The GGPoker SmartHUD explained.
Four figures next to an avatar, all of them abbreviations. Here is what they mean and what to do with them.
GGPoker allows no external trackers or HUD software. Run PokerTracker, Hold’em Manager or Hand2Note, even for another site, and since 2024 you risk a warning on your account. What is allowed is the SmartHUD built into the client itself.
Only it shows four abbreviations without any explanation. For those who know what is there, that is enough information to base decisions on. For those who do not, it is decoration. Below is what each figure measures, which values are normal, and what you can do with them.
The guide values apply to 6-max cash games at micro and low stakes. They are ranges from common poker literature, not solver output, and they come with a margin so that nobody reads a single number as a verdict.
VPIP
How many hands someone plays
The percentage of hands in which a player puts money in the pot of their own accord. The blinds do not count, because those are forced. This is the first figure you look at: it tells you whether someone is selective or joins in everywhere.
under 18
very tight
Plays few hands and waits for strong cards. When he bets, he usually has something. His blinds are easy to take, though.
18 to 24
tight
Solid hand selection. This is the profile of the regular you meet at every table.
24 to 32
healthy
Plays a normal number of hands. Here the other figures say more than this one.
32 to 42
loose
Plays more hands than is good for him. His range is weak, so you can take value more thinly.
above 42
very loose
Plays almost everything. Against this profile you earn with patience and with betting for value, not with bluffing.
PFR
How often someone raises themselves
The percentage of hands in which a player raises before the flop. On its own this says little; it gets interesting the moment you subtract it from the VPIP. That difference is called the gap, and the gap is where the money sits.
gap under 5
aggressive
Almost everything he plays, he also raises. Expect pressure and few free cards.
gap 5 to 11
balanced
Normal ratio between calling and raising.
gap above 11
passive
Calls far more often than he raises. This is the most expensive profile at micro stakes: you pay to see what comes instead of taking the lead yourself.
3-bet
How often someone re-raises
The percentage of times a player re-raises someone else’s raise. This figure settles down the slowest of all four, so treat it carefully until you have seen enough hands.
under 3
tight
Rarely re-raises. When he does, believe him, unless you hold a top combination yourself.
3 to 8
normal
The usual frequency at these levels.
above 8
aggressive
Re-raises often, including with hands that do not deserve it. You may push back here more often than against a tight player.
WTSD
How often someone goes to the end
The percentage of times a player who saw the flop also reaches the last card and shows their cards. This figure tells you at a glance whether bluffing against this player makes sense.
under 22
seldom
Rarely reaches the last card. Often because he folds too much along the way, which means you can bet more often without a strong hand.
22 to 30
normal
The usual range.
above 30
often
Frequently goes all the way. Bluffing works badly, taking value works well.
Start with the gap.
Anyone looking at these figures for the first time wants to use them all at once. Do not. Subtract the PFR from the VPIP and look only at that difference.
Small gap, five points at most
This player takes the lead himself. Play back with strong hands and give him no free cards.
Large gap, more than eleven points
This player calls and waits to see what happens. Bet more often, because he hands you the lead for free.
And in your own game
The same gap in your own figures is usually the most expensive pattern in your play. It costs money in every pot you call without a plan.
Frequently asked questions
Am I allowed to use a normal HUD on GGPoker?
No. GGPoker forbids external trackers and HUD software. Since 2024 you even risk a warning if you run such software for another poker site while playing on GG. The built-in SmartHUD is allowed, because it runs inside the client itself.
From how many hands do these figures mean something?
Count on at least 500 hands before you take a percentage seriously, and on considerably more for the 3-bet. Below that line, a player who happened to get a strong hand twice looks like an aggressor. With opponents you rarely see those numbers, so use their figures as a direction and not as proof.
What is the most important figure to look at?
The gap between VPIP and PFR. A large gap means someone calls a lot and raises little, and at micro stakes that is the pattern that costs the most. See it in an opponent and you may bet against him more often. See it in yourself and you know where you win first.
Can I keep my opponents’ figures?
Not across sessions. GGPoker encrypts opponents’ names in the hand history, so the same player gets a different code tomorrow. Your own figures can be followed in full, and that is where most of the gain sits anyway.
your own figures
How do your four stack up?
Import your hand history and Pokiq puts your own VPIP, PFR, gap, 3-bet and showdown next to these bands, with the biggest deviation at the top. Free to start.
Start freeNot sure how to export your hands? That is covered in the guide to your hand history.