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One of the most important statistics in poker is VPIP. This term, shortened from the English Voluntarily Put Money In pot (voluntarily invested in the bank money), is a preflop metric that shows how often a player invests money in the pot when he has the opportunity. Limps, calls, raises, 3-bets – all these actions form the VPIP indicator. However, where is the line between the low and high value of this stat? In this article, we will look at how VPIP is calculated and how to interpret it correctly.
1. What is VPIP?
First of all, it is necessary to understand what VPIP means. This parameter displays the frequency with which the player voluntarily contributes money to the pot. You may have come across different spellings of this term – VPIP and VP$IP, but both mean the same thing.
The calculation formula is as follows:
VPIP = (Number of times the player deposited money into the pot) / (Total number of hands played)
For example, if a poker player invested money in the pot 15 times for 80 hands, his VPIP will be 19%. A more accurate formula takes into account situations when a player automatically receives a pot on BB due to opponents' folds. In such cases, VPIP is not taken into account, since the player did not have the opportunity to voluntarily enter the hand.
Let's look at an example. Let's say UTG makes a limp of $1, MR foldit, and CO yields up to $5. Button and small blind players folds their cards.
- UTG invested the money voluntarily – its VPIP is 100%.
- MR fold without entering the pot – its VPIP = 0%.
- SO made a raise, which is a voluntary investment, his VPIP is also 100%.
- Button and SB defoliated, their VPIP = 0% button and SB defoliated, their VPIP = 0%.
- BB called, adding $4 in pot – his VPIP = 100%.
Now the VPIP for each player in this hand is fixed and will no longer change, regardless of the subsequent actions on the post-flop.
2. VPIP on blinds
On the blinds, the situation is a little more complicated. Many newcomers mistakenly believe that if a player on SB or BB has already placed mandatory bet, they are counted in VPIP. But the key point here is the word “voluntarily”. If SB folds despite having already staked half of the big blind, it is not considered a voluntary contribution. Therefore, its VPIP = 0%. BB has the opportunity to check and watch the flop for free, which does not affect VPIP. However, if he decides to place a bet, call or play a check-raise, his VPIP in this hand will be 100%.
Let's say we have the following hand:
- MR makes a limp, CO also limits, everyone else folds, and BB just checks.
- MRs and VPIP COs will have 100% as they voluntarily invested money.
- And BB has VPIP = 0%, because he did not invest additional chips.
Now imagine that BB decides to bet on the flop or play a check-raise – in this case, he voluntarily invested the money, and the VPIP in this hand will rise to 100%. Usually in HUD, we do not see players with VPIP exactly 100% or 0%, since the indicator is averaged. For example, if a player played 5 hands, and in two of them entered the pot, his pot will be 40% (2/5). To get an accurate picture of VPIP, you need to play at least 100 hands. At a the long run of 300+ hands, you can already draw confident conclusions about the style of the opponent's game.
3. Influence of VPIP on player classification
VPIP allows you to quickly determine the opponent's style of play. Let's imagine a scale from 0% to 100% and analyze which players fall into different range.
- More than 40% of VPIPs are most often phishes that enter the pot too often and with weak hands. They are easy to operate.
- VPIP 10-16% – nits playing only strong hands. In the full ring, they have VPIP up to 10%, and in the 6-max – up to 16%.
- The average tag (tight-aggressive player) has 15% VPIP in the full ring and about 20% in the 6-max.
Example of 40% range: almost any suited connectors, weak aces and offsuited gappers are included.
Example of a 10% range: only premium hands, such as AA, KK, QQ, AK, are included.
If a player shows a VPIP that does not match his style in a short period of time (for example, tag with 40% VPIP on 10 hands), do not immediately draw conclusions. You need more hands for an objective assessment. I recommend taking VPIP into account on at least 40 hands for primary analysis, and on 100+ hands you can draw confident conclusions.
4. Conclusion
VPIP is one of the key indicators that allows you to quickly understand how loose or secretly an opponent plays villain. Using these statistics, you can more effectively build strategies, exploit weak players and adapt to rivals. It is important to remember that VPIP is updated after each hand and is one of the fastest and most reliable statistical tools. Now that you know how to calculate and apply it, use HUD consciously and find new ways to exploit opponents!
