How to Read GTO Poker Charts and the Settings Behind Them

GTO poker charts are preflop strategy grids produced by solver programs. When a scenario is selected, such as the player seated first opening a 6-handed cash game at 100 big blind depth, the chart shows what the solver does with each of the 169 starting hands.

The grid consists of 13 rows and 13 columns. Boxes on the diagonal represent pairs, boxes on one side represent suited hands, and boxes on the other side represent offsuit hands. Boxes are usually colored with percentages, showing how often that hand is played or folded. It is necessary to understand this layout before you start reading the chart.

The most important point to pay attention to is the settings behind the chart. When depth, table size, or game type changes, different results can come out for the same position. For this reason, placing two different free charts side by side and comparing them may not always produce a correct result.

Therefore, before using a chart, it is helpful to check which assumptions it was built on. Checking whether it matches the environment you actually play in leads to healthier results than applying the chart blindly. A chart should be seen as a starting point, not an answer key.