The layout and statistics in our HUD is a very personal part of our game. Different players with different play styles will be more interested in certain stats over others. A LAG player might be interested in stats that revolve around knowing how often a player folds to preflop pressure. A TAG player might be interested in stats that revolve around knowing how often a player calls with worse hands preflop. In this section we will look at some stats we definitely want on our HUD, and also explore some other stats that can aid our preflop game.
Hands.
• Sample size is always very important. The more hands we have on a player, the more “real” we can assume their stats are. (Read “The Quick Inference” section below for a more in depth look at how we can use sample size)
VPIP.
• This is the measure of how many hands a player played by putting money into the pot voluntarily. So if a player checks their option from the BB and never puts a cent in the pot, that doesn't count as VPIP. This very basic stat gives us an idea of how many pots this player is getting involved in, and color coding it for quick analysis is a good idea.
PFR.
• This is the measure of how many hands a player is raising preflop. PFR should always be taken in the context of VPIP. If a player has a 15% PFR, that means something entirely different if the player has a 55% VPIP or a 17% VPIP. Color coding this stat is also a good idea so as to quickly get an idea of a person's player type.
AF.
• The aggression factor stat can give us an idea of a player's aggressive tendencies. The formula for it is (AF = (Bets + Raises)/Calls). A higher AF implies a player is more likely to bet or raise rather than to call.
ATS.
• A player's attempt to steal can be very helpful for us. A higher attempt to steal lets us know they are stealing with a higher frequency and that their steal range is inherently weaker. This can also be a decent gauge of a player's positional awareness, as a high ATS implies that they understand the wisdom of playing lots of hands from late position.
Limp/Call.
• This stat lets us know how often a player limps and then calls a raise preflop. A high limp/call percentage let's us know this player isn't folding to a raise often, and that we should be selective with our isolation range.
3B.
• The 3-bet percentage is helpful in allowing us to visualize a player's 3-bet range. A higher 3-bet percentage can tell us that this player isn't just 3-betting the strongest of hands. The larger a 3-bet percentage is, the more bluffs they tend to have in their 3-bet range.
Foldv3B.
• A player's “Fold Facing A 3-bet” stat gives us an idea on how that player proceeds when facing a 3-bet. If a player has a very high Foldv3B, then we know that they only continue with strong hands. But this needs to be taken in context with their VPIP/PFR. If a player who is running
12/6 has a 50% Foldv3B, it is entirely different than a 19/17 having a 50% Foldv3B. The 12/6 is rarely folding when facing a 3-bet because their opening range is so inherently strong.
Resteal.
• The resteal percentage lets us know how often a player is 3-betting a steal. This is very helpful when trying to visualize a players 3-bet range when we steal and they 3-bet. A higher resteal generally has more air and semi-bluff hands in it, and can help us make better decisions.
FoldvResteal.
• This lets us know how often a player steals and then folds when somebody resteals. This number needs to be taken into context with ATS. If a player steals rarely, it means their steal range is strong and thus seeing a low FoldvResteal percentage would not be shocking. Players with a large FoldvResteal and an aggressive ATS should be restolen against often.
CB.
• While a player's continuation bet percentage isn't a preflop stat, it can help us create lines before we even make our preflop action. If we know a player is going to CB almost always, we can call a different range against them than a player who would CB rarely. A player who would CB rarely is perfect for calling often IP and taking the pot away when they check. (Please note that there is a difference between “CB” and “CB in a 3-bet pot.”)
FoldvCB.
• Again, not a preflop stat, but a player's “Fold Facing Flop CB” is very helpful for our preflop plays. If we see a player has a high FoldvCB, then we know we can play more aggressively because if our play doesn't work preflop, we know it will work with a CB a large percentage of the time. (Please note that there is a difference between “FoldvCB” and
“FoldvCB in a 3-bet pot.”)
Pop Up.
• A pop up is useful for all the detailed information that we don't have space for on our HUD. Detailed information like position specific PFR or 3B can be helpful in creating lines not only preflop, but postflop. Make sure the pop up is organized so finding information is easy in real- time.