Beyond GTO

Game Theory Optimal (GTO) poker now dominates the modern game, but Dara O'Kearney argues it is not the most profitable approach when an opponent has leaks in their play. The most money against exploitable players, he says, comes from counter-exploiting them. Beyond GTO, which the source also calls Beyond Poker Exploits Simplified, is presented as the first book to use solver technology to show how to take real advantage of an opponent's weaknesses.

Rather than guesswork or anecdotal evidence, the book shows how a perfect GTO player would extract the most value from a flawed human opponent, and it turns that into practical heuristics for beating soft games. It covers how to exploit nits, calling stations, and maniacs, why balance still matters even at low stakes, and what old school players got wrong about exploitative poker.

Readers also learn how professionals think when facing weak opponents, which specific preflop and postflop leaks to look for, and which flop, turn, and river mistakes are most common. A further focus is on avoiding the biggest errors in one's own game.

O'Kearney is a professional poker player sponsored by Unibet, and he co-hosts The Chip Race Podcast. He is regarded as one of the best tournament grinders and poker coaches in the world, with a special emphasis on modern solver technology. His co-authored books include Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, and Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy.