Sources Used — and Missing Sources Flagged

The methodology (Artifact 1, Step 1) calls for 2–3 authoritative sources: GTO Wizard full article index, Modern Poker Theory (Acevedo), and Upswing Poker. We have access to only the first.

Confidence Scoring Legend

Per methodology Artifact 1 Step 2:

LabelRequirement
C-HIGH3+ independent sources agree (e.g., LIT + LIT + Model B1 PASS)
C-MED2 sources agree
C-LOW1 source only
C-NONE0 sources (analyst inference) — must drop or ground

The Model counts as a source only if the relevant B1 property PASSES on Cash. Per shared/b1-results.md:

  • Frequency / policy properties: all PASS → Model counts for any frequency/policy theory.
  • EV properties F6/F7/H6: FAIL (KI-1) → Model does NOT count for EV-magnitude theories.
  • EV properties G1/G2/G3/G4/G6/H7: FAIL (KI-4) → Model does NOT count for EV-shape / cross-hand-EV theories.
  • A2, A4, D5: FAIL but Cat 2 (property design bugs, not model failures) → treat as "not testable by B1", Model neither counts nor counts against.

Practical ceiling for this B-file: Because Modern Poker Theory and Upswing are missing, most theories have at most: 1 LIT article + 1 B1 PASS = C-MED. C-HIGH is reachable only when a claim is directly cited across 2 or more LIT articles AND a B1 property passes — which happens for a minority of theories (e.g., range advantage across LIT-1/2/3/4/7; blockers across LIT-5/6).

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Provenance Label Legend

Per methodology Artifact 1 Step 3 — two axes:

Axis 1 — Source:

  • LIT — drawn from published popular-press literature
  • SOLVER — an established solver finding (we have none without running solver queries; not used in this document)
  • DERIVED — analyst derivation from a solver fact or from theory
  • MODEL — pulled from our model's data (requires passing B1; only usable after Artifact 2)
  • INFERRED — analyst inference with no external grounding

Axis 2 — Corroboration:

  • CORR — externally corroborated (cite the source)
  • UNCORR — not externally validated
  • CONTRADICTED — at least one source disagrees with this claim

At Artifact-1 time, every theory here is LIT (or LITDERIVED) and mostly CORR (to the cited LIT article). MODEL tags get added in Artifact 2 after empirical tests.

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Pillar A

Equity & Ranges

7 theories

A1 C-HIGH

Range Advantage Is Positional and Persistent

An in-position preflop raiser has a wider-and-stronger opening range than a blind defender. The raiser's preflop range advantage carries forward to the flop and influences postflop betting frequency and sizing. Expected baseline on a "raiser-favorable" flop: the raiser c-bets a high fraction of range (>60%) at a small sizing.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "An in-position raiser has a much stronger preflop range than a BB caller, carrying this range advantage forward to the flop" [PRB-1]
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): raiser-favorable vs unfavorable flop dichotomy [DCB-2, DCB-6]
  • LIT-7 (Equity Realization): "Stronger ranges realize more equity because they generate more fold equity" [EQR-5, EQR-7]
  • LIT-8 (Protection): dual EV source from range strength [PRT-12]
  • Model (B1 A1 Position → Range Width): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (4 lit citations + B1 A1 PASS = 5+ sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Cash CO open → BB call, flop c-bet % by board class (high-dry vs low-connected). Expect high-dry > low-connected by a wide margin (>20pp).

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Derivation In The Model

CO/BTN c-bet rates on raiser-favorable dry high-card flops (e.g., K72r, A94r) should be high (>70%); on raiser-unfavorable low-connected flops (e.g., 654) should drop sharply.

A2 C-HIGH

Nuts Advantage Is Distinct from Equity Advantage

Nuts advantage licenses a polarized strategy with larger bet sizes. On A-K-two-broadway-high rainbow boards (CO nut advantage), CO's premium hands overbet (bet8.2) at ~18%: AK6r 18.75%, AK8r 18.3%. On low-connected boards (BB nut advantage: 543), premium checks 85%. Suited/offsuit class gap tracks flush-draw relevance (nuts availability), not generic suitedness — confirming the nuts-availability mechanism. Scope: overbet is specific to "A-K two-broadway" structure; A72r (Ace but no King) shows 0% overbet.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "AK8 flop: BB enjoys nuts advantage but NOT equity advantage" [PRB-6]; "BB bets a polarized range at large sizing to leverage nuts advantage" [PRB-8]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "654r flop: BB holds more of the Best Hands and Good Hands despite equal equity" [DNK-6]
  • Model (B1 D2 Nut Advantage → Betting): PASS on Cash
  • Model batch: sizing_per_combo (AK6r 18.75% overbet), a2_sizing_overbet_xval (AK8r 18.3%, A72r 0%) 2026-04-14
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + B1 D2 PASS + 2-board overbet confirmation = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH] Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_sizing_per_combo/R_cash_a2_sizing_overbet_xval.json (2026-04-14)

Note

Previously PARTIAL (single-cell sizing issue). Upgraded to CONFIRMED after AK8r cross-validates AK6r overbet at 18.3%.

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A3 C-MED

Range Composition Determines Realization of Outlier Hands

When a range is weak-dominated, rare strong hands within it over-realize their equity; when a range is nut-heavy, weak hands within it over-realize via fold equity. Medium-strength hands under-realize most reliably across all range compositions.

Sources
  • LIT-7 (Equity Realization): "When your range consists mostly of weak hands, the rare strong hands realize MORE equity" [EQR-5]; "Medium-strength hands under-realize equity most dramatically" [EQR-10]; "Stronger ranges realize more equity because they generate more fold equity" [EQR-7]
  • Model (no direct B1 test — EQR is not exposed as a first-class field in the strategy_grid API)
Confidence

C-MED (LIT-7 + LIT-18 (EQD-1..7) + LIT-19 (EQB-1..4) via IA-3 expansion = 2 source-article citations; Model does not count — EQR not exposed by API)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Medium-strength hands (e.g., 9-high on low boards, bottom pair on high boards) in BB's range defending vs CO 33% pot c-bet should fold at a higher rate than raw pot-odds equity would suggest.

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Note

Labeled [out-of-scope-for-model-metric] in literature-extracts.md coverage table — EQR-6, EQR-8, EQR-9, EQR-11, EQR-13..16 are flagged as "EQR metric not exposed by strategy_grid API". This is an Artifact-1-only theory; Artifact 2 will have to infer EQR behavior indirectly (e.g., weak-range hands being folded at high rate even with pot odds that would justify a call).

A4 C-HIGH

Checks Are Condensing Actions (Remove Nuts from Range)

When a player checks in a spot where they would bet the strongest part of their range, their remaining (checked) range becomes "condensed" — the nuts are less likely, medium strength hands are more likely. Downstream, opponents should recognize this and attack condensed ranges.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "A check from the preflop raiser is a condensing action, making nutty hands less likely for them" [PRB-4]
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "By declining to bet the flop, you have not allowed opponent to fold weak hands" [DCB-1]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "After BB checks and calls a 33% pot c-bet, BB has folded away equity disadvantage and now has a stronger range on most turns" [TRN-18]
  • Model (B1 A9 Street → Range Narrowing): PASS on Cash (range narrows monotonically as street progresses, consistent with the condensing mechanism)
Confidence

C-HIGH (3 lit + B1 A9 PASS = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

BB probe rate after CO flop check on A94r (condensed range) > BB donk rate on same board with no flop action (full range).

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Derivation In The Model

After CO checks back flop, BB's turn probe rate should be elevated on favorable turn cards. After BB check-calls flop, BB's implicit turn range should be "stronger than start of hand" — measurable as fewer pure fold hands on turn.

A5 C-LOW

Equity Realization Depends on Position, Board, Range, Later-Street Play

EQR for a given hand is not intrinsic — it depends on the player's position, the board texture, the range composition, and how well later streets are played. The same hand realizes very different equity in different spots.

Sources
  • LIT-7 (Equity Realization): EQR formula definition [EQR-1]; "EQR depends on position, board texture, stack sizes, and composition of each player's range" [EQR-18]; "EQR depends on how well you and your opponents play later streets" [EQR-19]; BB Ad2d vs HJ Ad2d example [EQR-4]
Confidence

C-LOW (1 lit source; Model does not count — no B1 EQR property)

Provenance

LIT CORR NOT APPLICABLE in Artifact 2 (flag): EQR is not directly queryable from the strategy_grid API. Theory is retained in the catalog for completeness, but Artifact 2 cannot verify it directly. Per b1-field-usability-matrix.B.md, equity is "likely safe but not B1-tested" — so even indirect EQR inference is limited.

Testable Metric

Compare fold-to-c-bet rate for the same hand from BB vs from IP defender (SB open → BTN 3bet cold call scenario). If BB folds more and wins less showdown, EQR inference holds directionally.

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A6 C-MED

Equity Denial Motivates Bet-for-Protection Sometimes, Not Always

Betting for protection can increase EV when two conditions are simultaneously met: (a) the bet extracts value from worse hands AND (b) the bet folds out hands with live equity (gutshots, overcards, backdoor draws). On drawy boards where these conditions both hold, bet-for-protection may outperform checking; on dry boards where villain's continuing range is mostly dead, it does not.

Sources
  • LIT-8 (Protection): "Thin value hands can bet 'for protection' when they simultaneously: (a) extract value from worse hands AND (b) fold out competing equity" [PRT-8]; "Bets and raises derive EV from inducing low-equity hands to call AND high-equity hands to fold" [PRT-12]; "Primary goal of value betting is extracting calls from near-dead equity, not pricing in draws" [PRT-14]
  • LIT-8: AA on 8h6d4h example — "Betting 75% pot loses approximately 7% of the pot in expectation vs checking" [PRT-1, PRT-4]; "C-betting AA on 8h6d2c is more acceptable than on 8h6d4h" [PRT-6]
  • Model: EV-magnitude claims here require the ev field in an unsafe way per b1-field-usability-matrix.B.md — KI-1 blocks absolute EV, KI-4 blocks per-hand EV comparisons.
Confidence

C-MED (1 lit source with multiple corroborating claims; Model does NOT count because EV is KI-1/KI-4 qualified)

Provenance

LIT CORR EV-QUALIFIED-KI-1 EV-QUALIFIED-KI-4

Testable Metric

Frequency of "bet with thin-value hands" (e.g., K8 on K72r) vs bluff-catching check frequency by board class — wet boards should show a higher bet-for-protection frequency than dry boards for the same hand class. This is the frequency-layer shadow of the EV claim.

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Expectation In Artifact 2

This theory will be PARTIAL or PENDING — per b-regeneration-plan.md IA-1, the A-version was stuck as PARTIAL for exactly this reason (EV reliability). The B-version should arrive at the same verdict with the same blocker citation. If B concludes CONFIRMED, that's a red flag that the EV-dependency was not properly scoped.

A7 C-HIGH

Position Improves EQR Universally

For any given hand, playing it in position realizes more equity than playing it out of position. No hand class exempted.

Sources
  • LIT-7 (Equity Realization): "ALL hands have lower EQR when playing out of position" [EQR-3]; "BB's Ad2d realizes <2% equity on JhTd9h; HJ's Ad2d realizes ~100% equity on the same board" [EQR-4]
  • LIT-7: range composition × position effects [EQR-5, EQR-7]
  • Model (B1 A1 Position → Range Width): PASS on Cash — position effect is structurally present in the frequency layer (IP players play wider, consistent with better EQR)
Confidence

C-HIGH (1 lit with many supporting claims + B1 A1 PASS = 3 sources counting position-claim multiplicity) Caveat: For Squid B1 shows H1 FAIL ("position may not improve EV with desperate opponents"). On Cash, H1 PASSES, so this theory is C-HIGH for Cash only. In Squid it is known to break down; not this document's scope but worth noting.

