Six Max Limit Play: VPIP Metrics

Submitted by: TightEnd on Tue, 10/02/2009 - 6:37pm

Key metrics in 6-max limit hold ‘em

The first game that I ever played online was limit hold ‘em and I have held a very close affinity with this game ever since despite getting seriously bored with it several years ago. However there are not many sources around today that discuss six-max limit play in depth and especially with regards what the key metrics are.

I did my own in depth analysis of this game some years ago before tracking software really took off. These days I use tracking software whenever I have to as it is part and parcel of online poker. For me personally I prefer Poker Office and always have done but that’s just a personal choice.

Tracking software is probably more important in limit play than in any other game purely because the game is more mathematically inclined. But in this article I would like to take a look at correct VPIP ranges in short handed and six-max limit games.

Before I go any further I think that I have to point out that in my opinion, I consider VPIP to be the most important metric in six-max play. I think that it is more important than PFR, AF or even Won $ at showdown.

A high VPIP will mean that your range is simply too wide when you raise or you are limping too much. It may also mean that you are defending your blind too much as well. High VPIP’s can mean different things for different players at different limits. It is not sufficient to say that a player has a 39% VPIP at six-handed play. We need to know how he is choosing to enter pots in what situations.

Quite often we will have to cross reference certain key metrics to fine tune our views on certain players in order to ascertain their level of skill. Likewise a low VPIP in six-max play will mean that you are playing too tightly in relation to the blind pressure. The strategic nature of limit play dictates that you must be aggressive but it is the frequency of that aggression that many players miss.

With the filters set to between 5-6 players then you need to be aiming to have a VPIP in limit hold’em in the range of 22%-34%. Very strong players can get away with VPIP’s in the 35%-40% range and I even known winning players as high as 44% over very large sample sizes but I certainly do not recommend that you do the same.

Obtaining a VPIP of less than 22% or greater than 34% will simply mean that you are playing too few or too many hands that simply are not going to be profitable or you are playing them in such a way as to reduce their profitability. Also it is worth mentioning that the sample size that you will need in order to ascertain your VPIP isn’t as large as what many people think.

 

You can obtain decent statistics with VPIP after no more than about 500 hands which is something that cannot be said with most poker related stats.

With a VPIP of less than 22% then you are not playing strong poker. You may be fine at the 20-21% mark if you are playing well post flop and you are in decent games but you should certainly not be drifting down into the teens.

Stats as low as this indicates that you are either not defending your blinds adequately or being too tight with hands that you really should be raising or three betting with. These sorts of low VPIP’s can sometimes be an indicator that a player has recently switched from playing full-ring limit or they are new to six max play.

Likewise a VPIP at over 40% is bad for nearly all players and getting into the high forties is almost like a licence to lose money. Loose passive players have high VPIP’s and loose passive players cannot beat decent level limit games. You can get yourself into a whole heap of trouble with a high VPIP.

Loose aggressive players and maniacs win lots of pots with these levels of VPIP but they are continually getting involved with inferior hands or maybe they are picking the wrong spots to try and isolate. I will be looking at other metrics in later articles but there are many hands in limit hold’em that you should generally refrain from three betting with.

Hands that are reverse dominated for instance like weak aces or smallish Broadway cards like J-10 play poorly against players with low VPIP’s and low aggression factors. A high VPIP can also be an indication of a player who is not watching the other players closely enough because if they were then they certainly would be identifying situations where it was clearly incorrect play to three bet.

There is a fine balance that needs to be created in limit hold’em. Even if you have a strong technical edge over your opposition then this does not give you the freedom to expand your range too much.

 

Carl "The Dean" Sampson is sponsored by Cake Poker and can be seen at www.cakepoker.com/thedean and at www.pokersharkpool.com