You logged your live hands, exported them in PokerStars text format, and now you want to run them through GTO Wizard's HH Analyzer. Good call — GTO Wizard evaluates every decision you made against game-theory-optimal solutions, which makes it one of the most useful analysis tools for live players working with small samples. But first, you need to get the file in.

This guide covers the import mechanics: getting your hand history file into GTO Wizard, confirming it processed correctly, and troubleshooting the issues that can trip up the upload. For the broader pipeline — including how to get live hands into PokerTracker 4, Holdem Manager 3, and GTO Wizard — see our complete export and import guide.

The upload itself takes seconds. Here is exactly how to do it.

What You Need Before You Start

Before you open GTO Wizard, make sure you have the following ready:

A hand history file in PokerStars text format (.txt). This is the de facto standard accepted by GTO Wizard and other leading analysis tools. If you logged your hands with a tool that exports in this format — like LiveHands — you already have what you need. The file contains every action, card, position, and bet size from each hand in a structured format the HH Analyzer can parse.
A GTO Wizard account. GTO Wizard is entirely cloud-based — there is no software to install. You access the HH Analyzer through your browser at gtowizard.com. The free tier lets you analyze up to 5 hand histories per month, which is enough to test the workflow. Paid plans increase this limit significantly.
Your .txt file accessible from your computer. Transfer it from your phone (email, AirDrop, cloud storage, direct file share — whatever works for your setup) and note the folder where you saved it.

That is everything. No installation, no database setup, no configuration. GTO Wizard handles PokerStars format natively.

Step-by-Step: Import Your Live Hands into GTO Wizard

Step 1: Log In and Navigate to the Analyzer

Open GTO Wizard in your browser and log in. Navigate to the Analyze section — this is where all hand history analysis happens, including uploads and results.

Step 2: Open the Upload Interface

In the Analyzer, look for the upload function. Select the Files tab to access the import interface. You will see options to add your hand history files.

Step 3: Upload Your Hand History File

You have two options:

Drag and drop your .txt file directly into the Analyzer window.
Use the "Folder" or "Files" buttons at the bottom of the dialog to browse for your file on your computer.

You can upload a single file from one session or a folder containing multiple sessions. GTO Wizard processes them all.

Step 4: Wait for Processing

After upload, your hands go through several stages:

Uploading — your file is being sent to the server.
In Queue — the servers are processing other analyses; yours is waiting.
Processing — your hands are actively being analyzed against GTO solutions.
Analyzed — your hands are ready to view.

You do not need to stay on the page while processing runs. You can navigate away and come back — it will not affect how quickly the hands are analyzed. For a typical live session of 10 to 20 hands, processing is fast.

Step 5: Verify Your Hands Imported Correctly

Once processing completes, your uploaded hands appear in the Analyze section. Select your uploaded session to see the individual hands. Check that the hand count matches what you expect and open one or two hands to confirm the action, positions, and bet sizes look right.

If you see "Errors" on any hands, the file format may have an issue — see the troubleshooting section below.

Troubleshooting Common Import Issues

Even with a correctly formatted file, import issues can occur. Here are the most common problems and how to fix them:

"Errors" status on uploaded hands. This usually means the file format does not match what GTO Wizard expects. Check that your file is a plain text file with a .txt extension, that the hand headers follow the exact PokerStars format structure, and that there are no extra characters or encoding issues. The file should be UTF-8 encoded.

Hands upload but some show "unsupported." GTO Wizard's HH Analyzer supports standard No-Limit Hold'em cash and MTT formats. If your hand involved a non-standard structure — mixed games, unusual blind levels, or exotic formats — it may not have a matching solution. Check GTO Wizard's supported formats documentation for the current list.

Multiway postflop spots are skipped. This is by design, not an error. GTO solutions are computed for heads-up scenarios, so if a hand goes multiway to the flop, the Analyzer skips the postflop analysis for that hand. Your hand is still uploaded and visible, but the street-by-street GTO comparison is only available for heads-up postflop play.

Hand count does not match your file. GTO Wizard may exclude hands that it cannot analyze — for example, hands where you folded preflop without facing a decision, or hands with incomplete data. If the discrepancy is small, this is normal. If most hands are missing, re-check the file format.

Upload limit reached. GTO Wizard's free tier allows up to 5 hand history uploads per month. The Starter paid tier increases this to 50 hand histories per month. If you have hit your limit, you will need to wait for the next billing cycle or upgrade your plan.

What Happens After Import

Once your hands are in GTO Wizard, the Analyzer compares each decision against its GTO solution for that spot — telling you the expected value of your chosen action versus the optimal play. You get a GTO Score reflecting how closely your play matched equilibrium, plus an average EV loss showing how much expected value you gave up per decision.

That is where the real study begins — and it is covered in depth in our GTO Wizard hand history analysis workflow guide. This article got your hands in. That guide shows you what to do with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import live tournament hands? Yes. GTO Wizard supports MTT hand histories, including 9-max formats. For live tournament players, this is one of the tool's strongest use cases — you can analyze tournament decisions with the appropriate stack depth and structure context.

Do I need a paid subscription to try this? No. GTO Wizard's free tier lets you upload and analyze up to 5 hand histories per month — enough to test the full import and analysis workflow with your own hands. For regular study, paid plans start at $35/month for Cash/MTT formats.

Can I upload hands exported from PokerTracker 4 or Holdem Manager 3? Yes. GTO Wizard accepts hand history exports from PT4 and HM3 in PokerStars format. If your live hands are already in a PT4 or HM3 database, you can export them and upload to GTO Wizard for decision-level analysis.

What file formats does GTO Wizard accept? GTO Wizard accepts hand histories in PokerStars text format (.txt), which is the most widely used hand history format. It also supports hand history files from several major online poker sites. Check GTO Wizard's documentation for the complete list of supported sites and formats.

Is this the same as the GTO Wizard analysis guide? No. This article covers import mechanics — how to get your hand history file into GTO Wizard. Our GTO Wizard analysis workflow guide covers what to do after import: reading your results, interpreting GTO scores and EV loss, setting up saved reports, and building a study routine.

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How to Import Live Hands into GTO Wizard (Step-by-Step)