- There are all sorts of different stats found in your average HUD but VPIP and PFR are the two basic ones that you should learn as soon as you start. Facebook Instagram Twitter 845-584-1991. Home; Poker Strategy. Poker Strategy Article Library. A complete FREE guide to make you a better and more thoughtful poker player. Poker Psychology.
- In Full Ring Microstakes play PFR is used to determine what percentage of the time a player will raise during preflop action. Often ranges are color coded and set within the programs that calculate this number from hand histories. A rough example of categorized ranges for micro-stakes full ring play are: 0-9.9 = Very Nitty.
In this VPIP & PFR video I cover the following:. What is VPIP and PFR. How to interpret these poker HUD stat%'s. Understanding which poker hands fall wit. This is a discussion on VPIP/PFR within the online poker forums, in the Cash Games section; I'm wondering what all of your takes are on a good VPIP/PFR for cash games. I'm still only playing at.
People often ask me what is a good AF (Aggression Factor) in poker. And this is very important to know because AF is one of the most reliable HUD stats available for determining player type.In general, an AF of 1 is extremely passive, an AF of 2 is moderately passive, an AF of 3 is a normal moderately aggressive player, and any AF of 4 and above is starting to get into over-aggressive territory. Most winning players have an AF near 3.
Let's dig into these numbers a bit deeper though.
What is AF in Poker?
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In fact, here is the literal definition of AF that you can find within the PokerTracker software:
'Ratio of the times a player makes a postflop aggressive action (a bet or raise) to the times they call. For example, a player with an AF of 2 has bet or raised twice as many times as they have called.'
As a mathematical expression here is what AF would look like:
(Total Bets) + (Total Raises) / (Total Calls) = AF.
So as you can see, AF, which is also referred to sometimes as TAF (total aggression factor), is simply a ratio of how many times you bet or raise after the flop versus how many times you call.
Betting and raising in poker are both considered to be aggressive plays while calling is considered to be a passive play.
So essentially, the higher your AF number is, the more often you are betting or raising. Or in other words, the higher your AF number, the more aggressive you are as a poker player.
Since aggression is a big key to success in poker, it is important that you have at least a moderately high Aggression Factor.
How Can You Use Aggression Factor to Improve Your Poker Game?
So how can you actually use Aggression Factor at the poker tables to improve your poker results? Well, there is a reason why AF is one of the very first stats that I have on my Custom PokerTracker HUD.
It is because I use this poker statistic all the time to determine the type of poker player I am up against.
For example, most tight players (Nits) have a low AF of around 2. And this makes sense because what do Nits do? They sit around waiting for the nuts.
Recreational players (fish) also tend to have an extremely low AF, usually 1. And this also makes sense because what do fish do? They play all sorts of terrible hands and they absolutely love to call you down with anything.
TAG (tight and aggressive) and LAG (loose and aggressive) players on the other hand tend to have a higher aggression factor of 3 or more.
How to Beat a LAG (example hand):
![Vpip Vpip](/uploads/1/3/7/1/137136330/401094093.jpg)
And this also makes sense because these players tend to be very aggressive after the flop betting, raising and trying to steal every pot they can.
So the AF HUD stat is very useful because it often allows me (in conjunction with other stats like VPIP and PFR), to quickly determine what type of poker player I am up against.
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AF and Sample Size - This is Extremely Important
I do need to warn you though that unlike VPIP and PFR, the AF stat does require a much larger sample size (number of hands).
With VPIP and PFR all you need is about 20 hands on somebody before you can be highly certain that the VPIP and PFR values that are showing on your HUD for them are accurate.
This is not the case at all with AF. In fact, I recommend having a sample of at least 100 hands on somebody before you draw any conclusions about them based on their AF.
And this is because AF is a postflop stat whereas VPIP and PFR are both preflop stats.
You get an opportunity to take a preflop action every single hand. You do not get an opportunity to take a postflop opportunity every hand, not even close.
So this is why Aggression Factor requires a much large sample size (at least 100 hands in my opinion). And it is very important that you understand this before using this HUD stat.
If you want to know much more about how to use HUD stats correctly I discuss all of this in much more detail in my best selling poker book, Modern Small Stakes.
Final Thoughts
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So what is a good AF in poker?Well, at the risk of sounding like there is only one true way to win at poker (because there isn't), in my experience having played millions and millions of hands of online poker, most of biggest winners on my PokerTracker HUD gravitate towards an AF of 3.
Does this mean that you can't win at poker if your AF is 2 or 4? No of course not. There are many examples of big winners with an AF of 2 or 4.
However, I think outside of these boundaries it is a bit of a stretch. There are very few (if any?) long term winning poker players with an AF of 1 or 5+ in my experience.
When I see someone with an AF of 1 this is almost always a recreational player (fish). And when I see someone with an AF of 5+ this is almost always a recreational player (maniac).
I probably don't even need to tell you that both of these are significant long term losing player types.
One of the most important things to remember when using the Aggression Factor HUD stat is sample size. You need 100 hands at a bare minimum before relying on this data.
VPIP and PFR are different because they are preflop stats. You do not need anywhere near as big of a sample size for these two stats.
Lastly, if you want to know the complete poker strategy that I use to consistently make $1k+ per month in small stakes poker games, make sure you grab a copy of my free poker cheat sheet.
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What do you think is a good AF? Let me know in the comments below.
What are VPIP and PFR and how do they affect your game?
VPIP and PFR are two basic but powerful poker statistics. Combined, they give you a clear picture of how your opponents are playing and ways to exploit their mistakes.