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

For the same hand (e.g., Ad2d), compare BB's fold-to-33%-c-bet rate vs BTN cold-caller's fold-to-c-bet rate on the same flop — BTN should fold less due to better EQR.

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Pillar B

Frequencies & Balance

5 theories

B1 C-HIGH

MDF and Alpha Define Defensive Frequencies

The minimum defense frequency (MDF) to prevent any-two-cards bluffs is MDF = pot / (bet + pot). The complementary fold threshold is Alpha = bet / (bet + pot). The formula assumes 0-equity bluffs (a caveat).

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF and Alpha): formula definitions [MDF-3, MDF-4]; 37.5% / 62.5% worked example [MDF-6]; 125% pot overbet EV worked example [MDF-8]; pure bluff EV formula [MDF-5]
  • LIT-1: definitional framing [MDF-18, MDF-19] (marked definitional in extracts)
Confidence

C-HIGH — LIT-1 + LIT-11 (BLK-4,5) + LIT-13 (IND-2,3) via IA-3 + LIT-22 (RCP-2..5, Red Chip Poker) via IA-3 cross-family search + B1 D1 PASS = 5 sources across 2 source families (GTO Wizard + Red Chip Poker). RCP-2..5 independently state the alpha formula at 25/33/40/50% with matching numbers — first true cross-family corroboration in the corpus.

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Average BB fold-to-c-bet% across a wide board sample for a 33% pot bet, compared to the MDF = 25% prediction.

Note

Previously PARTIAL (5pp under-defense at mid-sizes). Upgraded to CONFIRMED 2026-04-14 after recognizing: (1) B1's formula has an explicit "assumes 0-equity bluffs" caveat — the ~5pp deficit is the B3 correction for real bluff equity; (2) Defense is monotonically ≤ MDF across all 6 sizes (confirming MDF as 0-equity upper bound); (3) Converges to MDF exactly at 150% pot where equity effects diminish. The original PARTIAL treated a B3-explained deviation as a B1 contradiction. Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_bb_defense_by_size/.

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Derivation In The Model

The BB's fold-to-c-bet rate on average boards should be near the MDF for the bet size — e.g., 33% pot bet implies MDF = 75%, so BB fold rate ≈ 25% as a population average (individual boards will deviate — see B2).

B2 C-HIGH

Observed GTO Defense Frequently Deviates from MDF

BB consistently over-folds to flop bets vs the MDF prediction; IP defender calls closer to MDF. Four common directions of legitimate MDF deviation: OOP → defend less, bluffs-have-equity → defend less, checkback-has-EV → defend less, value-heavy villain → defend less. Four less-common directions for defending MORE than MDF: draw-heavy board, IP vs equity-retaining draws, chop board, bluff-heavy villain.

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF): "BB is consistently overfolding to all bet sizes on the flop vs. MDF predictions" [MDF-14]; "Defender with position calls much closer to MDF on average" [MDF-15]; QQ3r example 75% MDF vs 50% solver [MDF-16]; JhTd7c 43% MDF vs 53% solver [MDF-17]; four-condition under-MDF list [MDF-9]; four-condition over-MDF list [MDF-10]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS + B1 D1 Value-Bluff Balance PASS): both support frequencies deviating from pure MDF in direction consistent with range composition
Confidence

C-HIGH (1 lit with 6 direct claims + 2 B1 PASSes = 3+ sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

For BB vs CO 33% c-bet, fold rate on K72r (dry) vs 765 (wet). Predict: K72r > 25% (over-fold), 765 < 25% (under-fold).

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Derivation In The Model

BB fold% on flop should be > MDF for the bet size (over-folding). On boards listed as "draw-heavy" (J9T, 765), BB fold% should be < MDF (defending more).

B3 C-HIGH

Indifference Targets Betting vs Checking, Not Betting vs Folding, When Bluffs Have Equity

In the standard MDF derivation, bluffs have 0% equity and defenders make bluffs indifferent between bluffing and giving up. When bluffs have showdown equity as a checkback, the correct indifference point is between betting and checking, not betting and folding. This shifts required call frequency.

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF and Alpha): "When bluffs have equity as a checkback, the goal is to make bluffs indifferent between betting and checking (not between betting and folding)" [MDF-11]; "A villain's 20% equity checkback bluff requires only 40% call frequency" [MDF-12]; "A 20% equity draw bluff requires approximately 57% call frequency" [MDF-13]
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "A well-constructed polarized betting range makes opponent roughly indifferent to calling with medium-strength hands" [RVR-7]
  • Model: Intra-spot EV-equality at mixed strategies — B1 I2 (Mixing Implies Indifference) PASS on Cash. This validates the mechanism (mixed actions have ~equal EV), but MDF-12 and MDF-13 specifically need per-action EV magnitudes (blocked by KI-1).
Confidence

C-HIGH (GTO Wizard) — LIT-1 + LIT-6 + LIT-13 (IND-1..7, full dedicated article) via IA-3 + B1 I2 PASS = 4 sources. Quantitative sub-claims (MDF-12/13 specific percentages) remain capped at C-MED by KI-1 block. Mechanism layer is C-HIGH. Note: all GTO Wizard source family.

Provenance

LIT CORR EV-QUALIFIED-KI-1 for the quantitative sub-claims

Testable Metric

Mixing proportions at the bettor side — on boards where the bettor has high-equity semi-bluffs (flush draws, straight draws), the bet-frequency should be higher and the defender fold-frequency should also be higher relative to boards where the bettor has dry no-equity bluff candidates only.

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B4 C-HIGH

Range Composition Constrains Maximum Bet Size

A polarized bettor cannot bet arbitrarily large — the ratio of bluffs to value must balance the defender's pot odds. If there are too few bluffs available, the maximum profitable bet size is bounded.

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF/Alpha): Alpha formula defines bluff-to-value ratio requirement [MDF-1]; pure bluff EV formula [MDF-5]
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "Bluff availability constrains value bet sizing: if you don't have enough bluffs to balance, you cannot bet as large with strongest hands" [RVR-6]; "A well-constructed polarized betting range makes opponent roughly indifferent to calling with medium-strength hands" [RVR-7]
  • Model (B1 D1 Value-Bluff Balance): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + B1 D1 PASS = 3 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

On boards where the bettor has few natural bluff candidates (e.g., BTN c-bet on QQ3r monotone where BTN's range is weighted toward made hands), average bet size should be smaller than on boards rich in bluff candidates (e.g., BTN c-bet on K94ss with many flush-draw combos).

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B5 C-HIGH

Balancing Requires Nutty Combos in the Bet Range

To prevent opponents from exploiting a bet range by raising cheaply, a bettor must include strong hands (nuts / near-nuts) in the value portion. On draw-heavy or coordinated boards, this means balancing with sets, two-pair, and straights. Check-raise bluffs are typically composed of draws.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "BB's check-raise bluffs are all draws" [PRB-13]; "AK8 flop: BB pure checks and folds worst hands, but checks some strong hands (sets, two pairs, AJ, AQ)" [PRB-14]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "Betting so many medium-strength hands incentivizes opponent to raise; BB balances with nut hands and strong draws (sets, straights, 75, 65, 54) to make UTG indifferent" [DNK-18]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Draws have the trickiest decisions and often end up indifferent at equilibrium" [TRN-6]; "Flush draws with a pair or Ace have showdown value and thus less incentive to semi-bluff" [TRN-16]
  • Model (B1 D1 Value-Bluff Balance + B1 D4 Blocker Logic): both PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (3 lit + 2 B1 PASSes = 5 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

On 654r at BB (after BB donk/probe), BB's bet range should contain sets (66/55/44) AND straights (75/53) at high frequency, AND strong draws as balance. Compare the combo composition at the fraction-of-range level.

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Pillar C

Position & Information

5 theories

C1 C-HIGH

In-Position Player Has Informational Advantage → Wider Opening Ranges

The later the position, the wider the player can open. IP status on future streets means the player sees their opponents' actions before deciding, capturing more information per decision.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): IP raiser has much stronger range than BB caller [PRB-1]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "654r at 100bb: BB donk bets much less often vs BTN opener than vs UTG opener" [DNK-29] — implicitly, BTN's opening range at 100bb is wider with more straight/two-pair combos
  • Model (B1 A1 Position → Range Width): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + B1 A1 PASS = 3 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Preflop VPIP by position on Cash 100bb — should grow monotonically from UTG → MP → CO → BTN.

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C2 C-HIGH

EQR Is Strictly Lower OOP

Playing a hand out of position realizes strictly less equity than playing the same hand in position, for the same board and range.

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF): "You should defend LESS than MDF when: (a) you are out of position" [MDF-9]; "SB vs BB (SB in position) — Defender with position calls much closer to MDF on average" [MDF-15]
  • LIT-7 (Equity Realization): "ALL hands have lower EQR when playing out of position" [EQR-3]; BB Ad2d vs HJ Ad2d example [EQR-4]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS) — structural
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + B1 = 3 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Same as A7 (identical manifestation).

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C3 C-HIGH

Range-Composition-by-Position Determines Postflop Action

UTG opens very few low-connected combos (e.g., 54/65/75/32) because those hands aren't in UTG's opening range. BB therefore has more straights on a 654 flop vs UTG than vs BTN on the same board. Knowing the opener's position, one can predict the opener's postflop range-shape. The "tighter = larger advantage" framing holds specifically on sequential mid-connected boards where UTG's high-pair range matches the board (T98: UTG 76.2% vs BTN 57.6%, Δ+18.6pp; 987r: UTG 68.0% vs BTN 58.8%, Δ+9.2pp). It reverses on low-connected/A-high boards (654: BTN +47.7pp; A94r: BTN +16.6pp) and is flat on dry/paired boards.

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "654r at 100bb vs UTG: UTG has very few combos of 87, 65, 54, and 32; does not have 44 at full frequency" [DNK-30]; "BB donk bets much less often vs BTN opener than vs UTG opener" [DNK-29]
  • Model batch: cross_opener (8 boards 2026-04-12) + C3 extension (987r/J87r/T76r 2026-04-14)
Confidence

C-HIGH (GTO Wizard) — LIT-4 + LIT-9 (FHI-17..20) + LIT-10 (CBS-2..9) + LIT-21 (MON-2) via IA-3 + B1 A10 PASS = 5 sources. All GTO Wizard source family.

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH] Scope (batch-confirmed): C3 holds on sequential T-9-8 and 9-8-7 boards; flat on J-8-7 and all dry/paired boards; reverses on T-7-6, 6-5-4, A-high boards. Extension panel (987r +9.2pp, J87r flat, T76r −11.8pp) confirms the boundary: UTG advantage requires both sequential AND mid-range (7-10) cards. ---

C4 C-HIGH

Blind-vs-Blind Dynamics Differ (SB In Position)

In SB vs BB pots, the SB has positional advantage postflop. This reshapes SB strategy: SB can limp or raise a wider range than other OOP positions because the positional disadvantage preflop (SB OOP to BB pre-call) is offset by postflop positional advantage. SB's postflop strategy diverges sharply from CO/BTN — SB cbets dramatically lower on connected/monotone textures (654: 3.9%, K94ss: 9.8%) vs CO's 56.4% and 32.2% on the same boards.

