The best DTO Poker alternative for a beginner is Poker Skill, which we make: lessons from the rules up, the Daily Puzzle and Practice vs AI, with Coach Max explaining every move in plain words. Poker Skill is free. Forever. DTO Poker suits players who already know the rules and want GTO drills.
DTO Poker and its alternatives, in four lines
- Poker Skill, for learning from zero.
Free
- PokerCoaching, for video courses.
Free tier
- DTO Poker, for GTO drills.
Free plan
- GTO Wizard, for solver study.
Free plan
The comparison at a glance
| App | Best for | Free version | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Poker SkillOurs | Learning poker from zero | Every lesson, the Daily Puzzle and one Practice vs AI game a day | Free forever. |
 PokerCoaching | Courses taught by pros | Sample lessons, limited PeakGTO drills and community access | Premium $147 a month |
 DTO Poker | Drilling GTO spots | Every preflop cash solution and one cash postflop spot | From $9.99 a month |
 GTO Wizard | Solver study in depth | 10 Trainer hands a day | From $49 a month per format |
Prices and features checked October 2026.
For DTO Poker and GTO Wizard side by side, plan by plan, see GTO Wizard vs DTO Poker.
The four in detail
Poker Skill
Lessons from the rules up, a Daily Puzzle and coached hands against AI
Free forever
Best for Beginners who want to learn Texas Hold'em from the rules up, with Coach Max explaining every move in plain words.
Skip if You already know the game and want solver strategy, spot by spot, which DTO Poker and GTO Wizard drill. Or you play Omaha, because Poker Skill teaches Texas Hold'em only.
Free version Every lesson, the Daily Puzzle and one Practice vs AI game a day.
Where it runs iPhone, iPad and Android
Short lessons start with the rules and hand rankings: you answer first, and Coach Max explains after. A new Daily Puzzle arrives each day, and in Practice vs AI you play full hands against AI opponents while Coach Max grades each decision. Poker Skill Plus adds unlimited Practice vs AI games, lessons that never pause for energy to refill, the full Daily Puzzle archive and every puzzle collection.
PokerCoaching
Jonathan Little's training site: courses, video classes, hand quizzes and live coaching
Free tier Premium $147 a month or $999 a year
Best for Beginners who learn best from a pro teaching a course, with quizzes to test themselves.
Skip if You want the whole course free, because the full library is Premium.
Free version Sample lessons, limited PeakGTO drills and community access, with no credit card.
Where it runs Web, iPhone, iPad and Android
PokerCoaching is the training site Jonathan Little founded. Premium opens its structured courses, among them Master the Fundamentals, along with video classes, interactive hand quizzes and live coaching webinars. Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Compared with Poker Skill: PokerCoaching is the pick for courses and video from pros, while Poker Skill teaches the game from the rules up on your phone, free, with a reason after every answer.
DTO Poker
A GTO trainer that grades each decision against solved strategy
Free plan Beginner $9.99 a month on the web
Best for Players who know the rules and want to drill preflop ranges and common spots against a GTO bot, starting free.
Skip if You are starting from zero. DTO Poker grades you against solver play, and its explanations use terms like range and board texture.
Free version Every preflop cash solution, unlimited training in one cash postflop spot and 5 Virtual Coach explanations a day in the web trainer.
Where it runs Web, iPhone, iPad and Android, with cash games and tournaments as separate apps
DTO Poker deals you cash game and tournament spots against its GTO bot and grades every decision as you play. It trains simplified solutions, built to be easier to learn and use at the table, and its Virtual Coach explains moves in words. The Beginner plan opens 21 cash spots, and Pro adds exact EV loss and frequencies.
Compared with Poker Skill: DTO Poker is the pick for drilling solver strategy once you know the game, while Poker Skill starts from the rules and explains each answer in plain words.
GTO Wizard
Solved spots, a GTO trainer and analysis of your own hands
Free plan Starter $49 a month per Hold'em format
Best for Players who study most weeks and want solved spots, a GTO trainer and analysis of their own hands.
