When hearing players talk about VPIP and PFR at the poker table, it can seem like they’re speaking in another language. If you’re new to the game, figuring out what these terms mean can be intimidating. Fortunately, we’re here to break them down so you can better understand what these figures represent and how to use them in your own strategy.
VPIP stands for Voluntary Put Money In Pot and it refers to the percentage of hands a player calls or raises preflop. It’s calculated by adding up all the times a player calls or raises a bet in a session and dividing that number by the total hands played. It’s not a precise measurement, but it provides a general idea of how often an opponent calls or raises and can be a good indicator of their overall playing style.
A player’s VPIP can be determined by a combination of their position, how aggressive they play and the quality of their hole cards. Usually, players with higher VPIP are looser, while tighter players have lower VPIPs. A good goal is to get your VPIP up to 15% or more. This indicates that you’re only playing quality holes and raising frequently before the flop. It also means that you aren’t calling with weak hands just to see a flop.
A high VPIP can also be an indication of a player who is afraid to fold, making them vulnerable to bluffing against. This is a common mistake made by beginners and poor players. A good goal is to keep your opponents’ VPIPs closer to their PFR. This will allow you to steal more blinds by raising and reraising with strong hands in position.
The VPIP of a player can be determined by using a poker tracking software program that’s designed to overlay over your poker client and provide various statistics, including VPIP. There are a few well-known programs that calculate this statistic, such as Holdem Manager and Poker Tracker. These programs make the process of estimating VPIP easier and more accurate.
It’s important to note that VPIP can change drastically in small sample sizes, so you should wait for at least 30 hands to begin making a read on an opponent. For example, a TAG could have a few hands with zero playable cards and look like a nit, while over time they may get a string of strong hands and become a loose-aggressive maniac.
Once you’ve determined an opponent’s VPIP, you can use this information to determine their preflop hand range. Using this knowledge, you can target weaknesses and try to exploit them in the early stages of the hand. Ideally, you want to target players with high VPIPs by raising with quality hands in positions where they are likely to call, and by bluffing against them in positions where they’re likely to fold. You can also take advantage of players with low VPIPs by entering the pot with strong hands and forcing them to call with weaker holdings.