WPT GTO Trainer: Get Started

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Powerful-Tool

PLAY - LEARN - IMPROVE
With the WPT GTO Trainer!

There have been many poker “trainers” in the past that allowed you to play poker hands for practice. However, these have been powered by people’s opinions of what is good play and not true Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategy.

What makes WPT’s GTO Trainer different?

  • The WPT GTO Trainer allows you to play through true Nash equilibrium solutions to various No-Limit Hold'em poker Scenarios (over 4 BILLION solved spots and counting!)
  • Get instant feedback on the precise EV (Expected Value) Loss of every move you make
  • Rapidly plug leaks and learn the GTO strategies that have dominated the highest stakes games in the world

OK, time to get started...


REFERENCE GUIDE SHORTCUTS


TRAINING ON A MOBILE DEVICE?

To play the WPT GTO Trainer without the need for screen adjustment between hands, simply add LearnWPT.com as a shortcut to your iOS and Android mobile device.

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Mobile-Device-transparent

Click below for a few simple steps to train optimally using the GTO Trainer from a mobile device:


GET THERE

Using the WPT GTO Trainer is fast and easy! Members can click TRAINER in the top navigation bar or mobile menu.

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Navigation-Bar

GET STARTED

Members must be logged in to your LearnWPT.com Membership to start Training and Practicing.

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Refine-Search-Function

1) Select the Specific Spot you want to train from the available list of Scenarios (ex: MP2 Open vs Button Call)

  • Use REFINE SEARCH to filter for specific training scenarios
  • Spots will be either a Cash Game or Tournament Scenario (labeled as Cash, MTT - Tournament, FT - Final Table, SMALL - Small Stakes, or HU - Heads Up)
  • Click the drop down box to select the specific Game Type, Situation, and Stack Size you would like to train
  • Select multiple options in the menus to narrow your search

Hint: Any Scenarios with a green PLAY NOW button are packs available to your current membership that you have not trained with yet

2) When selecting the Spot to train, take note of the Effective Stack size in Big Blinds and Pot Size information to consider when making your decision (see image below for example). These factors will remain constant at the start of each new hand based on the specific Scenario you’ve selected.

Here are some additional tips for choosing which spot to train:

  • Your Position and Action (Hero) is always listed first in the Scenario name
  • Each Scenario will have you training from either In Position or Out of Position (noted in the description of Scenario action)
    • Cash Game Scenarios use a green table
    • Tournament Scenarios use a blue table
    • Final Table Scenarios use a purple table
    • Small Stakes Scenarios use an orange table
    • Heads Up Scenarios use a burgundy table

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Dashboard-Explaination

3) The description of Scenario explains the Preflop action.

  • Example - MP2 Open vs Button Call Scenario:
    • Hero (you) are the MP2 player and Open to 2.5BBs preflop
    • The Button player (Villain) calls and everyone else folds
    • Action starts with the flop and 7.5BBs in the pot

4) View the Hand Range Charts per Position for this Scenario.

  • The hand range charts for Hero and Villain show respective ranges going to the flop (after their last preflop action)
  • Percentages listed for specific hand combos indicate the frequency with which those specific hands are in the overall range for the given scenario
  • Hand ranges are also color coded based on order of action preflop (lighter or darker shades of each color visually indicate the frequency for these hands):
    • The LAST preflop aggressor's hand range is shown in red
    • The preflop caller's hand range is shown in green


Hint:
Select the image of the hand range charts per position (ie MP2 or Button) to expand to a larger view


BEGIN YOUR TRAINING

After selecting the Scenario you wish to train, simply click or tap on the START NEW SESSION button to start!

WPT-GTO-Trainer-New-Session

Reminder: When training you should be solely focused minimizing EV Loss, instead of whether or not you win any one particular hand.

This allows you to have a long term mindset towards poker that focuses on the quality of decisions and not short term results.

MAKE YOUR DECISIONS

Click START NEW SESSION and you will instantly be faced with a postflop decision based on the Scenario you select from the menu.

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Show-Stats

1) Customize the WPT GTO Trainer to change how you get instant feedback while training!

