Best response
The strategy that makes the most money against one specific opponent strategy.
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- What it means
- A best response exploits an opponent. It is maximally profitable against them, but may be exploitable itself.
- How it is calculated
- Fix the opponent's strategy, then pick each hand's highest-EV action against it.
- Worked example
- At 10bb, suppose the big blind calls only 10% of hands. Every push wins the 1bb blind 90% of the time, which is worth +0.9bb before showdown. The best response is to push almost every hand.
- Why it matters
- Best responses are how the app will adapt to villain profiles: widen against nits, tighten against calling stations.
See also: Nash equilibrium, Villain profile