What are the most important stats to keep track of?

Long time reader - first time poster.

I have been playing online with moderate success but with limited bankroll. Currently saving for PokerTracker (I know it is only $55 or so, but after having just bought a house - I am tapped) so until then I have been going over my hand histories by...well...hand.

Using a spreadsheet to go over each hand, I am able to catagorize many different areas of my game.

My questions are as follows...
1) IYO, What are the most important stats to keep track of?
2) What are the formulas used to get those stats?
3) Can this information be taken from you basic hand histories?

I hope that sometime in the future (maybe around 2017) I will have but a fraction of this nice bankrolls that you regulars speak of.

Thanks in advance.

Stats differ between Sng and ring game

download the demo version of PO (I dont know if PT has one) and see what type of statistics they keep track of. Ultimetly you want to be able to break everything down by starting hands and position.

Mainly playing SnG's right now to build up to the ring games and larger MTTs. Yes, my bankroll is that low. Finished ITM on a freeroll last month and I am trying to see how painfully slow it will take me to get it somewhere. So far, I have 15x more than what I started with - which isn't a whole hell of alot.

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by GrimmyDee

Currently saving for PokerTracker (I know it is only $55 or so, but after having just bought a house - I am tapped)

This might be an alternative; http://www.pokeroffice.com/free.html.

In Sngs statistical analysis changes drastically as the table gets shorter and the blinds get higher, it is very very tough to manage it without a database behind in my opinion

Originally Posted by TLR

In Sngs statistical analysis changes drastically as the table gets shorter and the blinds get higher, it is very very tough to manage it without a database behind in my opinion

Yeah, that's right. I'd say it's pretty much impossible to do it.

Ok, in working with the hand histories tonight I see what you mean. I have noticed that my play has become more aggresive as the tournies go on so on that note, I am pleased.

Let me ask this then, would in be plausible to section off stats based on blind level?

For example, to have a section for when blinds < 50, then another for 50-100, another for 100-150, etc. or is that just being unrealistic?

I guess I need to get my butt in gear and get to my goal to reach ring games.

Originally Posted by GrimmyDee

Let me ask this then, would in be plausible to section off stats based on blind level?

For example, to have a section for when blinds < 50, then another for 50-100, another for 100-150, etc. or is that just being unrealistic?

This is one of the things that Poker Tracker breaks out for you. It is definitely useful to review how you're playing SNGs at what blind level. Manually? I don't know how much work that would be, but you could certainly see how much effort it would take.

As for your initial questions, two major stats to keep track of are VPIP and PFR.

VPIP is "voluntarily put ($) in pot", and is a essentially what percentage of hands dealt you actually play (not counting free ones from the BB). This can give you an idea of how tight/loose you are playing as far as your opening hand selection.

PFR is "pre-flop raise" and is a percentage of hands dealt that you raised before the flop. This one is an indicator of preflop aggression.

Those two stats are widely referenced when discussing game play. You'll sometimes see someone refer to his opponent as a 17/7 or a 35/20. These are VP$IP/PFR, and there are actually classifications of playing styles defined by these two stats (well, + post-flop aggression). For example, someone who limps in every other hand is going to be a 50/0, and I'd start looking at him as a potential mega-fish.

Poker Tracker does indeed have a free trial you can download. It will let you import 1000 hands before you have to buy. This is enough to let you get a look at the vast array of stats that PT keeps for you. I highly recommend checking it out.

It sounds like you don't want to buy PT at this time, no big deal. So for sng's, all you really need to do is keep track religiously of your games played.

date/time/count
buyin
number of players
place
amount won

From that you will be able to easily track ITM% and more importantly, ROI. You will also be able to easily do trending analysis.

If you want to know how you are doing in hand-to-hand playing, post some hh's to the sng board, there are a ton of us crazies in there who will review your whole hh and let you know what we think in general about your play as well as get into the details of each hand.

bb/1,000,000 hands

TOTAL AMOUNT WON $$$$$