  • Click the SHOW STATS % button and choose between:
    • Specific EV Loss and % Played Percentage Stats for each action (green)
    • Simplified response that indicates if the action you chose is correct or not recommended (orange)
    • The simplified feature is perfect for players who are just starting to study Game Theory Optimal Strategy

2) You'll immediately be faced with your first decision.

  • Choose Fold, Call, Check, Bet, or Raise by clicking the button
  • Bet sizing options are those commonly recommended by GTO
  • Villain’s responses to your decisions are GTO - you’ll often face multiple decisions in a hand

3) After each decision, you'll see the EV Loss and Played % for your action directly on the table.

  • EV (Expected Value) Loss - This shows the number of big blinds you would lose against a GTO player if you took this action
  • Played % - This shows how often a GTO Player would take the same action you took

Remember - EV Loss of 0.00 does not mean the GTO Player would take that action 100% of the time (the difference is due to balancing ranges through mixed strategies and maximizing EV for your overall range)

MP2-Open-Vs-Button-Call-recording

4) Your goal is to select the action for each individual hand that is as close to 0.00 EV as possible.

  • EV Loss of 0.00 is the same action a GTO Player would take
  • 0.00 EV Loss means you broke even against a GTO Player


5) The Ideal GTO Action is noted in the top center of the table.

  • A green check-mark next to your action means it is GTO
  • Next is the action a GTO Player would take and how often they would take that specific action
  • Ideal Action and Frequency are displayed so you know the GTO play for each action immediately

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Ideal-Action-Played


6) Multiple actions in a given spot are often "correct" according to GTO Play.

  • GTO Play has many mixed strategies, where plays are made a specific percentage of the time
  • You will often see actions with a very low EV Loss (e.g. -0.01) and a reasonable Played % (e.g. 35%)
    • These actions are not "wrong" and are part of a balanced overall GTO strategy
    • If a play results in high EV Loss (color coded in red), you should generally avoid that play unless you have compelling exploitative reasons to make it against a specific opponent

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Percentage-Played

  • If the Percentage Played for an action is 1% or less, then that action is rarely taken by a GTO Player and you should generally avoid that play
    • If you select an action that results in a Played % of 1% or less, all subsequent decisions for that specific hand will display "N/A" in red, since that entire line should be avoided


EV Loss Color Coding Hint:
Green = Near GTO Play, Orange = Take Caution, Red = Probable Leak in Your Game


HINTS AND TIPS

GTO Hints and Tips - optmzd.png

  • Toggle the AUTO ADVANCE button to advance to the next hand decision automatically (green - default) or manually (red)
    • For new users we recommend leaving the Auto Advance button in the off position so that you can take your time and review the real time feedback
  • Click the FULL SCREEN button for a large view
  • Review these instructions anytime by clicking HOW TO PLAY
  • Toggle the SHOW STATS% button switch between specific EV Loss and % Played Percentage Stats for each action (green) to a simplified response that indicates if the action you chose is correct or not recommended (orange)
  • Select FAVORITE to save a hand to your library for future review or to send to Ask a Pro
  • Click the EXIT SESSION button to complete your Training Session and review your stats on the Session Summary Page

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Hand-Range-Icon

  • View the hand ranges during a session by clicking the green ℹ️ information icon button to review the charts during play
  • The hand range charts are labeled by position name

GTO Trainer Hand Range charts


View the charts when facing a difficult spot and examine the possible hand combinations to help train your decisions closer to 0.0 EV Loss.


UNDERSTANDING YOUR RESULTS

Your overall EV Loss and Total Hands played are accessible right from the WPT GTO Trainer Dashboard.

Trainer - Total EV loss stat.png


Remember, the WPT GTO Trainer puts you up against an unbeatable (i.e. perfect) opponent. There is no winning in the long-term against it. The most we can ever hope for is to break-even. This is great for us, since this perfect opponent is also the perfect teacher.

Over time, the closer you come to break-even play against the Trainer, the tougher player you’ll become and the harder it will be for your opponents to outplay you.

