3 Money-Making Exploits That Work in 99% of Poker Games

Whether to attempt to play a game theory optimal (GTO) strategy has been a hot topic in the poker world for years.

Here’s my take: Learning GTO is extremely useful, but that doesn’t mean you follow it blindly. GTO strategies teach the correct plays in theory, but with that knowledge, we can exploit key mistakes our opponents make. 

In this article, I’ll cover three situations where deviating from GTO and playing an “RWO” (real-world optimal) strategy is the smarter move.

Note: If you need a refresher on what “GTO” means, I’d recommend reading: How to NOT Sound Like an Idiot When Talking About “GTO”

Situation #1: Exploiting the Tight 3-Bettor

If you’ve spent time in the poker world, you’ve probably seen preflop charts. They lay the foundation for a solid, winning strategy—but they aren’t perfect. Let’s look at an example:

You raise from the Button (BTN), and the Big Blind (BB) 3-bets using a GTO range. According to preflop charts, here’s what you should continue with:

This is a solid strategy, and you won’t lose money following it—assuming the BB also plays a GTO strategy.

However, if your opponent 3-bets too strong (favoring premium hands while excluding weaker ones), two key things happen:

• The top of your range (e.g., Pocket Aces, Pocket Kings) over-realizes equity.
• The bottom of your range (e.g., low pocket pairs, KxJx offsuit) under-realizes equity.

Conversely, if your opponent 3-bets too weak, your entire range over-realizes its equity.

This makes GTO a strong defensive strategy, but not necessarily the most profitable one in terms of expected value (EV).

Here’s what the BB’s range vs. a BTN raise looks like in GTO theory:

That’s a 13.5% 3-betting frequency. However, my data shows that even at 500NL on the toughest online sites, most regulars don’t 3-bet this often. At micro/low stakes or in live games, opponents tend to 3-bet even tighter.

If your opponents aren’t 3-betting enough, adjust by folding the weakest hands from the GTO calling range, such as:

• Low pocket pairs
• KxJx offsuit
• Weak Kx-suited hands
• Some suited connectors

And if their range is especially tight, fold even more!

This adjustment applies to all 3-bet spots.

Don’t blindly follow preflop charts—exploit your opponents instead!

Situation #2: Facing Large Flop C-bets

There’s a huge difference between playing against a large c-bet versus a small one.

Many players mix two bet sizes on the same board, which is GTO-approved. However, in practice, they tend to:

• Bet small with middling hands, weak draws, and air.
• Bet large with strong hands and strong draws.

This pattern holds true for both recreational and advanced players, even at 500NL-1000NL online, according to data.

Example: Adjusting vs. a Large C-Bet

Say you defend your BB with Qh9d against a BTN raise. The flop comes Ad9s8s, and the BTN c-bets 75% pot.

GTO says you should call with Qh9d about 25% of the time, as it has 0 EV.

In theory, the Button is also betting hands like Pocket Sevens through Fours and weak holdings like Qh4h, Qh3h, 5h4h, etc.

But if your opponent isn’t capable of betting with those hands, then calling with Qh9d becomes a massively losing play in practice.

Situation #3: Facing River Bets

If there’s one spot where GTO matters least, it’s the river. The river is the most information-rich street in poker—ranges have been filtered multiple times, making it much easier to put players on hands.

This applies not just to your opponent but also to you. That’s why the real-world optimal (RWO) river strategy is entirely meta-game-driven.

Example: Bluffing Frequencies & EV

Say your opponent bets 75% pot on the river. In GTO, their bluffing frequency should be 30% (using the formula b/(2b+1), where b is the bet size).

• If they bluff exactly 30%, your pure bluff-catchers break even (0 EV).
• If they bluff 32%, your bluff-catchers gain 2% of the pot.
• If they bluff 28%, your bluff-catchers lose 2% of the pot.

Only a machine can play poker with that level of precision. Imagine trying to track every hand combination you opened preflop, bet or checked on the flop and turn, across all possible lines—it’s simply inhuman.

And that’s great news! It means you don’t need to worry about playing perfect GTO. Instead, focus on how your opponent deviates:

• Folding too much? Bluff more.
• Folding too little? Value bet thinner.
• Bluffing too much? Call wider.
• Not bluffing enough? Fold more.

That’s it. Easy game.

Wrapping Up

Poker strategy is infinitely complex, but it’s built on a limited set of core concepts. GTO isn’t the end goal—it’s just the foundation. True mastery comes from understanding multiple aspects of the game, and GTO is just one piece of the puzzle.

Got any thoughts or questions? Drop a comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer!

Also, if you have any questions regarding this topic, head down below and I’ll do my best to answer.

If you’d like to learn more about playing exploitative strategies in cash games, read: How To Exploit Maniac Poker Players.

Until next time, good luck, grinders!