Low and Micro-Stakes HUDs Analyzed

After taking a look at what some of the mid- and high-level players are using in their Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), it is time to analyze what players are using in the low and micro-stakes levels.  It seems that most players use several universal stats that help them multi-table and make decisions against specific opponents.  These stats include VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money Into Pot), PFR (Pre-Flop Raise), AF (Aggression Factor), Hands (Number of Hands on Opponent), Cbet (Percent of the time opponent will continuation bet), Steal (Percent of the time an opponent will steal), and Fold to Steal (Percent of the time an opponent will fold to a steal attempt).  Beyond these universally used stats, a HUD is very specific for a player and dependent on the level and type of game (Six-Handed or Full Ring).  No HUD is perfect for all players, as each is specifically tailored for each person's needs.  Let's take a look at a player grinding his way up from the micro-stakes and compare him to a winner at the low-stakes levels.

Micro-Stakes Player: Jurnspoker

This micro-stakes player is an active member of a popular online poker forum and is working his way up the levels.  Having started with some lint and pocket change for a bankroll, Jurnspoker is currently killing the $0.10-$0.25 games on PokerStars and is well on his way to the Low-Stakes Full Ring cash games.  He uses Holdem Manager to generate his HUD stats and started playing 10nl ($0.05-$0.10 blinds) at the start of the year, quickly moving up the ladder to 25nl.



VPIP / PFR / AF / Hands
Cbet  / Fold to Cbet / Steal / Fold SB to Steal / Fold BB to Steal
3bet / Limp Call / Showdown

This seems like a very standard HUD for the first two lines.  The first line is almost universal for micro- and low-stakes players: VPIP, PFR, AF and Hands.  The second line centers on continuation bet stats and steal situations.  The third line has the important 3bet stat, along with stats that help identify fish, specifically Limp Call and Showdown.  If you see a lot of limp call and showdown numbers, this is someone you can easily label as a calling station.  Getting value out of these players with a big hand can spell big profits once your session has concluded.

Low-Stakes Player: Wished to Remain Anonymous

Although he doesn't appear in the top 20 of the month's biggest winners for cash games at the $0.50-$1 blind games on PokerStars, this subject (who wished to remain anonymous for this article) has a very respectable 3.5BB/100 win rate at this level.  This player started playing the micro-stakes a year ago and has been playing the 100nl level ($0.50 - $1 blinds) for the last two months.



VPIP / PFR / AF / Hands
3Bet / Fold to 3bet / Flop Cbet / Fold to Flop Cbet
Steal / Fold BB to Steal / Squeeze / Fold to Turn Cbet

This HUD seems pretty economical by some standards and is only three lines long. The top line has the absolute most basic stats around.  The next line gets into some of the "fun" stats, as 3bet and Cbet stats are listed next to the appropriate "Folds to" stats for each category.

The final line is a bit of a mix between pre-flop play stats and a post-flop stat.  It includes Steal, Folds to Steal (again, consistency within the HUD), and Squeeze bet stats, which are all for pre-flop play.  The last one, Folds to Turn Cbet, is the one that seems out of place, but when we asked this player about, that he said, "I was just trying to be economical with my space and put that stat there.  I found myself constantly checking that stat in the popup for players who tended to float me or not fold to Cbets, so it made sense to add it to my HUD."