hi guys and thanks for this great site. i have been playing poker now for about six months and im just about holding my own but i know there is much i need to learn. i have just started using holdem manager and was wondering what my stats should be? please could you write a article about stats and what they mean. i have watched the videos about them and i think i get the jist but still unsure about what mine should be. cheers paul

Yes you are right - I think it's time to write a detailed article about stats. I will do that in short order.

In the meantime, I'd say an ideal range when you're starting out (at 6max) is:

VPIP: 16-19%
PFR: 14-17%

3-bet%: Get this to at least 5%. If it's less than that, people will read you like a book and know you always have very strong hands when you 3-bet. Experiment with 3-betting a lot in position. Will put your opponents in very tough spots.

What's most important is that your VPIP/PFR spread is very close to each other. If it's not, it means you are CALLING others' raises waaaaay too liberally. 3-bet or fold is usually the best option when you're starting out. There are a lot of nuances to working in calls to your game (knowing what flops are good to bluff-raise and what frequencies to bluff) that I wouldn't do it too much if you're new to the game. Aggression is key.

thanks for the info and will look forward to your article

hi me again with another request. i am having trouble with hand reading and what to look for when putting people on hand ranges. it would be helpful to have sort of a check list to help or any ideas on hand reading. i have watched the videos on this but still no improvment. if i had a list of things to take into account i think i would do better at it. cheers paul

Cool - I will discuss this in depth next video.