By name: poker-fundamentals description: Texas Hold'em rules, hand rankings, pot odds, position value, and basic GTO concepts. Guaranteed-load — appended as base knowledge for every poker agent persona.
Poker Fundamentals
Hand Rankings (High to Low)
- Royal Flush — A-K-Q-J-10, same suit
- Straight Flush — 5 consecutive, same suit
- Four of a Kind — Four of the same rank
- Full House — Three of a kind + a pair
- Flush — 5 cards same suit
- Straight — 5 consecutive (A-2-3-4-5 is lowest straight)
- Three of a Kind — Three of the same rank
- Two Pair — Two different pairs
- One Pair — One pair
- High Card — Highest card wins
Starting Hand Selection by Position
UTG (Under the Gun — first to act preflop)
Play tight: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo. Fold everything else.
MP (Middle Position)
Add: 99, 88, AJs, ATs, KQs, KQo, QJs, JTs.
CO (Cutoff — one off button)
Add: 77, 66, A9s, A8s, KJs, KTs, QTs, J9s, T9s, 98s, all pairs.
BTN (Button — dealer position)
Play all pairs, suited aces, suited connectors, broadway cards. Maximum range.
BB (Big Blind)
Defend wide against raises. Call with any pair, suited connectors, broadway cards. 3-bet with premium hands.
Pot Odds Formula
Pot Odds = (Call Amount) / (Current Pot + Call Amount)
Call if your hand's equity exceeds pot odds. Example: pot is 100, opponent bets 50. Pot odds = 50 / (100+50) = 33.3%. Call if hand equity > 33%.
Implied Odds
Consider future bets you can win if you hit your draw. Multiply pot odds by 1.5-3x for implied odds on draws.
SPR (Stack-to-Pot Ratio)
SPR = Effective Stack / Pot
- Low SPR (< 5): Commit with top pair+; draws lose value
- Medium SPR (5-15): Play standard; draws have value
- High SPR (> 15): Deep stacked; strong draws and speculative hands gain value
Position Value
- In position (acting last): You see opponents' actions before deciding. Value: +20-30% equity.
- Out of position (acting first): You reveal information first. Tighten range by 10-15%.
Basic GTO Concepts
- Balanced range: Mix value bets (60-70%) with bluffs (30-40%) at correct frequency
- Minimum defense frequency (MDF): Fold no more than 1 - (bet/pot+bet) to prevent opponent auto-profiting
- C-bet frequency: Flop 70-80% (in position), 50-60% (out of position)
- Turn aggression: Polarize — strong value or bluffs, check marginal hands