Increasing VP$IP...

[x2ski]

Over my 108,000 hands of $3/$6 since 1/1/05, my VP$IP sits at a whopping 14.46. I don't like it, but after countless hours of searching the 2+2 forums and Google, I've yet to find areas to increase it.

At most of the $3/$6 tables that I find myself, a majority of the hands are raised preflop, most of the time by myself or another solid player (say what you will about me being a solid player [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]).

As a result of my experience and research, I have narrowed the possible areas for increasing my VP$IP to two separate categories: cold calling seemingly-legitimate raises more often (e.g. cold-calling an EP raiser who is a solid player with ???), and calling raises (one small bet) from the Big Blind more often.

The only time I will cold-call raises in situations such as the example above is with AJs and KQs... the rest I'm either raising or mucking.

As far as the Big Blind play is concerned, I have been experimenting with Abdul Jalib's Big Blind Defense strategy for the last 30,000 or so hands. I haven't been capable of bringing myself to follow it precisely (i.e. calling a legitimate raise in the BB holding 42o), but his is a very uncomfortable concept to get used to.

Anyway, over these 30,000 hands, my VP$IP has not gone up markedly at all (14.68); however, my Folded BB to Steal has gone down to 55.90%. I don't know if this is still too much or too little, but the results I'm looking for aren't there.

Maybe I should begin cold-calling more often, but with what?

During my search for an answer to these questions, I have repeatedly seen other posters/bloggers ask if there is a specific source (publication, website etc.) to turn to for answers... there doesn't seem to be.

Given the PT stats that pop-up on PlayerView regarding many of the players I compete with on a daily basis, I am sure there are many others who would love to know how you 17-22% VP$IPers do it, including myself.

What say you?

[MEbenhoe]

This may sound crazy, but have you considered the possibility that instead of including more cold-calls, possibly 3 betting in certain spots where you're currently folding? This is a huge generalization, but its hard to be more specific without more information.

[Harv72b]

What pocket pairs (if any) are you folding when it's raised ahead of you?

I run a VP$IP of around 19 on Party 3/6 (much smaller sample size than yours, but VP$IP firms up pretty quickly). I've enjoyed quite a bit of success with this.

Anyway, I think some likely places where you're cheating yourself out of some flops would be:

-small pocket pairs. Limp them from any position, except first in from CO or Button--then you raise them.
-suited connectors and semi-connectors. Depending on how big the cards are, you obviously need some limpers ahead of you to justify the call, but these are also legit blind stealing hands, especially if you know the blinds are tight and/or weak.
-AXo hands. In most 3/6 games, you can profitably raise ATo from any position outside the blinds (unless first in or vs. a late limper from the blinds, when you'd obviously want to raise). I've also found that you can often limp behind a couple players in LP with A9-A7o, possibly even raising A9o. You have to be pretty comfortable with your postflop play, though. And I will almost always call a raise from the BB with any A, although I haven't had enough examples to get an accurate guage on how I do with that play.
-Expand your stealing hand standards. You didn't address this aspect of your game in the OP, so I really don't know how much (if any) would be applicable.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head; in all honesty, much of it is so instinctual that I'm not even sure if I could write it all out given the time & motivation. Then again, people from the SS forum will likely tell you that I push my hand selection a little too far from time to time. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[x2ski]

[ QUOTE ]
This may sound crazy, but have you considered the possibility that instead of including more cold-calls, possibly 3 betting in certain spots where you're currently folding? This is a huge generalization, but its hard to be more specific without more information.

[/ QUOTE ]

3-bets in this situation (EP raise from solid player with me in MP/LP) would normally include AKo, AQs & TT-AA. This is an obviously different situation from facing a MP/LP raise from a solid player while on the Button/CO, but I'm not too concerned about that situation at the moment.

Am I missing something?

[x2ski]

Thanks a lot for the post... I have actually started to reduce my limping with small pocket pairs and small suited aces in EP since my 100,000 hand review showed me losing bling with all of them, but I'll take that into consideration.

As far as blind stealing is concerned, I believe that I have greatly increased that aspect of my game so far in 2005. My attempt to steal sits at around 37%... again, I don't know if that is too much or too little, but it seems to be profitable.

I'm beginning to play with ATo a bit more, but A9o-A7o scare the hell outta me lol.

Sometimes I find myself limping in with a hand just because it seems like one that you higher VP$IPers use, but I don't know why I'm doing it, and the results are rarely good [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img].

I would give my left testicle for a 19% VP$IP (my right one and I have a history)

[JTrout]

I sit at around 13.5 VP$IP, playing Party 3-6, and have had good results.
Like you, I've looked for places to play more hands.
Every time I take a strong look at hand selection, my VP$IP goes down a 1/2 percent! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
So I can't give you any good advice, except to say that playing fewer hands makes 4 tabling easier!

[x2ski]

[ QUOTE ]
So I can't give you any good advice, except to say that playing fewer hands makes 4 tabling easier!

[/ QUOTE ]

And six-tabling! [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Or does it??? [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[SinCityGuy]

[ QUOTE ]
Over my 108,000 hands of $3/$6 since 1/1/05, my VP$IP sits at a whopping 14.46. I don't like it,

[/ QUOTE ]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this number at 3/6. If you're playing a 1/2 or 2/3 blind structure, you'd want to be a few points higher.

[TimM]

I've played with you a bit at 3/6. We are about the same in VP$IP.

I don't think adding a few cold calls or 3-bets will increase your numbers much, maybe a point at most, because the situations simply don't come up so much to do more than that.

Some things you can do is, look at the raiser's PFR% and ASB%. I find the attempt to steal blinds number (ASB%) and the comparison to PFR very important as it shows how much this person thinks about position and about being first in when raising. The ASB% only applies to first in raises from the Button or CO, but you can also infer a lot about his open raising from earlier positions as well.

Think about what a guy could have, when his PFR (or ASB as his position is later and he is first in) is greater than your own VP$IP. He is raising with crap you won't even limp in with. Crap that won't be able to even call one SB on most flops because it will be a total miss most of the time. Of course you can now 3-bet much more liberally, and call from the blinds. But you have to be ready to outplay him after the flop. These guys will remember what you do, so it gets easier once you nail them a few times. And to do this it is important you read him well and get away quick when he is ahead, or you will never get rid of him when you want him out (like when he has only one overcard to the flop, but two to your actual hand because you 3-bet him with a mid pair).

But to add more than a half point or so you really have to start limping a lot, especially open limping, something we both don't do very much. That would mean all the small pairs, suited aces, and suited connectors that we are folding when no one has yet limped. But I don't like doing this in these aggressive games where almost every pot is raised pre-flop, so I think I will stick to my 14% and be happy. I suppose you could do it if your table selection is good and you get a lot of tables that play like the lower limits.

[BusterStacks]

This thread is gold to me. I have nearly the same VPIP and cannot for the life of me find where to loosen up.