And if you have high EV loss don’t get discouraged. It’s normal to feel challenged when you are learning new concepts. After all, the WPT GTO Trainer is literally a perfect opponent.

WHY FOCUS ON EV LOSS?

The way we measure our performance against the Trainer is by tracking "EV Loss" or Expected Value Loss.

The best possible result after you pick an action is an EV Loss of 0. This means the action you chose breaks even against a perfect player.

  • When EV Loss isn’t 0, the number shown is the amount of big blinds that we would lose taking a specific action in the long run
  • It's possible to make a poor play (high EV Loss) that results in winning a specific hand

You’ve all seen players make bad plays and win the pot or make the right play and lose the pot. Over time EV Loss will track closer and closer to actual losses.


SESSION SUMMARY INFORMATION

You’ve put in the work, now you can start to see where your specific leaks are for each Scenario. Your Session Summary will break down your hand compared to GTO Play.

GTO Trainer - Session Summary Dashboard.png


Reading and Interpreting the Data:

KEY STATS:

1) Overall EV Loss in big blinds Per 100 hands played.

  • Goal is to get as close to 0.00 as you can
  • 0.00 EV Loss is impossible for humans to attain in the long run
  • Do your best and focus on spots giving you the most trouble
    • Do not be discouraged by a high EV Loss in the beginning. When new to GTO Trainer, it's very common for players to have an EV Loss of -50.00BBs/100 or more

2) Number of Hands Played in your Session

  • Sample size is important when considering relevant statistics
  • A minimum of 200 hands is the recommended sample size to start seeing stats for your play
  • Schedule a set number of hands each day to practice a specific Scenario and keep track of your progress

GTO-Trainer-Aggression-Key-Stats

AGGRESSION:

3) AGGRESSION gives an instant snapshot of the key actions You (shown in Red) are taking across all hands played vs what actions a GTO Player (shown in Blue) would take

  • Don't Worry, if you initially have a huge gap in one direction vs GTO - this is not uncommon


Hint:
Hover over the bar graph to see the number of hands in that session each action was taken by you vs a GTO Player

HAND TYPES:

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Hand-Types

1) HAND TYPES compare your play to GTO Play divided by the different categories of hands (i.e. pairs, flushes, trips, etc).

  • Your Action is on the top bar and GTO Play is the bottom bar


Hint:
Green (aggressive action) = Bet or Raise, Yellow (passive action) = Check or Call, Red = Fold. A color key to be implemented shortly!

2) How to read your results - in this example from the dashboard image for the PAIR hand category shown above:

  • You chose to either Bet/Raise 17% of the time, Check or Call 72% of the time, and Fold 10% of the time when you had a 1-Pair hand in this given scenario (top line of the bar graph)
  • GTO Strategy is to Bet/Raise 24% of the time, Check/Call 62% of the time, and Fold 14% of the time (bottom line of the bar graph)


3) If the top line results are very different from bottom line results (after a large number of hands played) then you know you are playing those hand types differently than how a GTO Player would play them. These are the spots you want to study first.

Don’t get intimidated by stats listed or if there are big differences between your play and GTO Play. Keep training the same Scenario and focus on your biggest leak before you play each Session. Before you know it you’ll be closer to 0.00 EV Loss (and GTO Play!).

HAND BREAKDOWN:

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Hand-Breakdown

1) HAND BREAKDOWN displays all of the hands you've played in a session listed by hand type, position, board summary, and EV Loss.

  • Click the REPLAYER button next to a specific hand played to show the action unfold and review for study later
  • Have questions about that hand? After replaying the hand click the ASK A PRO button to send your hand the LearnWPT Pros for analysis using the Ask a Pro Feature

GTO Trainer - Replayer Button.png

2) Select a specific hand played to see these details:

  • BOARD - Shows the specific rank and suit for each street dealt (flop, turn, river)
  • ACTION - The action Hero (you) chose on that street (bet/raise, call/check, fold)
  • GTO PLAY % - Percentage of time a GTO Player would take a specific action if faced with the same decision
  • EV LOSS - The number of big blinds your action would lose against a GTO player
    • Evaluate EV Loss in Proportion to Pot size
    • An EV Loss of -1.00 is significant in a 6.5BB pot. It is far less significant in a 100BB pot
    • The color coding of EV Loss on the Trainer table takes into account pot size


3) Each street of action is broken down with a color coded bar graph noting the specific actions a GTO player would take if faced with the same decision as HERO, including the percentage of time a GTO player would take those specific actions.