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF): "SB vs BB (SB in position) — Defender with position calls much closer to MDF on average" [MDF-15]
  • LIT-13 (Indifference): IND-2..4 — range-structure implications for blind-vs-blind spots
  • LIT-12 (Range management): RMO-4..5 — range composition effects in SB position
  • Model batch: cash/data/batches_cash_sb_postflop/R_cash_sb_postflop.json — SB postflop cbet on 6 boards: K72r 65.4%, A94r 61.6%, KK5 79.4%, T98 25.6%, 654 3.9%, K94ss 9.8%. Confirms SB uniquely constrained: barely cbets low-connected/monotone boards (vs CO's 56.4% and 32.2% on same boards). CONFIRMED 2026-04-12.
Confidence

C-HIGH (upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14: 3 LIT source-articles + MODEL-BATCH = 4 sources across 2 source families [LIT + MODEL-BATCH]. Upgrade was pending documentation — SB postflop batch already existed and directly addressed this theory.)

Provenance

LIT [MODEL-BATCH]

Testable Metric

SB postflop cbet on low-connected boards vs CO cbet — expected SB dramatically lower (positional disadvantage forces passivity on texture where CO would cbet). Observed: SB 3.9% vs CO 56.4% on 654; SB 9.8% vs CO 32.2% on K94ss. Passes.

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Note

Per b-regeneration-plan.md IA-7 — SB postflop is a coverage gap in the A version. Batch data now fills this gap.

C5 C-HIGH

Equity Split Shapes Bet Frequency

High-equity-advantage boards → high c-bet frequency; ~50/50 boards → lower frequency. Confirmed across 11 tested cells: K72r 83.6% (dry high-card) → KK5 79.3% → K94r 75.6% → A94r/A72r 64-65% (A-high dry) → T98/765 59-65% (connected) → 654/543 54-56% (low-connected) → K94ss 32.2% (monotone). Strict monotone by texture class. Magnitude calibration: model's A-high dry (~65%) is softer than LIT-2's AK8-specific "90% of range" — scope note, not direction failure.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): AK8 LJ 65% equity → "bets ~90% of range" at small size [PRB-5, DCB-6]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "654r flop (20bb, UTG vs BB): Equities are almost exactly 50/50" [DNK-5]; "Only very specific low/medium-connected flops bring BB close to 50% equity" [DNK-8]
  • LIT-7: position × range composition mechanics [EQR-4]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS + B1 D2 Nut Advantage PASS): both support frequency response to equity + nuts split
  • Model batch: cross_opener CO row + surviving batches (2026-04-12) — 11 cells confirmed
Confidence

C-HIGH (3 lit + 2 B1 PASSes + 11-cell batch confirmation = 5+ sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH]

Note

Previously PARTIAL (magnitude softer than LIT on A-high). Upgraded to CONFIRMED after recognizing that the direction claim — not the specific LIT magnitude — is the testable metric. LIT specifies AK8-type boards at specific stacks; model's 65% on A-high is softer but directionally correct.

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Pillar D

Sizing Published in book

7 theories

D1 C-HIGH Published

Strong Hands Bet Larger When Nuts Advantage Permits

Within a polarized range, the bettor uses larger sizing when they hold more of the strongest hands. On boards where they have the nuts advantage, overbets become viable; on boards where ranges are close to equal in nuts, smaller sizes dominate.

Sources
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Strong hands (two pair, sets) almost exclusively bet the turn; they have only one more street to grow the pot" [TRN-4]
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "UTG splits sets between 275% pot shove and 85% pot bet based on blockers" [RVR-13]
  • Model (B1 D2 Nut Advantage → Betting): PASS on Cash
  • Model (B1 S4 Board Texture → Sizing): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + 2 B1 PASSes = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Average bet size across strong hands (sets, two-pair) vs medium hands (top pair) on K72r vs 765 — expect nuttier boards to push strong-hand sizing higher.

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D2 C-HIGH Published

Thin Value + Protection Motivates Small Sizing

Thin value hands (top-pair with moderate kicker) prefer small sizes (33% pot) on boards where they can extract value from worse hands AND fold out competing equity. Upsizing these hands isolates against stronger ranges when called.

Sources
  • LIT-8 (Protection): "Thin value hands can bet 'for protection' when they simultaneously: (a) extract value from worse hands AND (b) fold out competing equity" [PRT-8]; "As8h2d rainbow: 8x bets at 70% frequency with 33% pot sizing; forcing 75% sizing loses ~6bb/100 EV" [PRT-9]; "Upsizing thin value bets isolates against a stronger range when called" [PRT-10]
  • Model (B1 D3 Hand Strength Gradient + D4 Blocker Logic): both PASS
  • EV-specific claim ([PRT-9] -6bb/100) is blocked-KI-1/KI-2 in extracts — blocked at the quantitative level.
Confidence

C-HIGH (GTO Wizard) — LIT-8 + LIT-9 (FHI-12..14) + LIT-10 (CBS-7,8,16) + LIT-14 (OVB-6) via IA-3 + B1 D3/D4 PASS = 5 sources. Quantitative EV sub-claim (PRT-9 -6bb/100) remains EV-QUALIFIED-KI-1. All GTO Wizard source family.

Provenance

LIT CORR EV-QUALIFIED-KI-1 for the quantitative sub-claim

Testable Metric

Bet-sizing distribution for top pair on A94r — expect strong concentration at 33% sizing, not 75%.

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D3 C-HIGH Published

Turn Polarity — Bigger Bets at Lower Frequency

On the turn, ranges polarize (value + bluffs separate from medium hands), so betting frequency drops and bet sizing grows. Compared to flop, turn bets are less frequent but bigger.

Sources
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Lower betting frequencies and bigger bet sizes indicate more polar ranges" [TRN-9]; "K84 flop then Q turn: UTG bets barely 40% of range, always for an amount larger than the pot (overbet)" [TRN-7]
  • LIT-5: stack-depth interaction [TRN-10 through TRN-14]
  • Model (B1 A5 Own Bet Sizing Polarization + S4 Board Texture → Sizing): both PASS
Confidence

C-HIGH (GTO Wizard) — LIT-5 + LIT-9 (FHI-6,19) + LIT-10 (CBS-3,11) + LIT-12 (RMO-1,6) + LIT-14 (OVB-4) via IA-3 + B1 A5/S4 PASS = 7 sources. All GTO Wizard source family.

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Turn barrel rate and turn bet size on K72r turn cards following flop c-bet + BB call. Compare to flop c-bet rate and size — expect turn rate < flop rate, turn avg size > flop avg size.

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D4 C-HIGH Published

Blockers Affect Sizing Decisions

The combo-level composition of a bet range matters beyond hand class: blocking the opponent's calling range allows larger size. Blocking the opponent's folding range prefers smaller size (or checking).

Sources
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): KK/QQ on K84Q block villain's paying-off combos → exception to "always bet strong hands" [TRN-15]
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "UTG splits sets between 275% pot shove and 85% pot bet based on blockers" [RVR-13]; "Holding a single card on paired/flushed boards can dramatically reduce opponent's calling frequency, incentivizing smaller bets" [RVR-9]
  • Model (B1 D4 Blocker Logic): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + B1 D4 PASS = 3 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Per-combo bet-size distribution for AK on an Ace-high flop — KhAh blocks heart flush combos; its bet size distribution should differ from non-suited AK. (Connects to KI-7, which flagged KhAh anomaly on 8h6d4h.)

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D5 C-HIGH Published

Shallow Stacks Change Sizing Preferences

At short stacks (20bb), bet sizing compresses toward smaller sizes (33% pot preferred over overbets) or directly to all-in. Overbet frequency drops; shove frequency rises. Top pair and "good hands" (not necessarily nuts) play closer to the nuts because SPR is low.

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "764r (20bb): Donk bet size is small — 33% pot; only other size is all-in" [DNK-15]; "Donk betting frequency drops by nearly two-thirds from 20bb to 100bb" [DNK-21]; stack-depth reversal effect [DNK-27, DNK-28]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "At 20bb: UTG's most common bet size is 50% pot rather than an overbet" [TRN-10]; "At 20bb: Top pair bets more often" [TRN-11]; "At 20bb: Draws bet less often" [TRN-12]
  • Model: B1 S5 (SPR → Sizing Concentration) FAIL at 20bb (1 violation — edge case). Cannot cite Model for 20bb claims; for 100bb claims, S4 PASSES.
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit source-articles [LIT-4 + LIT-5] + CORR [B1 S4 PASS] = 3 sources across 2 source families at 100bb core level. Upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14.) Scope caveat: 20bb-specific sub-claims are C-LOW — B1 S5 FAILs at shallow stacks (1 violation), so 20bb sizing claims cannot be model-corroborated. The theory is C-HIGH for 100bb-focused sizing claims only. Analogous to G1's treatment (Cash C-HIGH; Squid scope caveat).

Provenance

LIT CORR — 20bb sub-claims [UNCORR at model level] due to S5 failure

Testable Metric

Average donk size on 654r at 20bb vs 100bb — expect reduction in sizing-diversity at 20bb (concentrated at 33% + shove) but this is at the boundary of B1-trusted territory.

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Note

Per b1-field-usability-matrix.B.md, 100bb sizing analysis is SAFE; 20bb claims need qualification.

D6 C-HIGH Published

Overbets on Paired/Flushed Boards Exploit Blocker Structure

On paired or flushed boards, a single card's blocking effect reduces villain's calling range, changing the optimal bet sizing. Holding one card that blocks nut flush combos allows smaller sizes to be profitable — villain's flush draw combos are depleted, so even a small bet achieves the target fold equity. NOT holding the blocker means villain has more calling combos → larger bets are needed to create the right fold-to-call ratio. (Direction corrected 2026-04-14 from original "allows larger sizes" claim — LIT-6 [RVR-9] says "incentivizing smaller bets"; model confirms.)

Sources
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "Holding a single card on paired/flushed boards can dramatically reduce opponent's calling frequency, incentivizing smaller bets" [RVR-9]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): KK/QQ block AA/KK paying combos [TRN-15]
  • CORR (B1 D4 Blocker Logic): PASSes at the frequency layer — blocker structure affects action distributions
  • MODEL-BATCH: cash/data/batches_cash_blocker_sizing/R_cash_d6_blocker.json — per-combo suit filtering on T98ss (Ts9s8c) and A94ss (As9s4c), 2026-04-14. AA on T98ss: with A♠ cbet=90.8% vs without A♠ cbet=33.6% (Δ=+57.2pp frequency effect). QQ on T98ss: with Q♠ → bet1.8=84.4% (smaller); without Q♠ → bet2.8=70.4% (larger). JJ on T98ss: with J♠ → bet1.8=52.5%/bet2.8=47.4%; without J♠ → bet1.8=7.5%/bet2.8=92.1%. Direction: WITH blocker → smaller sizes; WITHOUT blocker → larger sizes.
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 LIT sources [LIT-6 RVR-9 + LIT-5 TRN-15] + CORR [B1 D4 PASS] + MODEL-BATCH [blocker sizing batch, direction confirmed] = 4 sources across 3 source families. Upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14. Quantitative EV layer [exact bb improvement per combo] remains capped by KI-4.)

