Poker Solver Explained: Ranges & EV | OptimusPoker
How Poker Solvers Work: Ranges, Frequencies, Bet Sizes & EV
Have you ever opened a poker solver and felt lost? You see colourful hand charts, percentages, bet sizes and EV numbers. But what do they mean?
A poker solver uses maths and game theory to find strong ways to play poker. It shows which hands to bet, check, call, raise or fold, and how often to make each move.
The best part? You don't need to be a maths expert to understand the results.
In this guide, we'll explain how poker solvers work and how OptimusPoker makes GTO solutions easier to read.
What Is a Poker Solver?
A poker solver is a tool that helps players study poker hands. It looks at many possible actions and finds a balanced way to play.
This approach is called Game Theory Optimal (GTO).
The goal of GTO is to build a strategy that is impossible for opponents to exploit.
A GTO poker solver studies several things:
- Hand ranges: Which hands each player could have.
- Frequencies: How often to bet, check, raise or fold.
- Bet sizes: How much to bet in each spot.
- Expected Value (EV): How much a decision may win or lose over time.
The solver takes into account at the board, player positions and stack sizes.
Want to learn more about the basics? Read our guide to GTO poker strategy.
How Does a Poker Solver Work?
A poker solver starts with a specific situation. This includes the players' positions, hand ranges, pot size, stack sizes and possible actions.
Next, it builds a game tree.
Think of a game tree as a map of possible moves. If one player bets, the other can call, raise or fold. Each choice leads to a new situation.
The solver checks these possibilities and compares their results.
It repeats this process many times to find a balanced strategy.
The result shows which actions work best, how often to use them and their expected value.
Let's look at the four main parts of a poker solver.
1. How Poker Solvers Calculate Hand Ranges
A hand range is a group of hands a player could have.
For example, someone raising from the Button can usually play more hands than someone raising from an early position.
A poker solver looks at all those possible hands, not just one.
Imagine the Button raises and the Big Blind calls.
The solver studies which hands each player could have after those actions. Then it looks at the flop and checks how the board affects both ranges.
Some hands become stronger. Others become weaker.
The solver uses this information to find a strategy for each hand.
The key is simple: don't think only about your cards. Think about all the hands you and your opponent could have.
You can learn more in our Poker Hand Ranges Explained guide.
2. How Poker Solvers Calculate Frequencies
2. How Poker Solvers Calculate Frequencies
Check and bet frequencies in the OptimusPoker Solver
A poker solver doesn't always recommend the same move.
Sometimes, it suggests a mixed strategy.
For example, the OptimusPoker Solver screenshot shows:
- Check: 98%
- Bet 66% of the pot: 2%
This means the strategy checks 98% of the time and bets 66% of the pot 2% of the time in this situation.
It does not mean there is a 98% chance of winning.
But why mix actions?
Because always making the same move can make your strategy easy to read.
A solver compares the value of each action. When two actions work about as well, mixing them may be part of the best strategy.
This helps keep your play balanced.
Frequencies show how often to take an action, not how often you'll win.
These percentages come from the OptimusPoker Solver screenshot and apply to the specific situation shown.
These percentages are just an example, not a real solver result.
3. How Poker Solvers Choose Bet Sizes
3. How Poker Solvers Choose Bet Sizes
Bet sizing choices in the OptimusPoker Solver
A poker solver compares different bet sizes to find a good strategy.
The best bet size depends on the situation.
For example, the OptimusPoker Solver shows two different situations:
- Preflop: Raise to 2×, 2.25×, 2.5× or 3×.
- Postflop: Check 98% of the time or bet 66% of the pot 2% of the time.
The solver looks at the players' ranges, the board and the available actions.
Remember: 66% is the bet size, while 2% is how often the solver recommends that bet.
A solver compares the betting options available in each situation. It doesn't always test every possible amount.
For a deeper look, explore our poker bet sizing guide.
4. How Poker Solvers Calculate Expected Value (EV)
EV stands for Expected Value.
It shows how much a decision may win or lose on average over time.
Let's look at a simple example.
You face a bet with these numbers:
- Pot: 10 big blinds
- Opponent's bet: 5 big blinds
- Your call: 5 big blinds
- Your chance of winning: 30%
If there are no more bets, ties or fees, your EV is:
EV = (0.30 × 15bb) − (0.70 × 5bb)
EV = +1bb
This means calling earns an average of 1 big blind more than folding at this point.
Real poker solvers go much further. They also look at future cards, bets and possible opponent moves.
Remember: a good poker decision can still lose a hand.
EV helps you judge the quality of your choice, not just the final result.
How OptimusPoker Makes GTO Solver Results Easy to Understand
Poker solvers do a lot of complex maths. But understanding their results shouldn't be difficult.
That's where OptimusPoker comes in.
The OptimusPoker online poker solver gives players a clear, visual way to study GTO solutions.
Instead of working through complex formulas, you can focus on what the solver is telling you.
Clear Hand Ranges
OptimusPoker shows hand ranges through colour-coded grids.
You can see how different hands fit into a strategy and explore which actions the solver recommends.
Easy-to-Read Frequencies
The Solver displays action frequencies, helping you understand how often a hand should check, bet, raise or fold.
You can see the numbers without doing the calculations yourself.
Simple Bet Size Comparisons
OptimusPoker shows the available betting options alongside their frequencies.
This makes it easier to understand how much to bet and how often the solver recommends each action.
Visual EV Analysis
OptimusPoker also offers visual charts for range equity, equity realisation (EQR) and range EV.
These help players see how the board can affect each player's range and the value of different situations.
AI Analysis for Better Understanding
OptimusPoker includes an AI Analysis feature that explains key details of a poker situation.
It can describe the board, player positions, stack-to-pot ratio and other useful information.
This adds context to the solver results and helps users understand what they're looking at.
The goal isn't to memorise every number. It's to understand why the solver recommends each action.
OptimusPoker currently focuses on GTO solutions. Dedicated exploitative poker knowledge and features are planned for the future and are not yet available.
For more examples of GTO decisions after the flop, read our postflop poker strategy guide.
Poker Solver FAQs
Can beginners use a poker solver?
Yes. Start with simple situations and focus on understanding ranges, frequencies, bet sizes and EV.
Is a poker solver the same as an equity calculator?
No. An equity calculator shows how often a hand may win at showdown. A poker solver also looks at betting decisions and future actions.
Can I use OptimusPoker online?
Yes. The OptimusPoker Solver runs in your browser, so you can study GTO solutions without installing traditional solver software.
Conclusion: Make Poker Solver Results Easy to Understand
A poker solver uses maths to find balanced strategies. It calculates ranges, action frequencies, bet sizes and EV.
OptimusPoker makes those GTO results easier to explore and understand.
Instead of getting lost in numbers, players can focus on the strategy behind each decision.
The solver does the maths. OptimusPoker helps you understand the strategy.