QUALITY METRICS
Poker exploitability explained in practical terms
Exploitability asks how much a perfect best response could gain by deviating against the current strategy inside the modeled game. It is a quality metric, not a promise of real-table profit.
From best responses to NashConv
For each player, compute the value of a best response against the other player’s current strategy and compare it with the on-policy value. Adding both unilateral gains gives NashConv.
In a two-player zero-sum game, exploitability is commonly reported as NashConv ÷ 2.
Always keep the unit visible
A value in chips cannot be compared across games with different blind sizes without conversion. FlopForge reports the chip value and a big-blind-normalized value where appropriate.
A threshold such as 0.05 BB is meaningful only with the exact game identity, iteration count, and stopping rule.
A low value can coexist with model error
A strategy can be nearly unexploitable in a tree that omits an important bet size, compresses future streets, or uses representative private hands.
The correct claim is therefore “converged inside the declared bounded model,” not “solved unrestricted poker.”
Use a fail-closed display gate
If a result misses the declared threshold, the interface should not reveal the preferred action indirectly through EV ordering, frequencies, highlights, or a strategy matrix.
Non-qualified output can still show iterations, measured exploitability, the target, and why the model was withheld.
CONTINUE IN FLOPFORGE
Inspect a measured solve
Run a study and read the quality metric beside the ranges, action tree, and engine identity that produced it.PRIMARY SOURCES
Evidence used by this explanation
FAQ
Questions this page should not hide
Is lower always better?
For the same finite game and unit, lower means closer to equilibrium. It does not compare model fidelity between different trees.
Can exploitability be negative?
A correctly defined non-negative deviation metric should not be negative beyond tiny numerical tolerance.
Why hide action details above the gate?
Because frequencies and EV ordering can reconstruct the same recommendation the quality gate is supposed to withhold.