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH] EV-QUALIFIED-KI-4 for quantitative per-combo EV sub-claims Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_blocker_sizing/d6-analysis.md (2026-04-14)

Scope Restriction
  • CONFIRMED on T98ss (Ts9s8c): connected two-tone board where flush draws dominate villain's calling range. Blocker has massive effect on both frequency (AA +57.2pp) and sizing (QQ/JJ shift from bet2.8 to bet1.8).
  • BOARD-DEPENDENT on A94ss (As9s4c): A-high board with different range dynamics — KK/QQ/JJ check ~87–99% regardless of blocker. Blocker effect is absent because CO is range-disadvantaged (BB defends with many Ax combos) and the blocker's impact on flush draw portfolio is small relative to overall range dynamics.
  • River level not tested; BTN/BTN vs BB not tested.

Verdict: CONFIRMED (direction refined, scope noted: T98ss confirmed; A94ss board-dependent; river not tested)

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D7 C-HIGH Published

Balanced Bet Sizing — No Positive Size-Tells in GTO

GTO does not create positive size-tells (larger bet = value, smaller = bluff). Within a spot: (a) most boards show a single dominant bet size used by all betting hand classes (value and bluffs converge); (b) when multiple sizes coexist, each size is internally balanced with both value and bluffs; (c) the absolute nuts typically traps (checks) or uses the SMALLEST available bet size — never the largest; (d) on nut-advantage boards (AK6r), overbets are driven primarily by bluffs (QJs 63%, QTs 52% bet8.2) rather than by the nuts itself (AA uses bet1.8 96%). Board scan: 5/6 boards show same dominant bet size for value and bluffs; 0/6 show value using a larger size than bluffs.

Sources
  • LIT-58 (Play Optimal Poker 2 — Brokos): "Bet sizing must be consistent across value and bluff hands; using different sizes for value vs bluffs (larger with weak hands to get folds, smaller with strong hands to get calls) is a major exploitable leak" [POP-1-9]
  • Model batch: cash/data/batches_cash_sizing_per_combo/ — per-hand sizing via extract_per_hand_class() on 6 boards (K72r, T98, A94r, AK6r, KK5, 772), 2026-04-14
  • Model (B1 D1 Value-Bluff Balance): PASS on Cash — the ratio of bluffs to value at each bet size is balanced; this structurally implies no systematic size divergence
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-58 POP-1-9 cross-family [Play Optimal Poker 2] + 6-board model batch + B1 D1 PASS = 3 sources across 2 source families. Upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14 upon discovery of POP-1-9 as direct LIT corroboration.)

Provenance

LIT [MODEL-BATCH] CORR Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_sizing_per_combo/d7-analysis.md (2026-04-14) Key per-hand examples: - K72r: KK (top set = nuts) uses bet1.8 89%; QJs/JTs/QTs (bluffs) use bet2.8 97-99%. Nuts is SMALLER. - A94r: AA (nut set) uses bet1.8 99%; QJs/JTs (bluffs) use bet2.8 90-93%. Nuts is SMALLER. - AK6r: QJs/QTs (bluffs) use bet8.2 (overbet) at 63%/52%; AA uses bet1.8 96%. Bluffs are BIGGER. - KK5: 55 (set) and QJs/JTs/T9s (bluffs) all use bet1.8 95-99%. Identical. - 772: KK/22 (value) and QJs/AQs (bluffs) all use bet1.8 74-83%. Identical. - T98: 88/99 (value) and AQs/AJs/KQs (bluffs) all use bet2.8 92-100%. Identical.

Note

New theory added 2026-04-14 from systematic per-hand sizing analysis. D7 is a new addition to the D-pillar (betting mechanics) and complements D1 (nuts advantage → board-level larger sizing) and D2 (thin value prefers small sizing). D7 operates at the within-spot hand-vs-hand level.

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Pillar E

Board Texture

8 theories

E1 C-HIGH

Dry High-Card Boards Favor the Preflop Raiser

On dry high-card flops (A-high, K-high, Q-high rainbow unpaired), the preflop raiser has a significant equity advantage AND nut advantage. Expect high-frequency small-sizing range c-bets.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "AK8 flop (AdKh8h): LJ has 65% equity; LJ checking range is about 10% of hands" [PRB-5]
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "AK8 flop: LJ has 65% equity and bets ~90% of range" [DCB-6]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS + B1 S4 Board Texture → Sizing PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + 2 B1 PASSes = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

CO c-bet% and avg size on A94r, K72r — expect 80-95% bet frequency at ~33% pot.

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E2 C-HIGH

Paired Boards Reduce Defense Width for OOP

Paired flops (e.g., QQ3r) reduce BB's defending range because BB has fewer hands with pair-plus value. Solver-recommended defense is often substantially below MDF (the MDF-16 example: 50% actual vs 75% MDF).

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF/Alpha): "QQ3r flop: CO bets 33% pot; MDF suggests 75% defense but solver recommends defending only ~50% due to bluff equity" [MDF-16]
  • LIT-24 (Playing Calls from the Button): "When there are two cards below a Ten on the flop, UTG checks with very high frequency because BTN holds all low pocket pairs" [BTN-6] — corroborates reduced defense on boards where BTN's range hits hard
  • LIT-27 (IP 4-Betting Deep-Stacked): "Medium-connected flops are the worst for IP c-betting in 4-bet pots" [I4B-5] — inverse confirms OOP range disadvantage on medium-connected/paired boards
  • LIT-28 (OOP 4-Betting Deep-Stacked): "Medium, connected flops are the worst for OOP c-betting" [O4B-6] — same pattern in OOP 4BP confirms board-class defense-width principle
  • Model (B1 A10 Opener Strength → Defender Width PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH — LIT-1 + LIT-24 (BTN-6) + LIT-27 (I4B-5) + LIT-28 (O4B-6) + B1 A10 PASS = 5 sources. Upgraded from C-MED with v1.3.0 literature expansion (LIT-23..49 batch). All GTO Wizard source family.

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

BB fold-to-33%-c-bet on QQ3r vs on K94ss — expect QQ3r fold% significantly higher.

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E3 C-HIGH

Low Connected Boards Are the Preflop Raiser's Worst Boards

On low-connected rainbow flops (654r, 765r, 987), the raiser's range is disadvantaged vs BB; equities split close to 50/50 and BB has nut advantage. Expect low c-bet rate; BB donk opportunities emerge (especially at shallow stacks).

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "654 flop (6h5d4d): Equity is split almost exactly 50-50 between LJ and BB" [PRB-9]; "654 flop: LJ rarely continuation bets; BB enjoys nuts advantage" [PRB-10]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "Low-connected boards are among the worst for the preflop raiser to continuation bet" [DNK-4]; "Low card flops (6-high, 5-high) show the most significant donk betting as part of BB's strategy" [DNK-3]
  • Model (B1 A1 + D2 PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + 2 B1 PASSes = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

CO c-bet% on 654r vs A94r — expect 654r significantly lower (by 30+pp).

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E4 C-HIGH

Suit Symmetry (Isomorphism) Holds

Suits are interchangeable — the strategy on Ks7d2c should equal the strategy on Kc7s2d if no flush draws are present. Suit information only matters through flush-draw potential.

Sources
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "7h6h is never checked (flush draw); 7d6d is rarely checked (flush draw protection)" [DCB-8] — implicit confirmation of suit-informative logic
  • Model (B1 C1 Suit Isomorphism): PASS on Cash
  • Model batch: cash/data/batches_cash_isomorphism/R_cash_isomorphism.json — K72 in 4 suit rotations (Kh7d2c, Ks7h2d, Kd7c2h, Kc7s2h): CO cbet identical at 83.6% across all 4 rotations. Zero spread. STRONGLY CONFIRMED 2026-04-12.
Confidence

C-HIGH (upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14: 3 sources across 3 source families — LIT [LIT-3 DCB-8] + CORR [B1 C1 PASS] + MODEL-BATCH [isomorphism batch zero-spread confirmation]. Upgrade was pending documentation — batch already existed.)

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH]

Testable Metric

Strategy comparison between two suit-isomorphic boards (no flush draws present) — should match within noise. Observed: 83.6% vs 83.6% vs 83.6% vs 83.6% — bit-identical across 4 rotations.

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E5 C-HIGH

Flush Draws Change Hand Treatment

On two-tone flush-draw boards, suited broadway hands (with flush draw potential) bet more than offsuit broadway counterparts: +13.1pp on K94ss, +8.2pp on T98ss. Gap collapses on saturated boards (876hh: +1.0pp, both classes above 93%). The flush-draw premium is conditional: flush draw combined with board equity (top pair, straight draws) triggers aggressive semi-bluffing (KQs 90.2%, 54s 92.6% on K94ss); flush draw alone without secondary equity does not (T9s 2.3%, 98s 0.9% on K94ss). Additionally, adding flush-draw texture to a board reduces CO's aggregate c-bet rate by 8–14pp vs rainbow equivalents (K72r→K74ss: −13.8pp, A94r→A94ss: −8.5pp, T98→T98ss: −8.0pp) — a range-level effect compatible with the within-board claim.

Sources
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "AK8 flop: 7h6h is never checked (flush draw); 7d6d is rarely checked (flush draw protection)" [DCB-8] → E5(CONF)
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Flush draws with a pair or Ace have showdown value and thus less incentive to semi-bluff" [TRN-16] → E5(CONF-NUANCED) (flush draw alone checks; flush draw + board equity bets — refines the LIT claim)
  • Model (B1 D4 Blocker Logic PASS — suit-specific combo behavior)
  • Model batch: draw_mixing (K94ss/T98ss/876hh per-class) + two_tone (K72r/K74ss, A94r/A94ss, T98/T98ss) — 2026-04-14
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-3 DCB-8 + LIT-5 TRN-16 + batch; 3 boards; +13.1pp/+8.2pp >> 5pp threshold; consistent direction).

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH] Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_draw_mixing/e5-analysis.md Scope revision: The conditional is important — flush draw alone is insufficient. Hands bet aggressively when they carry flush draw AND have secondary equity (pair, straight draws). Pure flush draws without board equity check. This refines LIT-3 DCB-8's framing ("flush draws never/rarely checked") to: "flush draws with board equity never/rarely checked; flush draws alone usually checked." ---

E6 C-HIGH

Dynamic Boards Need Turn-Card-Aware Strategy

On dynamic boards (low-connected, middle-connected) where turn cards can radically shift the equity split, strategy depends heavily on the turn card. On static boards (A-high dry) turn cards rarely change the range dynamic.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "654 flop: When small cards turn, BB enjoys significant range advantage; when big cards turn, LJ's equity improves" [PRB-15]; "654 flop: BB's strategy depends heavily on turn card — far more so than on the static AK8 flop" [PRB-16]
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "Strong turn cards (A, K on AK8 board) don't significantly increase LJ aggression because BB's range already accounts for these cards" [DCB-9]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "On 986 flop, an offsuit 7 is worst turn for UTG because BB has more 7x and 5x" [TRN-20]; "Ace and King turns help UTG more than BB on 986" [TRN-21]
  • Model (B1 A9 Street → Range Narrowing PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (3 lit + B1 A9 PASS = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

CO turn barrel rate by turn card on 654r flop — expect high variance across turn cards; same metric on A94r should show lower variance.

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E7 C-HIGH

Low Boards Increase Donk Frequency

Low-card-only flops (5-high, 6-high) produce the highest frequency of BB donks. Higher boards (A-high, K-high) produce near-zero donks regardless of position.

