Yet another pokertracker stats question

[Hallett]

I have been working on two specific areas of my game, tightening up, and being more aggressive. I think I am doing ok on the tightning, but sense that my aggression is too low. 81K hands at party, mostly 2/4, with some various other limits:

VPIP% = 25.69 (this is dropping like a stone, it was up around 26.5, but the last 5K hands or so has been plumetting. Once the previous "not so tight" hands get overwhelmed by new stats, this should approach 20-22 under this current "project".

BB/100 = 2.49

Won $ at showdown = 52.9%

Preflop Raise = 7.36% (increasing at the same rate VPIP is decreasing.

*****this is the one I am worried about*****
Post flop aggression factor, 1.65

I sense this is getting higher, but it is hard to be sure. With 81K of hands played, 5K or so in the last month are not going to impact this number quickly. What should this number look like? Are the other numbers ok? Any advice?

Thnaks!!! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Hallett]

c/mon, anyone have a comment on the aggression? I reposted in software, but the bulk of my hands are small-stakes, so I would value any input.

[helpmeout]

If you are going to post stats post a lot of them.

1.65 postflop aggression really doesnt mean anything on its own.

You need aggression on each street.

I think that around 2 on each street is pretty good.

Its only a problem if your numbers are way different on each street or significantly below 2.

Usually river aggression is the lowest so dont be worried if it is 1.7 or 1.8.

[Hallett]

Thank you, I see what you mean.

Total Aggression post flop, since November 1, which is when I made a conscious decision to increase aggression. Number then was 1.65 total. Now, 1.85 total, not as much of in increase as I thought.

Flop: 2.03
Turn: 2.17
River: 1.42 ** This looks too low....

[ZeeBee]

Rather than just trying to get your agression up (or getting any other stats looking good) you should focus on "playing right". If you "play right" then the stats (and the profit) should follow. otherwise you can easily increase aggression by betting and raising more indiscriminantly /images/graemlins/wink.gif

"Playing right" is easier said than done of course. But regarding aggressiveness on the river - do you have a clear theoretical understanding of when you think you should be betting/calling/raising on the river - with what sort of hands, in what situations, for what purpose? Or do you just sort of play it by ear

There are good expositions of how to play the river in many books - especially Theory of Poker.

ZB

[Hallett]

[ QUOTE ]
Rather than just trying to get your agression up (or getting any other stats looking good) you should focus on "playing right". If you "play right" then the stats (and the profit) should follow. otherwise you can easily increase aggression by betting and raising more indiscriminantly /images/graemlins/wink.gif

"Playing right" is easier said than done of course. But regarding aggressiveness on the river - do you have a clear theoretical understanding of when you think you should be betting/calling/raising on the river - with what sort of hands, in what situations, for what purpose? Or do you just sort of play it by ear

There are good expositions of how to play the river in many books - especially Theory of Poker.

ZB

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for your comment, but I think I was not clear. I have read a great many books, and played a lot of hands of poker. I "think" I am playing right. However, when I look at my own stats, I see aggression is low. I see numbers from others, and they are more aggressive than I am. Perhaps others are playing more "rght" than I? I then look to see if there is a weakness in my game, hence the original post. I am by no means looking to simply throw raises and bets in to raise an arbitrary number, rather I am using the number to go back to my game and see if there are concerns. If people on this forum, who play a good game, have a higher aggression factor than me, I want to evaluate to see if I am on the right track.

[helpmeout]

Playing a lot of hands and reading a lot of books does not make you good nor does having a high aggression factor.

Each time you sit down at a table you have a different situation. Betting and raising is not always the best way to make the most money.

You might be in a situation where you have a 1card straight on the river which isnt to the nuts with a person betting into you and 4 people to act. Raising is clearly not the best thing to do here as most weaker hands wont pay 2 bets, but they will frequently pay 1.

I usually think what a bet means from my opponents allowing me to choose whether to raise, call or fold. You dont just think to yourself well I have a good hand I better raise.

Your position, type of opponents, the board all have a lot to do with your decisions, focus on them not just aggression.

[Octopus]

[ QUOTE ]
I "think" I am playing right. However, when I look at my own stats, ...

[/ QUOTE ]

You have now officially gotten everything you can from looking at this stat (and certainly everything we can get).

It seems obvious, but it is worth saying that the aggression stat can be lowered by only 3 things: 1) calling when you should raise, 2) calling when you should fold and 3) folding when you should raise. (The third one is probably not that important with regard to this statistic.) If you want to find plays which are lowering aggression, look for calls.

Do you use inflated estimates of your implied odds (or the likelihood your opponent is bluffing) to justify chasing? Do you call down when you should know that you are beat? Do you protect your hand enough (even if your hand is just a draw and overcards) when the pot is big? Look for these (and countless other) situations where you just call. When you find some, post.

[smoore]

It sounds like you're exactly where I am in regards to leak plugging. I let pokertracker auto-rate me over ~20k hands and I'm semi-loose agressive PASSIVE. Boy, that passive hit me like a punch in the chest... "I'm not passive, dammit! Hm, look at all those calls..."

Ok, so I'm passive postflop. I think this means that, in my case, I'm calling too far with overcards and draws that don't come in. I've decided to try to fix this by actually checkraising some of my TPTK (not every time) hands, my two pair hands and every so often my sets. I also recently got the idea that you can't protect your big hands in a big pot against a large field UNTIL THE TURN (thanks Ed, David and Mason!) so I'll be doing more checkraising on the larger street when I'm convinced someone will bet for me. I have never been much of a checkraiser and I think it hurts my bottom line.

If I get more agressive by raising more often and not just flat calling big draws I will be more in line with what I want to be (f'in feared!). I think this will bring my stats into line and I won't be a "pokertracker TAG", but an actual TAG.

[ZeeBee]

The reason for my comment was that I struggle to see how anyone really following the advice in, say, Small Stakes Holdem could have an AF of less than 2.

When I read it it caused an instant jump in AF to >3 - followed by a drop to about 2.5 when I reread and calmed down somewhat with overcards and other weaker hands. Check some of the example hands in SSH and see if you would do what the book recommends.

Rgds

ZB

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
Once the previous "not so tight" hands get overwhelmed by new stats, this should approach 20-22 under this current "project".

...

I sense this is getting higher, but it is hard to be sure. With 81K of hands played, 5K or so in the last month are not going to impact this number quickly.


[/ QUOTE ]
No one cares how you used to play before you changed your game.

Poker Tracker will show you statistics for a specified time period. Go to the Preferences tab under Ring Game Player Statistics. Under "Session Dates" select 'Since a Date' and fill in an appropriate date.

Go back to the General Info tab and you will see how you are currently playing.

[Hallett]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Once the previous "not so tight" hands get overwhelmed by new stats, this should approach 20-22 under this current "project".

...

I sense this is getting higher, but it is hard to be sure. With 81K of hands played, 5K or so in the last month are not going to impact this number quickly.


[/ QUOTE ]
No one cares how you used to play before you changed your game.

Poker Tracker will show you statistics for a specified time period. Go to the Preferences tab under Ring Game Player Statistics. Under "Session Dates" select 'Since a Date' and fill in an appropriate date.

Go back to the General Info tab and you will see how you are currently playing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, thank you, I figured this out last night. I sometimes get mixed up with the difference between filters on the main General window, and the preferences tab. I had no idea I could get this stat for any time period I want. And I do realize that nobody gives a rats ass about before I changed, and I doubt they really care about after either.. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

But thanks, I posted something and you added to it. If I hadn't learned last night that I could change the dates, I would have learned from your post. That is what makes these forums, and the people who post here, so great. I thank you sincerely.