VPIP and PFR: the two stats that reveal how you play

“I think I play well” isn't data. VPIP and PFR are: two percentages that, together, describe your playing style better than any hunch.

VPIP — how many hands you play

VPIP (Voluntarily Put money In Pot) is the % of hands in which you put money in voluntarily preflop (calling or raising). It doesn't count the big blind when you just pay it without choosing to.

• •High VPIP (40%+): you play too many hands. It's the most common and most expensive leak of the new player.
• •Low VPIP (sub-15%): you play too few; you become predictable and leave money on the table.
• •Healthy range in 6-max: ~22-28%.

PFR — how many hands you raise

PFR (PreFlop Raise) is the % of hands in which you raise preflop. It measures how aggressive you are before the flop. Aggression used well wins pots without having to show the best cards.

The key is the relationship between the two

What really matters is how close your PFR is to your VPIP. The gap reveals your style:

• •VPIP and PFR close together (e.g. 24/20): aggressive, solid play. When you enter the pot, you usually enter raising. That's the profile you want.
• •VPIP far above PFR (e.g. 35/8): too passive. You call a lot and raise little — the classic “calling station” that loses in the long run.

How do you know your numbers?

You need a history of your hands. In EVolve you can paste your PokerStars hand history into the tracker and the coach calculates your real stats (VPIP, PFR and more) and tells you which leak to attack first.