PioSOLVER: build your own GTO studies
Choose ranges, compare bet sizes and explore turns that change a strategy: PioSOLVER puts you in control of your theoretical work. A substantial study tool for players who want to understand postflop decisions in detail.
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An environment for exploring a question fully
Unsure between a small c-bet and a large bet? Build the spot, see which hands choose each option and examine the rest of the hand. Comparing several similar scenarios makes the work particularly revealing.
Build your scenario
Set the pot, stacks, ranges and available actions. Study the situation you care about in a structure you can reuse.
Explore the decisions
Browse strategy, equity and the expected value of actions. Compare combinations to understand what makes a hand a good bet or a good check.
Organise your study
Save your configurations and solutions. Reports and the Trainer extend an analysis into comparisons and exercises.
This approach suits players already comfortable with ranges and board reading. If you mainly want to practise without preparing your own calculations, GTO Wizard offers another approach to study and training.
The tree defines the choices you want to compare
A game tree represents possible paths through a hand: check, bet, call, raise or fold. Adding a bet size creates new branches. Start with a poker question, then build a tree clear enough to answer it.
Example flop branch
Each bet then opens up the big blind’s responses. This diagram shows only the start of the hand: raise options and turn-river play are also part of your configuration.
For a first study, keep a few carefully chosen bet sizes. Expand the tree once you understand their roles. This progression makes results clearer and avoids adding options without knowing what you want to learn.
Exercise: what changes when you add a large bet?
Use this procedure in your own study. It does not present precomputed results: the aim is to compare your own solutions while changing only one element.
Study board
Single-raised pot, button versus big blind, two players on the flop.
Keep these settings unchanged
- Both ranges from your preflop scenario.
- The pot and effective stack from your hand.
- BB’s responses and the turn-river options.
- The selected rake and target solving accuracy.
Study A · One c-bet size
After BB checks, BTN can check or bet 33% of the pot. Save this configuration as your reference.
Study B · One additional option
Duplicate the configuration and add a 75% pot bet for BTN. Run the solve again with every other setting unchanged.
Compare hand categories first: top pairs, two pairs and sets, flush draws, straight draws. Which hands change action? Does the small bet retain a role? Then examine expected-value differences instead of stopping at the grid colours.
Read a solution, then extract a simple lesson
- 01
Start with the whole range
What roles do checks and bets play? Which hand categories structure the strategy? This overview gives context to individual combinations.
- 02
Examine expected-value differences
Expected value, or EV, lets you compare actions. When two options are close, look for an easy-to-apply principle before trying to memorise a very precise frequency.
- 03
Compare a few turns
Choose a low card, a card that completes a draw and a high card. Watch which parts of the ranges improve and how that affects the actions.
- 04
Replay the decisions
Finish with a Trainer exercise or a review with the solution hidden initially. Explain your choice, then compare your reasoning with the results.
Once you understand the reference solution, nodelocking lets you fix some of a player’s actions and study an adjusted response. It is useful for exploring a tendency observed at the tables: define it precisely, then compare what changes.
CPU and memory do different jobs
The processor performs the calculations
The CPU mainly determines solving speed. A powerful graphics card will not accelerate this solver. Start with a simple tree on your machine to find a comfortable pace of work.
RAM holds the tree
More branches and bet sizes require more memory. Project size matters as much as the processor model, so fit the tree to the question you are studying.
PioSOLVER runs on 64-bit Windows. The documentation lists 8 GB of RAM to begin postflop work and 16 GB for more developed trees. Edge’s preflop calculations need substantially more hardware, including at least 64 GB of RAM for the practical uses described by the publisher.
The Free version lets you see how the software behaves on your computer before choosing a licence. It is the best starting point for assessing how comfortable it will be to use.
Pro or Edge: choose what you want to study
PioSOLVER 3.0 Pro
450 €
Before applicable taxes · one-time purchase
For building and deepening postflop studies.
- Solve from flop to river
- Multiple bet sizes
- PioVIEWER and scripts
- Support for up to 16 cores
PioSOLVER 3.0 Edge
800 €
Before applicable taxes · one-time purchase
Add heads-up preflop solving and use a more powerful machine.
- All Pro features
- Heads-up preflop solver
- Support for up to 64 cores
- Unlimited transfers between computers
The licence is perpetual and includes one year of updates. You then retain access to your last eligible version; extending updates is optional. Upgrading from Pro to Edge costs the price difference.
Pro is a solid starting point for in-depth postflop study. Edge makes most sense if you have a specific preflop project or a workstation capable of using its extra capabilities.
Add to your study, or explore another approach
Frequently asked questions about PioSOLVER
Is PioSOLVER worth the price?
Yes, for a player who wants to build personal studies and regularly analyse postflop situations. It is especially useful when you already know what to ask a solver and want control over ranges, available bets and the scenarios studied.
Do I need Edge to study postflop?
Pro already solves from flop to river with several bet sizes. Edge adds features including heads-up preflop solving and support for machines with more cores. For a postflop routine, assess your actual needs before choosing Edge.
Does PioSOLVER solve multiway pots?
The Pro and Edge editions discussed here are heads-up Hold’em solvers: they study confrontations between two players. A pot from a six-player table fits that scope once only two players remain in the analysed scenario.
Can I try PioSOLVER for free?
Yes. The Free version lets you explore its operation on example flops. It is a good way to learn the interface, build a first study and observe solving times on your computer.
Must I renew the licence every year?
The licence is perpetual and includes one year of updates. Afterwards, you can keep using the last version your licence covers. A paid extension gives access to new updates; it is not required to keep using that version.