postflop?

⚖️ The main objective: adjusting the boundary between call and shove

Once you understand GTO charts, the entire exploitative strategy revolves around a simple idea:

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Which hands do we 3-bet shove, and which hands do we simply call?

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As we saw in the previous chapter, a simple push-or-fold GTO strategy can already be very effective.

But as soon as we try to exploit recreational tendencies, we must add some calls to our range.

For example, between 16 and 18 BB, our exploitative range on the right includes calls, unlike the GTO range on the left.

🤷 So of course, we call hands that GTO would fold and we call hands that GTO would shove.

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🚨 But be careful

Even though calling becomes more profitable under the right conditions, we must avoid going too far:

We do not want to call too wide.
We especially avoid calling too much if we are not comfortable postflop.
We call less if the BB is a good player, because they squeeze at proper frequencies.

Everyone can adapt the strategy depending on their skill level and the opponents at the table.

❌ Unlike GTO, an exploitative strategy is not a fixed method to memorize, but a flexible approach that constantly adapts to your opponents’ tendencies.

Always try to keep this in mind.