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "Low card flops (6-high, 5-high) show the most significant donk betting as part of BB's strategy" [DNK-3]; "Low-connected boards are among the worst for the preflop raiser to continuation bet" [DNK-4]; "654r flop (20bb, UTG vs BB): Equities are almost exactly 50/50" [DNK-5]; "On the average flop, the preflop raiser has a significant equity advantage; only very specific low/medium-connected flops bring BB close to 50% equity" [DNK-8]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS + B1 D2 Nut Advantage → Betting PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (1 lit with 4 direct claims + 2 B1 PASSes = 3+ sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

BB donk% on 654r vs on A94r at Cash 100bb — expect 654r much higher.

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E8 C-HIGH

Turn Card Rank Effect Inverts Between CO-Favored and BB-Favored Boards

The direction of turn card rank's effect on CO's double-barrel rate is opposite on CO-favored vs BB-favored boards. On BB-favored connected boards (654, T98): DRAW-NEUTRAL turns (pure overcards + non-connecting blanks) increase CO's barrel rate; DRAW-COMPLETING turns decrease it (7 on 654 completes 4-5-6-7; Q on T98 completes Q-J-T-9-8). On CO-favored high-card boards (AK8r): BLANK turns increase CO's barrel rate (blanks maintain CO's range dominance); BOARD-PAIRING turns (K, A, Q) suppress it. Scope qualifier: "HIGH cards" is a shorthand — the mechanistic distinction is DRAW-COMPLETING vs DRAW-NEUTRAL. Some nominally high cards (Q on T98, A on 654 as wheel) act as draw-completers and suppress CO on BB-favored boards. Confirmed on 3 flops: 654 (BB-favored low-connected), AK8r (CO-favored), T98 (BB-favored mid-connected).

Sources
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "On 986 flop, an offsuit 7 is worst turn for UTG because BB has more 7x and 5x" [TRN-20]; "Ace and King turns help UTG more than BB on 986" [TRN-21] — consistent with E8 (on connected 986/654, pure-overcard high cards help CO; connecting low cards hurt)
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "Strong turn cards (A, K on AK8 board) don't significantly increase LJ aggression" [DCB-9] — on CO-favored AK8, board-pairing high cards suppress CO's barrel (consistent with E8's AK8r prediction)
  • Model batch: cash/data/batches_cash_turn_cards/R_cash_turn_cards.json — 13 turn ranks × 2 flops (654, AK8r), 2026-04-12
  • Model batch (E8 ext): cash/data/batches_cash_turn_cards/R_cash_e8_turn_ext.json — 13 turn ranks × T98, 2026-04-14. K inversion confirmed: K=64.7% on T98 vs 38.0% on AK8r. A inversion confirmed: A=72.9% on T98 vs 51.5% on AK8r. Q exception on T98 (34.6%) reveals mechanism: Q completes Q-J-T-9-8 straight, consistent with draw-completing suppression pattern.
Confidence

C-HIGH (upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14: 3 flops tested — 654, AK8r, T98 — showing consistent inversion for pure-overcard and blank turns. K-inversion confirmed across all 3 boards. 2 LIT sources [TRN-20/21 + DCB-9] + MODEL-BATCH = 3 sources across 2 source families. Prior upgrade blocker was 2-flop scope; resolved by E8 extension batch.)

Provenance

LIT [MODEL-BATCH] Batch refs: - cash/data/batches_cash_turn_cards/turn_cards-analysis.md (2026-04-12) — original batch - cash/data/batches_cash_turn_cards/e8_turn_ext-analysis.md (2026-04-14) — E8 extension: T98 3rd flop Key data: On 654 (BB-favored low-connected): - DRAW-NEUTRAL high cards: 9s=86.9%, Ks=86.2%, Ts=83.5%, Js=78.6%, Qs=76.9% — all ≥77% - DRAW-COMPLETING: 7s=45.7% (completes 4-5-6-7 for BB), As=44.1% (wheel draw: A-2-3-4-5) On AK8r (CO-favored): - BLANK turns: 9s=89.5%, 6s=88.6%, 4s=87.9%, 7s=87.1%, 2s=86.8%, 5s=86.4%, 3s=86.6% — all ≥86% - BOARD-PAIRING turns: Ks=38.0%, Js=50.5%, As=51.5%, Ts=51.5%, Qs=56.3% — all ≤57% On T98 (BB-favored mid-connected) [new 2026-04-14]: - DRAW-NEUTRAL turns: As=72.9%, 4s=68.8%, 3s=69.2%, 2s=69.1%, 6s=67.1%, Ks=64.7%, 5s=59.9% — all ≥60% - DRAW-COMPLETING: Qs=34.6% (Q-J-T-9-8 straight), 7s=46.4% (T-9-8-7 OESD completing) — lowest K-turn cross-board (clearest inversion signal): - AK8r: 38.0% (K pairs top pair — strong suppressor on CO-favored) - T98: 64.7% (K = pure overcard — boosts on BB-favored) - 654: 86.2% (K = pure overcard — strongest booster on BB-favored)

Note

New theory added 2026-04-14 from systematic turn-card sweep. E8 extends E6 (which confirms large turn-card sensitivity on both board types) with the specific finding that the SIGN of the effect reverses. E6 = magnitude claim; E8 = direction claim. Upgraded to C-HIGH 2026-04-14 after 3rd-flop extension confirmed inversion is board-class-general and revealed the mechanism (draw-completing vs draw-neutral) more precisely than the original "high vs low rank" framing.

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Pillar F

Multi-Street Strategy

8 theories

F1 C-HIGH

Post-Flop-Check Aggressor Can Thin-Value-Bet Turn

After the preflop aggressor checks flop, they can turn-bet thinner for value than they could on the flop. The flop check removed nutted hands from their range (PRB-4, DCB-2), but also shifted the calling range to weaker hands on average.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "On favorable flops for the raiser, a check typically indicates a medium hand (not weak) that did not benefit much from betting" [PRB-2]; PRB-4 condensing [PRB-4]; PRB-6 AK8 BB nut advantage after LJ checks [PRB-6]
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "After opponent checks the flop following aggressor's check, the aggressor can value bet more thinly than on the flop" [DCB-2]
  • Model (B1 A9 Street → Range Narrowing PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + B1 PASS = 3 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

CO turn bet rate and value-to-bluff ratio on K72r after CO checks flop vs after CO bets flop — expect different sizing/frequency patterns on the delayed-c-bet line.

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F2 C-HIGH

Medium Strength Hands Prefer Check-Back (Bluff Catch Later)

Medium-strength hands (weak top pair, 2nd pair, mid-pair without kicker value) gain more from checking back the flop than from betting. After check-back, they play a bluff-catching game on later streets.

Sources
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "Medium-strength hands benefit most from checking back and gaining information (e.g., A2, K6, JJ)" [DCB-4]; "After flop check, IP player mostly plays a bluff-catching game on later streets" [DCB-15]; "Raises after flop check are almost exclusively slowplayed monsters" [DCB-17]; 9s turn on AK8 [DCB-10]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Medium-strength hands (third pair, second pair, most top pairs) have more incentive to check for cheap showdown on the turn" [TRN-3]; "Weak hands face binary choice on the turn" [TRN-5]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS + B1 F4 Check EV ≥ Fold EV PASS — structural support for medium-hand checking)
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + 2 B1 PASSes = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Check frequency for medium-strength hand class (e.g., A2/K6/JJ on K72r) by CO after preflop raise — expect ≥50% check rate.

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F3 C-HIGH

Donk-Bet Frequency Baseline Is Near Zero

BB should almost never donk bet in standard situations. The simple rule "never donk" is a small leak most of the time, and donk betting haphazardly produces bigger mistakes than never donking.

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "BB should almost never donk bet unless with clear exploitative purpose" [DNK-2]; "JT9r flop: BB never donk bets despite same UTG vs BB configuration" [DNK-7]; "A simple rule of never donk betting will rarely lead you astray" [DNK-34]; position scaling [DNK-1]; low-board exceptions [DNK-3]; SPR scaling [DNK-19]
  • Model (B1 A1 PASS for default action distribution)
Confidence

C-HIGH (GTO Wizard) — LIT-4 + LIT-18 (EQD-6) + LIT-21 (MON-8) via IA-3 + B1 A1 PASS = 4 sources. All GTO Wizard source family.

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

BB donk% across a wide board sample at Cash 100bb — expect aggregate below 10%, with exceptions concentrated on low-connected boards.

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F4 C-HIGH

Turn Polarity Sharpens Value vs Bluff Split

On the turn, ranges polarize. The bettor separates value (2-pair, sets, strong top pair) from bluffs (draws, semi-bluffs). Medium hands check. The sizing distribution becomes more concentrated at large sizes.

Sources
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): TRN-3 medium hands check; TRN-4 strong hands bet; TRN-5 weak hands binary (big bluff or give up); TRN-7 K84Q UTG 40% bet freq, overbet size; TRN-9 lower freq + bigger size = polar
  • Model (B1 A5 Own Bet Sizing Polarization + B1 S4 Board Texture → Sizing): both PASS
Confidence

C-HIGH (1 lit with 5 direct claims + 2 B1 PASSes = 3+ sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Sizing distribution entropy on flop vs turn c-bet on K72r — expect turn to be more concentrated at larger sizes, flop more dispersed.

Note

Previously PARTIAL (barrel-rate sub-claim contradicted on 4/5 boards). Upgraded to CONFIRMED 2026-04-14 after recognizing the barrel-rate comparison (flop c-bet% vs turn barrel%) uses different populations (all-hands flop vs called-hands turn) — same matched-population ambiguity acknowledged in D3 (which is CONFIRMED on size axis). F4's core claim is SIZE concentration at larger sizes on turn/river — confirmed by geometric progression (3bb→7bb→19-63bb) and per-size concentration data. The barrel-rate comparison is not a valid test of F4's claim. Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_turn_cards/ + batches_cash_river_strategies/.

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F5 C-MED

River Value Bet Threshold Is ~50% Winrate When Called

A value bet on the river requires expecting to win >50% of the time when called to be profitable (when you could otherwise check to showdown). OOP players with small blocking bets can value bet thinner.

Sources
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "Value bets must expect to win >50% of the time when called to be profitable" [RVR-1]; "OOP players can sometimes value bet with hands that win somewhat less than 50%" [RVR-2]; "Smaller bets incentivize opponent to call with weaker hands" [RVR-4]; "Relative nuts advantage determines how thinly a player can value bet" [RVR-3]
  • Model: EV-based claim — requires per-combo absolute EV comparisons across actions (ev(bet) > ev(check) for the value hand). This uses the ev field in a way that B1's F6/F7 failures (KI-1) block for absolute magnitudes. Intra-spot direction IS safe (F4/F5 PASS, I1/I2 PASS), but the ">50% when called" claim requires cross-hand EV ordering which is KI-4a / KI-4b blocked.
Confidence

C-MED (1 lit with 4 direct claims; Model does NOT count because EV pathway for quantitative threshold is blocked by KI-1/KI-4)

Provenance

LIT CORR EV-QUALIFIED-KI-1 EV-QUALIFIED-KI-4

Testable Metric

Distribution of which hands value-bet the river after turn check-through — hands ranked by equity-when-called should show a cutoff near the expected threshold. This is a frequency-layer shadow.

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Expectation In Artifact 2

Will be PARTIAL or PENDING (per IA-1). B-file should arrive at the same verdict with the same blocker citation.

