Reference
The Poker Wiki
19 plain-English articles on the concepts that actually decide poker hands. Each one gives you the definition, why it matters, worked examples and the StackedPoker lessons that drill it.
Preflop Strategy
Opening ranges, 3-betting, 4-betting, squeezing and defending — the decisions that shape every pot before a flop is dealt.
Postflop Strategy
Board texture, continuation betting, and how ranges interact once the flop is out.
- Continuation Bet (C-Bet)C-bet strategy: dry boards = merged small; wet boards = polarized large.
- Donk Bet (Leading Out)OOP leads vs aggressor — valid on low connected boards with nut/range advantage.
- Nut AdvantageYou can have the nuts; opponent cannot — enables overbets.
- PositionIP realizes ~10% more equity than OOP with symmetric ranges.
- Range AdvantageYour range has more equity than opponent's on this board.
- Stack-to-Pot Ratio (SPR)Stack-to-pot ratio determines which hand strengths justify commitment.
Ranges & Range Construction
Thinking in ranges rather than hands: polarization, capping, blockers and card removal.
- BlockersCards in hand that reduce combos of certain hands villain can have.
- Capped RangeMissing strongest hands — vulnerable to large bets.
- Equity Bucket (EQB) ClassificationEQB: Strong ≥75%, Good 50-74%, Weak 33-49%, Trash <33% equity vs range.
- Nut AdvantageYou can have the nuts; opponent cannot — enables overbets.
- PolarizationBetting nuts + bluffs at large size; checking medium hands.
- Range AdvantageYour range has more equity than opponent's on this board.
Equity & Poker Math
Pot odds, outs, expected value and equity realization — the arithmetic under every decision.
Bet Sizing
Why a size is chosen, not guessed: merged and polarized betting, overbets and geometric sizing.
- Geometric Bet-SizingEqual fraction per street to go all-in on the river.
- Merged Betting StrategyBetting most of range at small size — exploits range advantage.
- Overbet (>100% Pot)Bet >100% pot — requires nut advantage and polarized range.
- PolarizationBetting nuts + bluffs at large size; checking medium hands.
Game Theory Foundations
Equilibrium, indifference, minimum defense frequency and alpha — what 'GTO' actually refers to.
- Alpha (Break-Even Bluff Frequency)Alpha — how often a bluff must succeed to break even (= bet / (bet + pot)).
- Indifference PrincipleAt equilibrium, bluff frequency makes caller indifferent to calling or folding.
- Minimum Defense Frequency (MDF)Minimum Defense Frequency — how often to defend vs a bet to prevent auto-profitable bluffs.
- Nash Equilibrium (GTO)GTO strategy — unexploitable, maximally exploiting any deviation.
Exploitative Play
Deviating from equilibrium on purpose, once you know what you are deviating from.
Being written
These concepts have a place in the wiki but no reviewed article yet. We publish poker theory only when it is traceable to a source, so they stay empty until then.