To be a successful poker player, you always need to be on the lookout for ways to exploit your opponents. An effective way of doing this is by using a HUD with poker statistics.

Short for heads-up display, poker HUDs are tools used in online poker games to track and display opponents’ poker statistics in real-time. Playing with a HUD can give you a big edge if used correctly. If misinterpreted, incorrect deductions can decrease your edge.

Read on to discover some of the most important statistics of poker to include on your HUD, either on the main display or in a pop-up.

Important Stats for Your HUD

There are many differences between live and online poker. Online poker gives you the ability to play multiple hands in a small space of time. Live poker provides physical information on each opponent.

One of the biggest differences between live and digital poker is the use of a HUD. Most online players will tell you that their HUD is their best friend, while many live players don’t know what the player poker stats are, nor do they know how to use this information. 

HUD stats will give you a statistical way of summing up another player. Below are the most crucial stats to include on your HUD. 

VPIP

This is arguably the most important stat on your HUD. VPIP is a player’s “voluntarily put money in pot” percentage. If a player posts the big blind and never puts another cent in the pot, it doesn’t count because the money put in wasn’t voluntary. 

Essentially, it tells how often this player is getting involved preflop. A high VPIP lets you know that a player is very active preflop, while a low VPIP lets you know that a player is being much more selective with their hands.

PFR

The preflop raise (PFR) stat is a percentage that lets you know how often a player raises preflop. A high PFR lets you know that a player is raising and playing a lot of their preflop hands aggressively. 

A low PFR can mean various things, and this is why you would usually look at VPIP and PFR together. A large gap between VPIP and PFR implies that a player is more passive. 

AF

The aggression frequency (AF) is a measure of a player’s aggressive tendencies in poker, calculated as (bets + raises) divided by calls. 

An AF of three would indicate that a player is three times more likely to be aggressive than to call, while an AF of one suggests an equal likelihood of aggression and calling. Skilled players recognize that a lower AF may indicate that another player has a weaker poker understanding. 

ATS

Attempt to steal the blinds (ATS) is another very useful HUD stat that will help you make better decisions at the poker table, especially in late position battles. This stat tells you how often your opponent attempts to steal the blinds from a steal position. 

In other words, it’s a percentage indicating the rate at which opponents in the cutoff, button, or small blind fold when facing their raises. This stat is great because it gives you a good amount of insight into the positional awareness of a player. 

3-Bet

The “3-bet” stat is a crucial HUD in poker and reveals how often a player re-raises before the flop. It’s a percentage indicating how frequently a player 3-bets when given the chance. This stat helps assess a player’s preflop aggression and will help you decide whether to steal pots or widen your own raising range.

Flop C-Bet

A continuation bet (c-bet) is when the original aggressor bets the flop. A high flop c-bet implies that you can expect him to c-bet a large part of his opening range, whereas a low one implies that he’s only c-betting with a stronger range of hands.

Fold to Flop C-Bet

Fold to flop c-bet tells you how often a player has called a raise preflop and then folded to a c-bet on the flop. A high number here indicates that they play a very fit-or-fold style when calling preflop (which, in turn, allows you to c-bet in spots you may have otherwise checked).

Hands

This is how many hands you have on your opponent. You can only get hands on your opponent when you play against them, so this is also a good way of knowing how much you have played together. 

Get Familiar With HUD Stats at BetMGM

The poker HUD stats above are must-have numbers and are best used in small-stakes games online. Live players can’t get these stats in an automated way, but the information gleaned from these stats can be universally applied in both live and online poker games. Register with BetMGM online casino for online poker and poker tournaments and use HUD stats as part of your poker strategy.