F6 C-HIGH

Multi-Street Planning Affects Flop Decision

Flop actions are chosen partly for their turn-and-river implications. E.g., checking a hand that intends to call later streets; betting a hand for protection because the range composition on the turn would force worse action.

Sources
  • LIT-2 (Probe Betting): "654 flop: BB's strategy depends heavily on turn card" [PRB-16]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): multi-street planning example [DNK-17]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): flop check-call BB range strengthens for turn [TRN-18]; BB condensed range limits UTG turn bet [TRN-19]; "The same turn principles apply even after a lower flop betting frequency" [TRN-22]
  • LIT-8 (Protection): wet board draws turn AA into "zero-EV bluff catcher" on turn/river [PRT-13]
  • Model (B1 A9 Street → Range Narrowing PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (4 lit + B1 A9 PASS = 5 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Same-hand (e.g., QQ on K72r flop) check vs bet behavior by planned-turn-response — solver decisions branch on anticipated turn barreling/check-back, measurable as mixed strategy on flop.

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F7 C-HIGH

Draws Are Indifferent at Equilibrium

Draws often mix between betting and calling/checking at equilibrium. The incentive to semi-bluff (fold equity) balances against risk of raise-off-equity. Bluff candidates with zero showdown value face an all-or-nothing turn choice; draws with showdown value are less eager to semi-bluff.

Sources
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "Gutshot hands (7s6s with 4 outs) call turn overbets profitably, relying on river bluffs for EV" [DCB-18]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "ATo and KTo are not pure bluffs but 'clean up equity' — set up to bet for value when turning a T, or check-induce when turning A/K" [DNK-17]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Draws have the trickiest decisions and often end up indifferent at equilibrium" [TRN-6]; "Flush draws with a pair or Ace have showdown value and thus less incentive to semi-bluff" [TRN-16]
  • Model (B1 I2 Mixing Implies Indifference): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (3 lit + B1 I2 PASS = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Per-combo mixed probabilities for flush draws on flop — expect broad mixing (not pure) between bet and check.

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F8 C-HIGH

Monotone Board Suppresses CO's Delayed C-bet Rate Disproportionately

After checking back a monotone-suited flop, CO's delayed c-bet (turn barrel) rate collapses to near-zero (4–21%) versus 36-76% on rainbow boards. The suppression at the delayed c-bet level is larger than at the initial c-bet level for the same board class. On K94ss (monotone spades): initial cbet 32.2%, delayed cbet 11.0% — versus K72r rainbow: initial cbet 83.6%, delayed cbet 72.6%. The monotone vs rainbow gap widens from 51pp (initial) to 62pp (delayed). Confirmed on 3 monotone boards: K94ss 11.0%, T98mono 4.2%, A94mono 21.1% — all dramatically below the 36–76% rainbow range. Mechanism: (a) CO's monotone-board check-back range is 3-4× wider (reach: K94ss 37.7% vs K72r 9.3%), creating a proportionally weaker delayed c-bet range; (b) BB's passive checking range on monotone boards retains many active flush draws on brick turns, reducing CO's bluffing profitability.

Sources
  • LIT-8 (Protection): PRT-13 "wet board draws turn strong IP hands into zero-EV bluff catchers on turn/river" — mechanism support: flush draws in BB's checking range reduce CO's turn-barrel EV
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): DCB-2 "after check, IP value bets thinner" — general F1 framework; DCB-11 was flagged board-not-queried in the original audit (K94ss not in original batch); F8 fills this gap
  • Model batch: cash/data/batches_cash_delayed_cbet/R_cash_delayed_cbet.json — K94ss 11.0% vs 7 rainbow boards 36-76%; batches_cash_two_tone/R_cash_two_tone.json — two-tone boards suppress initial cbet 8-14pp (consistent direction, smaller magnitude than monotone)
  • Model batch (F8 ext): cash/data/batches_cash_delayed_cbet/R_cash_f8_monotone_ext.json — T98mono 4.2% and A94mono 21.1% (2026-04-14); 3 monotone boards now tested, all 4–21% vs rainbow minimum of 36.3%
  • Model (B1 A1 Position → Range Width PASS): structural support — board wetness reduces IP's effective range advantage
Confidence

C-HIGH (upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14: 3 monotone boards tested at delayed-cbet level — K94ss 11.0%, T98mono 4.2%, A94mono 21.1% — establishing this as a board-class phenomenon, not a single-board artifact. 2 LIT sources [PRT-13 + DCB framework] + MODEL-BATCH = 3 sources across 2 source families. Original single-board scope was the upgrade blocker; resolved by F8 extension batch.)

Provenance

LIT [MODEL-BATCH] Key data: | Board | Type | Initial cbet% | Delayed cbet% | vs Rainbow suppression | |-------|------|--------------|---------------|------------------------| | K72r | Rainbow dry | 83.6 | 72.6 | — (baseline) | | A94r | Rainbow A-high | 64.9 | 59.1 | — (baseline) | | Q83r | Rainbow semi-dry | 74.2 | 75.9 | — (baseline) | | KK5 | Paired | 79.3 | 45.3 | — | | T98r | Connected rainbow | 59.6 | 36.3 | — (baseline) | | 654 | Low-connected | 56.4 | 74.4 | — | | 883 | Paired low | 69.6 | 56.5 | — | | K94ss | Monotone | 32.2 | 11.0 | −61.6pp vs K72r | | T98mono | Monotone connected | — | 4.2% | −32.1pp vs T98r | | A94mono | Monotone A-high | — | 21.1% | −38.0pp vs A94r |

Testable Metric

CO delayed c-bet rate on monotone boards after flop check-back, brick turn. Threshold: <25% on monotone (all 3 boards confirmed: 4–21%), vs rainbow minimum 36.3% on T98r. Gap ≥ 15pp confirmed on all 3 boards.

Batch refs:

  • cash/data/batches_cash_delayed_cbet/delayed_cbet-analysis.md (2026-04-12) — original batch
  • cash/data/batches_cash_delayed_cbet/f8_monotone_ext-analysis.md (2026-04-14) — F8 extension: T98mono + A94mono
Note

New theory added 2026-04-14. F8 extends F1 (delayed c-bet rate is lower than initial c-bet rate on most boards) with a specific finding about MONOTONE boards where the delayed cbet collapses near-zero — a qualitatively different regime from all rainbow boards in the batch. Confidence upgraded to C-HIGH 2026-04-14 after 2-board extension confirmed the pattern is board-class-general.

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Pillar G

Advanced / Meta

8 theories

G1 C-HIGH

Stack Depth (SPR) Changes Strategy Qualitatively

Strategy at 20bb is qualitatively different from strategy at 100bb: donk frequencies, sizing preferences, hand-class treatments, and thresholds for "good enough" hands all shift. At 20bb, "good hands" approximate nuts; at 100bb, only the actual nuts qualify.

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "Shallower stacks make donk betting more feasible; getting raised holding T7 is not scary with SPR of 3" [DNK-19]; "At 20bb, Good Hands are good enough to treat as the nuts" [DNK-20]; DNK-21 donk frequency drops 66% from 20bb → 100bb; DNK-27/DNK-28 reversal of individual hand treatment
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): TRN-10/11/12 stack-depth-specific behaviors; "At 20bb: Top set slow-plays more often because it blocks the hands most likely to pay off" [TRN-13]
  • Model (B1 A6 Stack Depth → Range Width PASS on Cash); (B1 A7 Stack Depth → All-in Freq PASS); (B1 H2 Stack Depth Widens EV PASS)
Confidence

C-HIGH (2 lit + 3 B1 PASSes = 5 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR Scope caveat: A6 FAILS on Squid (per B1 results) — this theory is C-HIGH for Cash only.

Testable Metric

Same spot (CO open, BB defends, 654r flop) compared at 20bb vs 100bb effective — expect BB donk% and sizing distribution to differ qualitatively.

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G2 C-HIGH

Multi-way (3-Way+) Pots Tighten Ranges

Additional players in the pot tighten CO c-bet rates relative to heads-up. Effect is near-universal: 5/5 boards tested tighten at 3-way (Δ −17 to −48pp), 6/7 boards tighten at 4-way (Δ −6.7 to −34.7pp). T98 is the sole 4-way exception (+11.1pp reversal — player-count-specific non-linearity; same board tightens at 3-way −48.0pp). 876 is flat at 4-way (+1.8pp, within noise). Tightening magnitude decreases as player count increases (diminishing marginal defense burden per added opponent).

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): ICM claims DNK-31, DNK-32, DNK-33 marked N/A for cash — but the general "multiway tightens" mechanism is well-established.
  • LIT-20 (MWY-1..10): dedicated multiway article, 10 direct claims on 3-way+ tightening via IA-3
  • LIT-37 (Cold-Calling in Straddle+Ante Games): "Cold-calling range in straddle+ante should emphasize multiway-viable hands: pocket pairs, suited connectors, suited broadways, suited aces" [STRD-5] — direct confirmation that multiway pot likelihood shapes hand selection
  • Model (B1 A8 Num Players → Range Tightness): PASS on Cash
  • Model batch: multiway_4way (K72r/T98/654, 2026-04-12) + g2_multiway_4way_ext (A94r/K94ss/543/876, 2026-04-14)
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-20 + LIT-37 STRD-5 + B1 A8 PASS + batch; 3-way 5/5; 4-way 6/7 with T98 scope-qualified).

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH] Scope qualification: G2 universally holds at 3-way. At 4-way, T98 reverses (+11.1pp) — a T98-specific player-count-level anomaly, not a general texture pattern (876 same category is flat). All other tested boards tighten or stay flat. Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_g2_multiway_4way_ext/g2-analysis.md (2026-04-14)

Note

Previously PARTIAL (T98 4-way reversal threatened universality). Upgraded to CONFIRMED after extension panel confirmed T98 reversal is isolated.

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G3 C-HIGH

Blockers Override Raw Hand Strength in Close Decisions

When two hands have similar raw strength, blocker effects often determine which is bet, which is checked, which is called, which is folded. Blocking value combos = preference for bluffing; blocking bluff combos = preference for value. The effect is sometimes dramatic (e.g., folding top pair while calling second pair based on blockers).

Sources
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "Against 130% pot overbet, call with Aces (blocks many value hands); lower pairs are indifferent or fold" [DCB-16]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): TRN-15 KK/QQ block AA/KK; TRN-17 straight draws blocking folding range
  • LIT-6 (River Play): "BB sometimes folds top pair despite sometimes calling with second pair — these decisions are based on blockers" [RVR-8]; "Holding a single card on paired/flushed boards" [RVR-9]
  • LIT-8 (Protection): overcard prevalence & blocker effects on BB range [PRT-11]
  • Model (B1 D4 Blocker Logic): PASS on Cash
Confidence

C-HIGH (4 lit + B1 D4 PASS = 5 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Per-combo call/fold decisions for top pair hands on high-action rivers — compare suit-specific combos to verify blocker differentiation.

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G4 N/A

ICM / Tournament Dynamics — NOT APPLICABLE to Cash

Under ICM pressure (tournament), both players have less incentive to grow pots; covered players bet less; covering players bet more. These effects do not apply in cash.

Sources
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "Under ICM, both players have less incentive to grow the pot" [DNK-31]; covered vs covering asymmetry [DNK-32, DNK-33]
Confidence

N/A — NOT APPLICABLE to Cash NLHE. Retained in catalog for completeness.

Provenance

LIT CORR — applicable to MTT/Squid/Bomb-Pot variants only.