VPIP: Voluntarily Put In Pot
VPIP tracks the percentage of hands in which a particular player voluntarily puts money into the pot preflop. VPIP increases when a player could fold but instead commits money to the pot preflop. This includes limping (merely calling the big blind), calling, and raising.
Posting the small and big blinds does not influence the VPIP statistic. These actions are involuntary and therefore give no useful information on player tendencies.
PFR: Preflop Raise
PFR tracks the percentage of hands in which a particular player makes a preflop raise when having the opportunity to fold or call instead. This includes reraises.
The relationship between VPIP and PFR
VPIP is always higher than PFR. All preflop raises increase VPIP, but not all actions that influence VPIP will affect PFR. For example, limping preflop will increase VPIP but not PFR.
New players usually call too much preflop. Calling far more often than raising causes your VPIP to rise higher than your PFR, creating a gap between the two stats. This is a warning sign that you are moving away from the aggressive strategy essential to winning at poker. Winning players have a tight gap between their VPIP and their PFR.
A quick rule of the thumb is that the higher the PFR, the more aggressive a player is. The bigger the gap between VPIP and PFR, the more passive a player is.
Identifying player types using VPIP/PFR
VPIP and PFR are the key indicators of how your opponents understand the game of poker and of their overall strategy. Within 10 hands, Poker Copilot will give you a rough outline of an opponent’s play style. 100 hands are enough for a good idea of whom you are playing against, and 1000 hands give you a very clear picture of a player’s preflop strategy.
These are examples of six-handed poker VPIP/PFRs and the player types associated with each statistical breakdown.
Very high VPIP and low PFR: 75/10, 52/5, 60/15
A player with a high VPIP and low PFR is one you want at your table. These opponents play far too many hands, and they usually play them very passively. Players who have a very high VPIP and low PFR call far too much preflop. When they do raise, they are weighted towards value. These are passive players, and are known as “whales.”
High VPIP and low PFR: 40/15, 35/12, 30/5
These statistics, like the above, are also associated with losing players. These players prefer to call too frequently and raise too infrequently, but not to the extent of the whale.
Remember that passive play preflop is often an indicator of passive play post-flop.
Normal VPIP and low PFR: 18/1, 22/3
These statistics are associated with very tight players, known as “rocks.” They wait patiently for aces and kings, and only like to raise with their best hands. These players may, however, enjoy trapping and playing tricky, and will sometimes employ a limp/reraise strategy.
Bear in mind that their raises are almost always weighted towards very strong value hands.
Low VPIP/PFR: 10/8, 14/12
Players with a low VPIP and PFR but with a tight gap between their stats are what poker players call “nits.” They play a very tight range of hands, and usually play their range advantage aggressively post-flop.
Reg (professional) VPIP and PFR: 15/14, 19/17, 22/18, 28/23
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Regs are almost always winning or break-even players. These players have small gaps between their VPIP and PFR. Regs can range from very tight to very loose. At one end of the spectrum, a player with 15/14 statistics will be an overly tight regular. At 28/23, the player may be playing too loose and aggressively.
Solid regulars generally have a VPIP/PFR between 19/17 and 25/23. As you move up in stakes, the rake (the amount taken from each pot by the poker room) decreases as a percentage of the pot and players are able to use wider ranges. Winning regulars often have statistics closer to 28/20 or 27/19 at the higher stakes.
Really, there is no incentive to playing more pots against good regulars. In poker, you should be trying to play as many pots as possible with losing players, known as “fish.” VPIP and PFR indicate who these fish may be, and ways to target them.
VPIP and PFR for Six-Max vs. Full Ring
The VPIP/PFR of a winning player at a six-handed table is different from that at a full ring, nine-handed table. The additional players in full ring necessitate a tighter playing style. This is because you are opening from the first positions into more players, and are therefore more likely to run into a hand that can call or reraise you.
When players open from early positions, they often have stronger holdings, which means other players are less likely to call or reraise them. This combination causes lower VPIP/PFR statistics for full ring games.
Winning regulars generally have a VPIP/PFR of between 11/8 and 16/14 in full ring games. The higher the skill level, the wider they can be, and some regulars are able to profitably play statistics like 22/20 at full ring.
Tournament VPIP/PFR
VPIP/PFR in tournaments depends on the structure and the stage of the tournament.
Multi-table tournaments (MTTs) can have thousands of players and generally start out with large stacks compared to the blinds. This leads to play that can be even tighter than full ring poker. In the early stages of tournaments, expect to see good regulars with stats that would be considered nitty even in full ring.
In the later stages of the tournament, however, as the blinds increase and stack sizes are smaller in comparison, you will see looser statistics. The shorter stack sizes necessitate a more aggressive style of play.
Aggression is also influenced by the “ante.” Usually, in the later stages of tournaments an ante will be in play. The ante functions like a smaller version of the small blind that each player must post before each hand. This causes play to loosen up considerably. You will find that strong players will have a much looser VPIP/PFR the later the tournament runs.
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Turbos and hyperturbos are shorter, faster-paced tournaments. They have rapidly increasing blinds, which means that an aggressive, loose style of play is required. In these tournaments, VPIP/PFR will be much higher.
VPIP and PFR are the most important poker statistics
Free Poker Online
Long-term winning players will almost always fall within VPIP/PFR ranges for their chosen game type. Those who are outside these ranges can be easily identified and exploited. Understanding and utilizing VPIP and PFR is the first step towards greatly improving your own game.