GTO Trainer - Color Coded Bar Graph.png

  • In the above example our decision to bet 2.50 on the flop you will see that a GTO Player:
    • Checks 56% of the time
    • Bets small 15% of the time
    • Bets large 28% of the time
    • Green = Bet or Raise, Yellow = Check or Call, Red = Fold

4) In some instances you will see gradient shading (lightest to darkest moving left to right) representing the bet-sizing that a GTO Player would choose in a given spot.

GTO Trainer Hand Breakdown - Shading 11-12.png

  • In the example above:
    • Bet/Raise small amount (lightest green)
    • Bet/Raise larger amount (darker green)
    • Bet/Raise largest amount (darkest green)


REVIEW PREVIOUS SESSIONS

Review previous Sessions from the main GTO Trainer Dashboard!

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Review-Sessions-1-2

1) Select the Spot you would like to review from available Scenarios

  • The total number of hands played as well as your total EV Loss overall for the specific Scenario are listed for quick reference


2) Click the REVIEW SESSIONS button.

3) Select a Session you played from the list.

  • Overall EV Loss, Session Date, and Total Hands played are listed for each Session within each specific Scenario
  • For best results and rapid improvement start by studying your largest EV Loss Spots
GTO Trainer - Review Session Select.png


4) Click the Blue REVIEW SESSIONS button to get the specific statistics for the individual Session within a Scenario. A session review window will open.

ASK THE LEARNWPT PROS

Need help interpreting the results and strategy on adjusting your game? Use the LearnWPT Ask a Pro Feature and the Community Forums to get answers and guidance from Team LearnWPT.

Discuss and share specific hands that gave you trouble while training with the LearnWPT Instructors using Ask a Pro.

WPT-GTO-Trainer-Ask-a-Pro-Hand

  1. Select the Trainer Pack and click the REVIEW SESSIONS button
  2. Find the date of the specific session and click the blue REVIEW SESSIONS link
  3. Find the specific hand that you had a question about and click the ▶ REPLAY icon
  4. After the hand action replays click the ASK A PRO button

Enter your subject line, question, and SUBMIT. Your question and a replay of the hand will go directly to the Ask a Pro Forum to be answered from Team LearnWPT!


TRAIN WITH TEAM LEARNWPT

With Train & Explain Episodes we've combined two key factors to improving your game: drilling hands and having a feedback loop. Train & Explain will help make learning GTO Strategy fast and easy regardless of your skill level!

Train-Explain-Tony-Dunst

Train & Explain Strategy Episodes gives you an exclusive seat behind a LearnWPT Pro for select hands from the WPT GTO Trainer to learn the "why" behind each decision.

There is a twist: you'll play the same hands as the LearnWPT Pro for each Episode. After playing, watch the Strategy Episode for a detailed breakdown of each decision point as LearnWPT Instructors analyze the same hands you just played.

Episodes-Refine-Filter-Train-Explain

Tip: Use the REFINE SEARCH to filter for all Train & Explain Episodes.

We know you’ll have a lot of questions about GTO Strategy and we’re here to help! The LearnWPT Instructors will be showing you plenty of specific ways to use the WPT GTO Trainer to improve your poker game in future Strategy Episodes.


IT'S TIME TO PLAY

Now that you’ve had a chance to walk through the WPT GTO Trainer it’s time to Play!

Whether you need practice postflop after defending your Big Blind in a Tournament, or you want to drill 3-bet defense from middle position with deep stacks in a Cash Game, it’s just one click away.

Train as often as you like. Get real time feedback on trouble Spots and Ask the LearnWPT Pros with one click.

Play Real GTO Hands Online
As Part of Your LearnWPT.com Membership

We Want Your Feedback! Email the Support Team at [email protected] with any questions or suggestions.