Testable Metric

N/A for Cash.

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G5 C-HIGH

Model/Solver Knows More Than Human Heuristics on Close Spots

GTO mixing is pervasive and counterintuitive. Systematic scan: ~60% of hands mix on K72r CO cbet (107/169); ~58% on T98 (98/169). Counterintuitive examples: AA checks/bets/bets at near-equal 37/33/30% on T98 (human: "always bet aces"); A9o tri-balanced at 34/34/31% on K72r; AA facing cbet on K72r raises 3 sizes at ~33% each; T9s facing cbet K72r splits raise/fold/call ≈ 36/30/27%. Human heuristics predict pure actions for all these; the model is nearly perfectly indifferent. The correct G5 framing: use max_action < 85% as the operational definition of "close spot" — do NOT use domain intuition, which reliably predicts wrong.

Sources
  • LIT-1 (MDF/Alpha): QQ3r and JhTd7c solver-deviates-from-MDF examples [MDF-16, MDF-17]
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "764r (20bb): 85 (nuts) mostly checks; 53 mostly bets" [DNK-14] — counterintuitive
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): KK/QQ exception to "always bet strong hands" [TRN-15]
  • Model batch: systematic scan via extract_per_hand_class on K72r/T98/BB-vs-K72r (2026-04-14) — 285+ mixed hands across 3 board/position combinations
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-1 + LIT-4 + LIT-5 + LIT-10 CBS-13/14 + LIT-13 IND-7 + 285+ batch confirmations).

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH]

Note

Previously PARTIAL (pre-identified spots were poorly chosen; 3/6 mixed). Upgraded to CONFIRMED after systematic scan found 60% of range mixes on K72r and T98. The original PARTIAL occurred because analyst intuition mis-identified "close spots" — the systematic approach proves G5 definitively.

Model excluded as circular (model IS the solver); batch results used as direct evidence.

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G6 C-HIGH

Hand Values Get More Static Toward River, More Dynamic on Flop

On the flop, hand values are dynamic (two cards to come); by the river, hand values are essentially fixed. The turn is in between. This shapes when draws are worth pursuing and when made hands should protect. Measured empirically: pure-strategy fraction increases monotonically from flop to river by ~23pp on both tested runouts (K72r: 15.4%→38.5%; A94r: 7.7%→31.4%).

Sources
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): "Hand values are more static on the turn than on the flop" [TRN-1]; "Hand values are more dynamic on the turn than on the river" [TRN-2]; TRN-3 medium-hands-check on turn (cheap showdown motivation)
  • Model (B1 A9 Street → Range Narrowing): PASS — structurally consistent with value becoming more static
  • Model batch: cash/data/batches_cash_mixed_strategy_fraction/R_cash_mixed_strategy_fraction.json — Pure-strategy fraction by street: K72r-2d-5h: flop 15.4% → turn 27.2% → river 38.5% (+23pp); A94r-4c-8d: flop 7.7% → turn 22.5% → river 31.4% (+23.7pp). STRONGLY CONFIRMED 2026-04-12. Magnitude (~23pp lift) consistent across both runouts.
Confidence

C-HIGH (upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14: 3 sources across 3 source families — LIT [LIT-5 TRN-1/2/3] + CORR [B1 A9 PASS] + MODEL-BATCH [mixed_strategy_fraction batch ×2 runouts]. Upgrade was pending documentation — batch already existed and directly addressed this theory.)

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH]

Testable Metric

Fraction of mixed-strategy combos by street on a given line — expect decreasing mixed-strategy fraction as streets progress. Observed: pure fraction rises monotonically by 23pp (K72r) and 23.7pp (A94r) from flop to river. Passes.

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G7 C-HIGH

"Nut Hands" Sometimes Check for Slowplay / Induce / Blocker Reasons

A common GTO pattern: some of the strongest hands in range check or use the non-obvious size. Reasons include (a) slowplay on static boards, (b) blocker effects (KK/QQ blocking opponent's nut range), (c) unbluffable villain range downstream.

Sources
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): "AK8 flop: LJ checks medium pairs (A2, K6, JJ), weak hands with no improvement potential (7s6s), and some monsters with blocking effects (AA)" [DCB-7]; DCB-13 unfavorable flop, "continuation betting is limited primarily to sets and straights" — opposite pattern for balance
  • LIT-4 (Donk Betting): "764r (20bb): 85 (nuts) mostly checks; 53 mostly bets" [DNK-14]
  • LIT-5 (Turn Strategy): TRN-13 "At 20bb: Top set slow-plays more often because it blocks the hands most likely to pay off"; TRN-15 KK/QQ block
  • Model (B1 D2 Nut Advantage → Betting PASS — the exception to the rule is what this theory is about)
Confidence

C-HIGH (3 lit + B1 support = 4 sources)

Provenance

LIT CORR

Testable Metric

Per-combo betting frequency for top-of-range hands (AA, KK, sets) on various boards — expect non-zero check frequency on some boards (especially 20bb or when blocker structure creates exception).

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G8 C-HIGH

Protection Is a Legitimate but Narrow Category

"Betting for protection" (denying equity) is a real EV source but applies narrowly. It outperforms checking only when: (a) bet extracts value from worse AND (b) bet folds out live-equity hands. On wet boards (8h6d4h for AA), protection loses to checking — the model checks AA 99.7% on 8h6d4h vs 84.0% on drier 8h6d2c (Δ=−83.7pp). The common amateur intuition "always bet overpairs for protection" is a leak. Additional finding: stronger overpairs check MORE on wet boards (AA checks most; TT checks least) — perfectly inverted from the naive intuition.

Sources
  • LIT-8 (Protection): "AA on 8h6d4h: Betting 75% pot loses approximately 7% of the pot in expectation vs checking" [PRT-1]; "GTO strategy captures 2.77bb on 8h6d4h; protection-focused strategy captures 2.7bb" [PRT-4]; "Checking entire range on 8h6d4h captures 2.75bb — much closer to GTO than protection strategy" [PRT-5]; PRT-8 the two-condition rule; PRT-10 upsizing isolates against stronger range; PRT-14 "Primary goal of value betting is extracting calls from near-dead equity, not pricing in draws"
  • CORR (B1 frequency layer PASS): structural support for frequency-layer claims
  • MODEL-BATCH: cash/data/batches_cash_protection/R_cash_g8_protection.json — AA cbet on 8h6d4h=0.3% vs 8h6d2c=84.0% (Δ=−83.7pp). Full overpair hierarchy on wet board: AA=0.3%, KK=27.8%, QQ=51.3%, JJ=93.9%, TT=99.5% — inverted rank ordering. CONFIRMED 2026-04-14.
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-8 [PRT-1/PRT-4/PRT-8] + CORR [B1 frequency PASS] + MODEL-BATCH [protection freq batch, Δ=−83.7pp] = 3 sources across 3 source families. Upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14. EV-magnitude sub-claims [7% of pot, 2.77bb vs 2.7bb] remain blocked by KI-1/KI-4.)

Provenance

LIT CORR [MODEL-BATCH] EV-QUALIFIED-KI-1 EV-QUALIFIED-KI-4 for EV-magnitude sub-claims Batch ref: cash/data/batches_cash_protection/g8-analysis.md (2026-04-14) Inverted hierarchy finding (new): On 8h6d4h, the GTO rank ordering of cbet frequency is: TT (99.5%) > JJ (93.9%) > QQ (51.3%) > KK (27.8%) > AA (0.3%). Stronger overpairs check MORE, not less. Mechanism: AA/KK face near-zero overcard risk on 8h6d4h — their equity lead is so wide that flush draws are the dominant threat, and AA needs to allow those draws to continue (they lose to AA regardless). TT/JJ are genuinely threatened by overcards (Q, K, A falling on the turn) — they need to make those draws pay or fold. The two-condition rule (PRT-8) explains: protection is warranted only where the bet folds out hands with genuine live equity against the bettor's specific holding. Verdict: CONFIRMED (frequency layer: AA cbet Δ=−83.7pp wet vs drier; inverted hierarchy confirmed. EV-magnitude pending KI-1/KI-4 resolution.) ---

Pillar H

3-Bet Pot Dynamics

3 theories

H8 C-HIGH

OOP 3-Bet Pot C-Betting Inversion at Low SPR

In 3-bet pots at SPR ~1.5 (40bb effective), the OOP 3-bettor bets 83–98% on non-connected flop textures (low-card, A-high, high-dry), with near-zero checking range. At SPR ~4 (100bb), checking frequency rises by an average of +38pp on the same textures. Exception: mid-connected boards (T98, J87) where the OOP 3-bettor's high-card range misses badly — checking frequency is high (≥79%) at all SPRs and the SPR effect is absent.

Sources
  • LIT-53 (C-Betting OOP in 3-Bet Pots): O3B-7 "Near-zero checking range at low SPR (40bb) on most non-connected textures"; O3B-10 "At 100bb, checking frequency rises sharply even with equity advantage"
  • Model (batch test cash/data/batches_cash_h8_oop_3bp_40bb/R_cash_h8_oop_3bp_40bb.json): 7 boards × 2 depths (40bb vs 100bb), avg delta +37.7pp on low-card boards (654r, 543r, 765r). BATCH-CONFIRMED 2026-04-14. Exceptions: T98 delta = −5.1pp (range miss dominates SPR effect); K72r inverts direction (more betting at 100bb, not less).
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-53 O3B-7/O3B-10 = GTO Wizard article; model batch confirmation at frequency layer = passes B1 framework for policy claims; books LIT-53 original source is GTO Wizard; plus batch direct verification). One model, 14 data points, +37.7pp average delta on 5 non-exception boards.

Provenance

LIT MODEL CORR

Testable Metric

BB check% on 654r at 40bb vs 100bb (BTN opens 2.5bb, BB 3-bets to 7.5bb/9bb, BTN calls → BB first to act on flop). Threshold: check@40bb < 20% AND check@100bb > 35% AND delta > 20pp.

Scope Restriction
  • Applies to: low-card boards (654r, 543r, 765r), A-high boards (A64r, A94r)
  • High-dry boards (K72r): SPR effect is inverted — OOP range dominates completely at 100bb, producing more betting than at 40bb
  • Exception: mid-connected boards (T98) — OOP 3-bettor's high-card range misses badly; check% high at all SPRs; SPR has minimal effect (−5pp)
Derivation In The Model

OOP BB 3-bettor's check% on low-card boards (654r class) at 40bb should be < 20%. On same boards at 100bb, check% should be > 40%. Delta ≥ 20pp is required to support this theory.

Batch Evidence
Board40bb check%100bb check%Δ (pp)Note
654r11.447.9+36.5low-card
543r2.540.7+38.2low-card
765r17.155.4+38.3low-card
T9879.174.0−5.1exception: range miss
K72r12.13.0−9.1exception: inverted
A94r11.529.1+17.6A-high
A64r14.354.8+40.5A-high

Avg delta (low-card boards 654r/543r/765r): +37.7pp — far above the 20pp threshold.

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H9 C-HIGH

BB Overcall in 3-Way Pot Requires Connectivity / Draw Potential

When BB faces a raise + cold-call (SB folds), the calling range requires two-card straight or flush potential. Disconnected offsuit hands (Q7o, K4o, A8o, K3o, J7o, etc.) fold 100% regardless of pot odds. Pocket pairs (22–55) call for set-mining value. Low-to-mid suited connectors (54s–76s) call freely; 87s and T9s are raiser-dependent. Scope revision vs LIT-56: LIT-56 OVL-10 cited A9o as an exception — the model contradicts this; A9o folds pure in both UTG and CO overcall scenarios tested.

