Exploitative play
Deliberately deviating from a balanced strategy to take advantage of a specific opponent's tendencies, such as folding too much to raises or never bluffing the river.
Frequently asked questions
What is exploitative play in poker?
Choosing the strategy that maximises profit against this particular opponent, rather than the one that cannot be exploited. If they fold too much, you bluff more; if they never fold, you stop bluffing entirely.
How is it different from GTO?
A game-theory-optimal strategy is unexploitable but makes no attempt to punish mistakes beyond what balance already does. An exploitative strategy deliberately becomes exploitable itself, in exchange for winning much more from a flawed opponent.
Which should you play?
Both, in sequence. Use a near-balanced default against unknown or strong opposition, then deviate as soon as you have a read — and remember that your deviation is itself exploitable if the opponent is paying attention.