TexasSolver MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Claude and other LLMs to interact with the TexasSolver console poker solver through structured parameters.

Features

• Run Solver: Execute the TexasSolver with custom game parameters (pot, stack, ranges, board, bet sizes)

• Load Ranges: List and load preflop range files from the TexasSolver ranges directory

• Build Game Trees: Generate game tree configurations without running the solver (for inspection/editing)

• List Outputs: Query previously generated solver outputs

• Structured Input: LLM provides structured parameters - no natural language parsing needed

Related MCP server: @pokerai/mcp

Installation

1. Prerequisites

• Node.js 18.0.0 or higher

• TexasSolver binary (v0.2.0 or compatible)

2. Install Dependencies

cd /Users/bensimmons/Desktop/TexasSolverMCP
npm install

3. Configure Environment

Copy .env.example to .env and update the TEXAS_SOLVER_PATH:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and set TEXAS_SOLVER_PATH to your solver location

Example:

TEXAS_SOLVER_PATH=/Users/bensimmons/Desktop/TexasSolverMCP/TexasSolver-v0.2.0-MacOs/console_solver

Usage

Running the MCP Server

npm start

The server will start and listen for MCP requests via stdio.

Claude Desktop Integration

Add the following to your Claude Desktop configuration file at: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "texassolver": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/bensimmons/Desktop/TexasSolverMCP/src/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "TEXAS_SOLVER_PATH": "/Users/bensimmons/Desktop/TexasSolverMCP/TexasSolver-v0.2.0-MacOs/console_solver"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Tools

run_solver

Execute the TexasSolver with game parameters.

Parameters:

• pot (number): Starting pot size

• effective_stack (number): Player stack size

• board (string): Board cards (e.g., "Qs,8d,7h" for flop, empty for preflop)

• range_ip (string): In-position player range (e.g., "AA-22,AK-AJ")

• range_oop (string): Out-of-position player range

• bet_sizes (object, optional): Custom bet sizes by position, street, and action

• solver_config (object, optional): Solver settings (thread_num, accuracy, max_iteration, etc.)

• output_name (string, optional): Custom output filename

Example:

Run AcQc vs 22+ on Ac7h2h board, 10bb pot, 100bb stacks

Returns:

{
  success: true,
  output_file: "/absolute/path/to/result_2025-01-15T10-35-22-abc123.json",
  command_file: "/absolute/path/to/cmd_2025-01-15T10-30-45-abc123.txt",
  execution_time_ms: 45000,
  solver_log: "..."
}

list_ranges

Discover available preflop range files.

Parameters:

• filter (string, optional): Filter by position or scenario

• range_set (string, optional): "6max", "qb", or all (default)

Returns:

{
  ranges: [
    {
      path: "6max_range/BTN",
      full_path: "/absolute/path/to/BTN",
      name: "BTN Opening Range",
      scenario: "Open",
      position: "BTN"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

load_range

Load and parse a specific range file.

Parameters:

• range_path (string): Path from list_ranges or absolute path

Returns:

{
  range_string: "AA:1.0,KK:1.0,QQ:0.5,...",
  parsed_hands: [
    { hand: "AA", weight: 1.0 },
    { hand: "KK", weight: 1.0 },
    ...
  ],
  hand_count: 150,
  total_combos: 1325.5
}

build_game_tree_config

Generate a game tree configuration without running the solver.

Parameters: Same as run_solver (without solver_config)

Returns:

{
  command_file: "/path/to/cmd_...txt",
  commands: [
    "set_pot 10",
    "set_effective_stack 100",
    ...
  ],
  preview: "Full command file content as string"
}

list_outputs

List previously generated solver outputs.

Parameters:

• limit (number, optional): Maximum results (default: 20)

• sort_by (string, optional): "date" (default) or "size"

Returns:

{
  outputs: [
    {
      filename: "result_2025-01-15T10-35-22-abc123.json",
      path: "/absolute/path/to/result_...json",
      size_mb: "26.5",
      created_at: "2025-01-15T10:35:22.000Z",
      associated_command: "/path/to/cmd_...txt"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Project Structure

texassolver-mcp/
├── package.json
├── .gitignore
├── .env.example
├── .env
├── README.md
├── src/
│   ├── index.js                 # Entry point and initialization
│   ├── server.js                # MCP server setup
│   ├── tools/                   # MCP tool implementations
│   │   ├── run-solver.js
│   │   ├── load-range.js
│   │   ├── configure-tree.js
│   │   └── list-outputs.js
│   ├── solver/                  # Solver integration
│   │   ├── command-builder.js
│   │   ├── executor.js
│   │   └── validator.js
│   ├── ranges/                  # Range file handling
│   │   ├── loader.js
│   │   ├── parser.js
│   │   └── index.js
│   ├── storage/
│   │   └── manager.js           # File management
│   └── utils/
│       └── constants.js         # Constants
└── data/                        # Server data (generated)
    ├── commands/                # Generated command files
    ├── outputs/                 # Solver JSON outputs
    └── temp/                    # Temporary files

How It Works

Solver Execution Flow

1. Input Validation: Validates all parameters (ranges, board, bet sizes)

2. Command Generation: Builds a command file with solver settings

3. Process Spawning: Spawns the console_solver binary

4. Command Piping: Pipes the command file to solver stdin

5. Output Capture: Captures solver stdout/stderr for logging

6. Completion: Waits for solver to finish (timeout: 10 minutes)

7. Result Return: Returns paths to output JSON and command file

Range File Format

Ranges are stored as comma-separated hands with optional weights:

AA:1.0,KK:1.0,QQ:0.5,AKs:1.0,AKo:0.75,...

• AA:1.0 - Always include AA

• AKo:0.75 - Include AKo 75% of the time

• JJ - Implicit weight of 1.0 if not specified

Error Handling

The server provides detailed error messages for:

• Invalid solver path or missing binary

• Invalid game parameters (pot, stack, ranges, board)

• Invalid bet sizes

• Solver process failures

• Output file not created

• Timeout (10 minutes)

All errors include:

• Human-readable message

• Error type (VALIDATION_ERROR, EXECUTION_ERROR, OUTPUT_ERROR)

• Detailed context (command file, solver log, exit code)

Development

Running Tests

npm test

Testing with Sample Data

The TexasSolver includes sample command files in:

TexasSolver-v0.2.0-MacOs/resources/text/commandline_sample_input.txt

Troubleshooting

"Solver binary not found"

• Verify TEXAS_SOLVER_PATH in .env points to the actual binary

• Check file permissions: ls -la /path/to/console_solver

"Permission denied"

• Make sure the binary is executable: chmod +x /path/to/console_solver

"Solver timed out"

• Complex game trees can take time to solve

• Reduce accuracy or max_iteration in solver_config

• Increase SOLVER_TIMEOUT_MS in .env if needed

"Output file not created"

• Check available disk space

• Verify the data/outputs/ directory is writable

• Check solver_log in error response for solver-specific errors

License

MIT

Support

For issues or feature requests, please refer to the documentation or check the MCP server logs.