Skip if You are new to poker. GTO Wizard is built for study, and its study tools run in a web browser rather than an app from the App Store or Google Play.
Free version 10 Trainer hands a day, with 100 preflop solutions and 1 postflop solution a day.
Where it runs A web browser
GTO Wizard goes deepest of the four on theory. It has a library of solved spots for cash games, tournaments and PLO. Its Trainer gives GTO and EV feedback on every move, and it analyzes the hands you upload. Each game format is its own subscription, and the top plans add custom solving.
Compared with Poker Skill: GTO Wizard is the pick for studying solver strategy in depth, while Poker Skill teaches the game itself, free on iPhone and Android.
What each one costs
Is DTO Poker good for beginners?
DTO Poker suits a beginner who already knows the rules, but it is not the place to start if you are still learning how a hand works. It grades each decision against solver play, which assumes you know the hand rankings and why position matters, and its explanations talk in ranges and board texture. Learn the game first, then use DTO Poker’s free plan to drill what you learned against GTO answers.
Compared with Poker Skill: DTO Poker grades a beginner who already knows the game against solver play, while Poker Skill teaches the rules and hand rankings first and coaches every answer.
What to learn before a GTO trainer
| To learn | Read it free |
|---|---|
| How a hand runs | Texas Hold’em rules |
| Which hand wins | Poker hand rankings |
| Why acting last helps | Position |
| Which hands to play | Preflop chart |
| Whether a call pays | Pot odds |
Poker Skill’s lessons teach the rules, hand rankings, position and which hands to raise or fold before the flop as questions you answer, with Coach Max’s reason after each one. In Practice vs AI, Coach Max gives you the pot odds when you face a bet.
Try a trainer’s free plan before you pay
Check any trainer's free plan
Where Poker Skill falls short
Poker Skill teaches Texas Hold’em only, so a player who wants Omaha needs another course. Free lessons run on energy: a question costs one the first time you answer it right, and a wrong answer costs nothing. When energy runs out, the lesson pauses until it refills. Free players get one Practice vs AI game a day, against AI opponents rather than people. And there are no video classes.
How we compared
- What you need to know first
- What the free version gives you
- How it explains a decision
We compared what each app expects you to know, what its free version gives you, how it explains a decision and what more costs. Who each one fits is our judgment.
The four in one line each
| App | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Poker Skill Ours | Learning poker from zero | Free forever. |
| PokerCoaching | Courses taught by pros | Free tier, then Premium at $147 a month |
| DTO Poker | Drilling GTO spots once you know the rules | Free plan, then Beginner at $9.99 a month |
| GTO Wizard | Solver study in depth | Free plan, then Starter at $49 a month per format |
Frequently asked questions
Is DTO Poker free?
Yes, DTO Poker has a free plan: every preflop cash solution and unlimited training in one cash postflop spot, with a basic grade on each decision. A free web account also gets 5 Virtual Coach explanations a day. Paid plans start at $9.99 a month on the web for Cash Beginner, which opens 21 spots.
Is there a DTO Poker app?
Yes, two. DTO Cash and DTO MTT, for tournaments, are both on iPhone, iPad and Android, and DTO Poker also runs in a web browser.
What is the best free alternative to DTO Poker?
For a beginner, Poker Skill: every lesson, the Daily Puzzle and one Practice vs AI game a day cost nothing, and Coach Max explains every move in plain words. For a player who already knows the game and wants solver drills, GTO Wizard's free plan gives 10 Trainer hands a day.
Should a beginner use a GTO trainer?
Not first. A GTO trainer grades your play against a solver's balanced strategy, which makes sense once you know the rules, hand rankings and position. Learn those first in Poker Skill's free lessons, where Coach Max explains each answer. Then use a trainer like DTO Poker to drill spots and check your choices.
Is DTO Poker worth paying for?
For a player who studies GTO and wants cheap drills, yes: paid plans start at $9.99 a month on the web and raise the free plan's cap of 5 Virtual Coach explanations a day. A beginner can try the free plan first, and gets more from every spot after learning the basics.