What Most Players Get Wrong About Exploiting Opponents

GTO LAB
08 Feb 2026
Intermediate
This material is for medium-skilled players
Hand Review
08 Feb 2026
Intermediate
This material is for medium-skilled players

This video dives into the art of exploitative poker through deep stack hand reviews. Jonathan Jaffe breaks down villain decisions from the inside out - not just what they did wrong, but why they did it. A must-watch for players looking to move beyond GTO and truly exploit opponents at the table.

True exploitation means thinking like your opponent - not just labeling them a nit or lag, but understanding their exact logic.

Reading Minds at the Poker Table:

  • Stop labeling opponents as "nit" or "lag" — dig deeper into their actual decision-making logic
  • Deep stack play reveals player tendencies faster than short stack play
  • Projecting a GTO framework onto weak players leads to wrong reads and missed exploits
  • Empathizing with the villain helps you predict plays you'd never expect
  • Talking to losing live players is one of the best ways to learn how recreational players think
  • Unusual lines like three-betting 98 suited may signal a deception-based strategy, not random play
  • Snap calls and timing at the table carry information about a player's river tendencies
About the Author
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GTO LAB Poker Training Brand

GTO LAB is a poker training brand focused on modern strategy and solver-based learning. It offers clear explanations, practical study tools, and structured content that help players understand GTO concepts and apply them step by step to improve their real game results.

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