Frequency
Also known as: Frequencies, Action Frequency
How often a range takes a given action. GTO is expressed in frequencies — bet/call/fold percentages — not in single hands, and solvers output a strategy as a percentage per action.
What it means
Frequency is how often a range takes a given action across a node. GTO is not a list of "always do X with hand Y" — it's expressed in frequencies: bet X%, check the rest; call Y%, fold the rest. A solver outputs a full strategy as a percentage per action, per hand.
Why it matters
Thinking in frequencies is what separates a GTO mindset from a results-oriented one:
- A correct strategy is defended at the right call/fold frequency — see minimum defense frequency and alpha.
- Many hands play a mixed strategy: the same hand bets a fraction of the time and checks the rest, so the range hits the target frequency even if no single hand is pure.
- Balance is a frequency statement: a balanced range bets value and bluffs at the right ratio.
You don't need to randomize perfectly live — you need your range's aggregate frequencies to be roughly right.
Example
On the dry A♠7♦2♣ flop a solver c-bets at a very high frequency — roughly 85–90% of the range for a small size. On the wet 9♥8♥7♠ flop the same range c-bets at a much lower frequency, maybe 40–55%, mixing in many checks because the board favors the caller.