Hold'em Coach · coaching profiles
Hold'em Coach strategies: Basic vs Balanced vs Disciplined
Hold'em Coach gives a live recommendation on every Ultimate Texas Hold'em street: Bet 4× or check before the flop, Bet 2× or check on the flop, Bet 1× or fold after the river. You choose whose advice you hear. Basic is the default and the widest. Balanced and Disciplined are tighter.
Basic follows the widely published basic strategy closely but not exactly; it also raises T9s and T8s and plays looser flop draws. Balanced and Disciplined aren't "more optimal". They're lower-variance training styles that give up some expected value to bet less often.
- Basic71 of 169 hands raise · outs line 21
- Balanced24 of 169 hands raise · outs line 19
- Disciplined9 of 169 hands raise · outs line 17
Side by side
Three profiles, one table
Same game, same pay tables. The difference is how often each coach puts more chips out.
| Rule | UTH Basic Strategy | Balanced Strategy | Disciplined Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preflop: Bet 4× | 71 of 169 hands: pairs 33+, any ace, any suited king, K5o+, Q6s+, Q8o+, J8s+, JTo, T8s, T9s | 24 of 169: pairs 44+, AT+ and KJ+ (suited or offsuit), QJ suited | 9 of 169: pairs 66+ only. No unpaired hand ever raises |
| Flop: Bet 2× | Two pair+ using a hole card, any pair you hold (even pocket 2s), four to a flush, four to a straight | Two pair+ using a hole card, or your pair of 4s or better. No draws | Two pair+ using a hole card, your pair of 6s or better, or a board pair of 6s+ when your high card beats the side cards (Q minimum). No draws |
| River: Bet 1× | Any hidden pair or better; otherwise bet at 21 dealer outs or fewer (18 when playing the board) | Any hidden pair or better; otherwise 19 outs or fewer (17 when playing the board) | A hidden pair of 6s or better, or a small pocket pair that beats the board. Unpaired hands fold; playing the board it bets at 15 outs or fewer (17 is its line otherwise) |
| Who it's for | Learning the standard chart. Closest to the widely published basic strategy, a little looser | A middle ground once Basic feels natural: fewer marginal raises, same core ideas | A tight, lower-variance training style for steadier sessions |
Dealer outs: unseen single cards that would beat you as a dealer hole card. Pushes and two-card wins aren't counted. When a hand goes to the outs count, every profile folds a board showing four to a flush or a straight, unless it's playing a made board hand for a push.
Preflop chart
All 169 starting hands, three ways
Pick a profile and point at any hand to see the coach's call and reason. "Compare all three" shades each hand by how many profiles raise it.
UTH Basic Strategy: 71 of 169 hands bet 4×
Pairs: Raise 3s or higher. 508 of 1,326 two-card combos raise. Everything else checks.
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All 71 hands Basic bets 4× (text list)
- Pairs (12)
- 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA
- Ace suited (12)
- A2s, A3s, A4s, A5s, A6s, A7s, A8s, A9s, ATs, AJs, AQs, AKs
- Ace offsuit (12)
- A2o, A3o, A4o, A5o, A6o, A7o, A8o, A9o, ATo, AJo, AQo, AKo
- King suited (11)
- K2s, K3s, K4s, K5s, K6s, K7s, K8s, K9s, KTs, KJs, KQs
- King offsuit (8)
- K5o, K6o, K7o, K8o, K9o, KTo, KJo, KQo
- Queen suited (6)
- Q6s, Q7s, Q8s, Q9s, QTs, QJs
- Queen offsuit (4)
- Q8o, Q9o, QTo, QJo
- Jack suited (3)
- J8s, J9s, JTs
- Jack offsuit (1)
- JTo
- Ten suited (2)
- T8s, T9s
Every other starting hand checks preflop.
Balanced Strategy: 24 of 169 hands bet 4×
Pairs: Raise 4s or higher. 166 of 1,326 two-card combos raise. Everything else checks.
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All 24 hands Balanced bets 4× (text list)
- Pairs (11)
- 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA
- Ace suited (4)
- ATs, AJs, AQs, AKs
- Ace offsuit (4)
- ATo, AJo, AQo, AKo
- King suited (2)
- KJs, KQs
- King offsuit (2)
- KJo, KQo
- Queen suited (1)
- QJs
Every other starting hand checks preflop.
Disciplined Strategy: 9 of 169 hands bet 4×
Pairs: Raise 6s or higher. 54 of 1,326 two-card combos raise. Everything else checks.