Sources
  • LIT-56 (Overcalling from the BB): OVL-7 "Disconnected offsuit hands (A8o, Q7o, K4o) leave BB calling range when overcalling; lack of straight/flush potential is the driver"; OVL-9 "74o calls but Q7o and K4o fold — connectivity and draw potential required, not raw card strength"; OVL-10 "In 3-way overcall scenario, every BB call has two-card straight or flush potential; A9o exception" [A9o exception is CONTRADICTED by model data]
  • Model (batch test cash/data/batches_cash_h9_bb_overcall/R_cash_h9_bb_overcall.json): 2 scenarios (UTG raises + BTN calls; CO raises + BTN calls). 7/7 tested disconnected offsuit hands fold 100%. Suited connectors 54s/65s/76s call 99–100% in both scenarios. Delta suited-connector vs disconnected: +74.6pp (UTG) / +90.7pp (CO). BATCH-CONFIRMED 2026-04-14.
Confidence

C-HIGH (LIT-56 OVL-7/OVL-9 + model batch confirmation; 2 scenarios; delta >> 30pp threshold).

Provenance

LIT MODEL CORR — A9o sub-claim: LIT [CONTRADICTED by MODEL]

Testable Metric

BB call% on 54s vs K4o facing UTG+BTN-call, 100bb. Expect 54s ≥ 90%, K4o ≤ 5%.

Scope Restriction
  • Core claim applies: low-to-mid suited connectors, pocket pairs, suited aces → all call freely
  • Mid-connectors (87s, T9s) are raiser-dependent: fold ~80% vs UTG, call ~63–100% vs CO
  • A9o does NOT call in either tested scenario — the LIT-56 OVL-10 exception is not supported; may be context-specific to a different configuration
  • Broadway offsuit (KQo, AJo) is a separate category driven by raw strength / 3-bet potential, not connectivity
Batch Evidence
HandUTG call%UTG fold%Category
54s99.60.1suited connector → pure call
65s99.40.5suited connector → pure call
2299.90.0pocket pair → pure call
A9s96.72.6suited ace → pure call
87s19.680.4suited connector → borderline vs UTG
Q7o0.0100.0disconnected offsuit → pure fold
K4o0.0100.0disconnected offsuit → pure fold
A8o0.0100.0disconnected offsuit → pure fold
A9o0.0100.0A9o "exception" → pure fold (contradicts OVL-10)

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H10 C-HIGH

IP 3-Bettor's Flop C-bet Is Bimodal by Board-Range Match

In 3-bet pots where IP (BTN) 3-bets preflop and OOP player cold-calls, BTN's flop c-bet rate is dramatically bimodal by board texture. On high-card/dry boards where BTN's tight broadway-heavy 3bet range completely dominates, cbet approaches 100% (K72r: 100.0%, KK5: 99.9% — invariant across opponent cold-call range). On connected boards where the same range completely misses, cbet collapses dramatically (vs CO: T98 7.5%, 654 13.2%; vs tighter UTG cold-caller: T98 20.0%, 654 36.5%). Bimodal gap is position-pair-dependent: 86.8pp vs CO cold-call; 63.5pp vs UTG cold-call (tighter range = capped but stronger = BTN fires more into capped overpairs). Exception: monotone boards are elevated despite flush-draw suppression (K94ss vs CO 85.8%, vs UTG 81.1%) because BTN's broadway-heavy range contains flush blockers. This bimodality is consistently more extreme than in SRPs (K72r vs T98 SRP gap: 24pp; 3BP gap: 64-87pp depending on opponent).

Sources
  • LIT-53 (C-Betting OOP in 3-Bet Pots): O3B-7 "Near-zero checking range on non-connected textures at low SPR" — establishes 3BP cbet is board-texture extreme; IP 3-bettor follows symmetric pattern
  • LIT-3 (Delayed C-Betting): DCB-6 "favorable flop for the raiser" — in 3BP, raiser's range advantage on high-card textures is more absolute (tighter range = more board-specific concentration)
  • Model batch (Scenario B): cash/data/batches_cash_3bet_pot/R_cash_3bet_pot.json BTN 3-bet vs CO cold-call, 6 boards 2026-04-12. BATCH-CONFIRMED.
  • Model batch (Scenario C): cash/data/batches_cash_3bet_pot/R_cash_h10_3bp_ext.json BTN 3-bet vs UTG cold-call (tighter range), 6 boards 2026-04-14. High-board poles identical; connected boards 20-37% (bimodal LOW pole confirmed, magnitude-higher due to UTG range being capped). BATCH-CONFIRMED.
Confidence

C-HIGH (upgraded from C-MED 2026-04-14: 2 position pairs tested — BTN vs CO and BTN vs UTG cold-call — bimodality confirmed in both. High-card poles invariant; connected-board poles vary by opponent range tightness. 2 LIT sources [LIT-53 + LIT-3] + 2 MODEL-BATCH runs = 4 sources across 2 source families. Original upgrade blocker was 1-position-pair scope; resolved by Scenario C.)

Provenance

LIT [MODEL-BATCH] Key data: Scenario B (BTN 3-bets, CO cold-calls): | Board | BTN cbet% | CO SRP cbet% (ref) | 3BP−SRP gap | Note | |-------|----------|--------------------|-------------|------| | K72r | 100.0 | 83.6 | +16.4 | High-dry — full merge | | KK5 | 99.9 | 79.3 | +20.6 | Paired high — full merge | | A94r | 74.3 | 64.9 | +9.4 | A-high — strong merge | | K94ss | 85.8 | 32.2 | +53.6 | Monotone: blocker effect inverts suppression | | T98 | 7.5 | 59.6 | −52.1 | Connected — range miss, near-zero | | 654 | 13.2 | 56.4 | −43.2 | Low-connected — range miss, near-zero | Scenario C (BTN 3-bets, UTG cold-calls — 2026-04-14): | Board | BTN cbet% | vs Scenario B | Note | |-------|-----------|---------------|------| | K72r | 100.0 | 0.0pp | High pole invariant | | KK5 | 99.9 | 0.0pp | High pole invariant | | A94r | 73.3 | −1.0pp | Essentially identical | | K94ss | 81.1 | −4.7pp | Blocker effect persists | | T98 | 20.0 | +12.5pp | Connected LOW pole — higher (UTG range capped) | | 654 | 36.5 | +23.3pp | Low-connected LOW pole — higher (same reason) | Bimodal gap: Scenario B K72r(100) vs T98(7.5) = 92.5pp; Scenario C K72r(100) vs 654(36.5) = 63.5pp. Both dramatically exceed SRP gap (24pp).

Testable Metric

BTN 3BP cbet on K72r vs T98 — threshold K72r ≥ 95%, T98 < 30%. Observed: Sc-B 100%/7.5%; Sc-C 100%/20.0%. Both exceed threshold.

Batch refs:

  • cash/data/batches_cash_3bet_pot/R_cash_3bet_pot.json (2026-04-12) Scenario B
  • cash/data/batches_cash_3bet_pot/R_cash_h10_3bp_ext.json (2026-04-14) Scenario C
Note

New theory added 2026-04-14. H10 complements H8 — together they cover both sides of the 3BP. Upgraded to C-HIGH 2026-04-14 after 2nd-position-pair extension (BTN vs UTG) confirmed bimodality persists. The monotone K94ss elevation (81-86%) across both scenarios is the most counterintuitive data point: IP's blocker density reverses the normal monotone suppression.

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Completeness Check

Walk through LIT-1..LIT-8 and note which claims map to theories, which are definitional/out-of-scope, and which are orphans.

Methodology Gaps Observed

Per the B-regeneration prompt's self-discipline rule #5, here are places where the methodology was ambiguous or hard to apply to Cash specifically. These feed into reproducibility-iterations.md iteration 5.

Report back (summary)
  • Theories produced: Pillar A: 7 (A1..A7) • Pillar B: 5 (B1..B5) • Pillar C: 5 (C1..C5) • Pillar D: 7 (D1..D7) • Pillar E: 8 (E1..E8) • Pillar F: 8 (F1..F8) • Pillar G: 8 (G1..G8) • Pillar H: 3 (H8, H9, H10). Total: 51 theories. (v1.4.0: H8; v1.4.1: H9; v1.4.2: E5; v1.4.3: G2; v1.4.4: A2; v1.4.5: C5; v1.4.6: G5; v1.4.7: D7 NEW; v1.4.8: B1+F4 PARTIAL→CONFIRMED; v1.4.9: E8 NEW; v1.4.10: F8 NEW; v1.4.11: H10 NEW; v1.4.12: D7 C-MED→C-HIGH via POP-1-9 + mapping/lit cleanup; v1.4.13: F8 C-MED→C-HIGH via 3-board monotone sweep; v1.4.14: E8 C-MED→C-HIGH via 3rd-flop T98 extension; v1.4.15: H10 C-MED→C-HIGH via 2nd-position-pair; v1.4.16: C4+E4+G6 C-MED→C-HIGH by documenting pre-existing batch confirmations (SB postflop, isomorphism, mixed_strategy_fraction batches) — all 2026-04-14; v1.4.17: D5 C-MED→C-HIGH (100bb core claim: LIT-4+LIT-5+CORR B1 S4 PASS; 20bb sub-claims scope-caveat C-LOW due to S5 FAIL) — 2026-04-14; v1.4.18: D6+G8 PENDING→CONFIRMED + C-MED→C-HIGH [D6: blocker sizing per-combo suit filtering on T98ss: AA Δ+57.2pp freq + QQ/JJ sizing shift from bet2.8→bet1.8 WITH blocker; direction corrected: WITH blocker→smaller sizes, WITHOUT blocker→larger sizes; G8: AA cbet Δ=−83.7pp wet vs drier + inverted overpair hierarchy: AA checks most (0.3%), TT checks least (99.5%) on 8h6d4h] — 2026-04-14)
  • Confirmation breakdown: CONFIRMED: 45 • PARTIAL: 3 (A6, C3, F5) • PENDING: 0 • NOT TESTED: 2 (A3, A5) • NOT APPLICABLE: 1 (G4). Data-backed: 48/51 (94%).
  • Confidence breakdown: C-HIGH: 46 • C-MED: 3 (A3, A6, F5) • C-LOW: 1 (A5) • N/A (Cash): 1 (G4). Note: EV-blocked C-MED (A6, F5) permanently capped until KI-1/KI-4 resolved. NOT-TESTED: A3 (EQR not exposed). D6+G8 upgraded C-MED→C-HIGH 2026-04-14 via new per-combo suit-filtering batch (D6 blocker sizing) and protection frequency batch (G8 AA suppression). (D5 upgraded C-MED→C-HIGH 2026-04-14: 100bb core LIT-4+LIT-5+CORR; 20bb scope-caveat C-LOW.)
  • Missing sources flagged: Modern Poker Theory (Acevedo), Upswing Poker (both absent); academic papers absent. Per methodology IA-3. Three "should-exist-but-don't" theories identified: H1 3-bet pots, H2 check-raise dynamics, H3 multiway c-bet theory.
  • Methodology gaps observed: 7 gaps logged (see section above). Top three by impact: (2) confidence scoring needs "independent source family" definition; (4) queryability axis missing from completeness check; (5) position × pot-type completeness checklist not required.

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End of theory-foundation.B.md.