VPIP
How to use poker stats to improve your play
If you're serious about improving your online poker game then you need to give
yourself every edge that you can. One of the main things that a lot of poker players
do is use online poker tools to keep track of how their opponents are playing.
What is VPIP?
VPIP is an abbreviation for the term 'voluntarily put money in pot'.
In a 6 max game, a wide range of values here can be profitable, as to a certain extent
preflop stats can be overcome with good postflop play. I'd say anything
from 13 to about 30 with this stat is generally where good winning players
can fall. Of course some nits can make a lower VPIP work, some LAGs can make
a higher VPIP work.
There are a few things to take into consideration when deciding where your poker stats
'should be'. Firstly you need to take a look at the dynamics of the table you're
playing at. You need to understand how loose or tight everyone else is playing
and it's also important to take into consideration your position at the table
relative to different opponents. For example if a very loose and aggressive
player is sat to your immediate left (he has position on you) then you will want
to tighten up where as if you had a very tight player in the same situation then
you can play a wider range of hands (even more hands) as the tight player will just
fold so often.
Using VPIP to asses opponents
Are your opponents positionally aware?
You shouldn't just look at the VPIP stat and make a complete conclusion about
how loose or tight a player is (although you will get a good idea) but you should
look at his VPIP stats by position as the table to see if your opponent looks
positionally aware and perhaps (rightly so) folding more from early position and
opening up his range as he gets closer to the (and on the) button.
Tight Players VPIP
In a 6 max poker game a tight player would be playing anything from 0 -18% VPIP.
Average - Good players VPIP
Although winning poker can be played with lower and higher VPIP statistics you
will find that most 'good players' run stats between 18 - 28%.
Loose players VPIP
Anything over 30% is a loose players VPIP stats and anything over 40% is likely a fish of some description although
fish too can have higher or lower VPIP stats but if you see someone sat down and playing with say a 60% VPIP over a couple of hundred hands then you can be quite confident that you have a station at the table.
Want to really master using stats?
We have a poker statistics expert who teaches in the
Tagpoker cash school. He will break
down students games as well as teach them how to crush their opponents using poker stats.
To find out more about the Tagpoker cash school,
read here.
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