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All 9 hands Disciplined bets 4× (text list)
- Pairs (9)
- 66, 77, 88, 99, TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA
Every other starting hand checks preflop.
Test yourself
Your move · preflop
King–Nine offsuit K9o
Bet 4× or check?
- BasicBet 4×Strong king — bet 4×
- BalancedCheckToo weak — check
- DisciplinedCheckCheck pre-flop
Answer to start a streak.
Worked examples
Same hand, three answers
Five spots where the profiles split. The calls and reasons below are the app's own.
Preflop · Bet 4× or check
King–nine offsuit, before the flop
Basic raises any king with a 5 or better. Balanced wants KJ+, and Disciplined only raises pairs of sixes or better.
- BasicBet 4דStrong king — bet 4×”
- BalancedCheck“Too weak — check”
- DisciplinedCheck“Check pre-flop”
Preflop · Bet 4× or check
Pocket fives, before the flop
Pair floors differ: Basic raises 33+, Balanced 44+, Disciplined 66+.
- BasicBet 4דPocket pair — bet 4×”
- BalancedBet 4דPocket pair — bet 4×”
- DisciplinedCheck“Pair of fives too small — check”
Flop · Bet 2× or check
Four to a flush on the flop
Only Basic bets draws on the flop. Balanced and Disciplined wait for a pair.
- BasicBet 2דFlush draw — bet 2×”
- BalancedCheck“Check the flop”
- DisciplinedCheck“Check the flop”
Flop · Bet 2× or check
Ace–king on a paired board
Tighter isn't always more passive: Disciplined bets 2× when the board pairs 6s or higher and your high card beats the side card.
- BasicCheck“No draw — check”
- BalancedCheck“Check the flop”
- DisciplinedBet 2דPaired board — bet 2×”
Turn & river · Bet 1× or fold
Ten high with 21 dealer outs
Right on Basic's 21-out line. Balanced folds above 19 outs, and Disciplined won't bet 1× without a pair of sixes or better.
- BasicBet 1ד21 outs — near the line, bet 1×”21 outs · line 21
- BalancedFold“21 outs — just over the line, fold”21 outs · line 19
- DisciplinedFold“Pair too small — fold”21 outs · line 17
In the app
How to switch profiles
- Settings → Gameplay → Coaching profile and pick UTH Basic Strategy, Balanced Strategy or Disciplined Strategy.
- Or tap the brain pill at the table between hands and choose "Use … strategy".
- The profile locks during an active hand. The coach can be turned off only after 50 completed hands.
All three profiles are free. For the full walkthrough of every street, read the Ultimate Texas Hold'em strategy guide, or see everything else the app does on the Hold'em Coach page.
Practice with the live coach on iPhone and Android
Virtual chips only. No real-money gambling and no prizes of real-world value. 18+.
FAQ
Questions about the profiles
Which Hold'em Coach profile is the best strategy?
Basic is the one built around the widely published Ultimate Texas Hold'em basic strategy, so it's the place to start. Balanced and Disciplined are tighter training styles that bet less often for smoother swings. They are not more optimal; they trade some expected value for lower variance.
Is Basic identical to the Wizard of Odds chart?
No. It's close: it raises 33+, any ace, any suited king, K5o+, Q6s+, Q8o+, J8s+ and JTo, then adds T9s and T8s. On the flop it also bets pocket 2s, any four-flush and four-card straights, which the standard chart does not.
Does the coach ever recommend raising 3× preflop?
No. You can place a 3× bet in the app, but every profile recommends either Bet 4× or Check before the flop.
What are dealer outs?
On the river the coach counts the unseen cards that, as a dealer hole card, would beat you outright. Pushes and two-card wins don't count. If the count is at or under your profile's line (21, 19 or 17; 18, 17 or 15 when you're playing the board) the coach bets 1×.
Does the coach tell me when to bet Trips?
No. None of the profiles advise on the Trips side bet. If you've placed one, the river advice mentions it, for example that Trips still pays when you fold, but the Bet 1× or Fold call doesn't change.
How do I switch coaching profiles?
Open Settings → Gameplay → Coaching profile, or tap the brain pill at the table between hands. The profile is locked during an active hand. Every profile is free; none is behind Coach+.
Can I turn the coach off?
Yes, after you've completed 50 hands. With the coach off you get no live advice or debrief grading for those hands.
Is real money involved?
No. Hold'em Coach and the practice hand on this page use virtual chips only. There is no real-money gambling and no prizes of real-world value.