Essential Postflop Stats
Postflop statistics play a critically important role in forming the strategies of any successful poker player. In this article, we will discuss key postflop stats and how these data can be used to analyze opponents’ playing styles and adapt your game accordingly.
Table of Contents:
- WTSD
- W$SD
- WWSF
Continuation Bet
A continuation bet, or a c-bet, is a bet made on the flop by the player who made the last preflop raise. In Hand2Note 4, this situation is represented by the Continuation Bet Flop stat. Since the opportunity for a continuation bet arises in almost every hand, the statistics on this metric are collected quite quickly.
The frequency of an opponent’s continuation bet indicates their playing style. Players with a high c-bet percentage often bet on the flop automatically, regardless of their hand strength. Conversely, opponents with a low c-bet percentage tend to play more cautiously and make continuation bets only with strong hands.
When you encounter a continuation bet on the flop, you can devise exploitative strategies against your opponents based on the frequency of their c-bets:
● Against Low C-Bet Frequency:
- Continue playing only with hands that have potential to improve, and avoid bluff raises, folding weak hands on the flop.
● Against High C-Bet Frequency:
- Use bluff raises more often, as such players frequently fold to aggression. You can also float the flop (just call) with the intention of taking the pot on later streets.
Preflop, we defended our big blind by calling with JT suited against an open raise from a regular player on the Small Blind. On a rainbow flop of AK6, we only have a gutshot, and the opponent makes a continuation bet.
In the HUD of Hand2Note 4, we see that our opponent c-bets 70% of the time on average. Moreover, the dynamic HUD shows that their continuation bet frequency out of position against one opponent reaches 93%.
This is a good spot for a bluff raise, as our opponent’s range on the flop is very wide, and facing a raise, they will be forced to fold most of their hands. A call on the flop with the aim of pushing the opponent out of the pot on the turn is also a good play.
Fold to Continuation Bet
The stat Fold to Continuation Bet Flop reflects how often a player folds to a continuation bet on the flop. This stat is important in situations where you were the preflop aggressor.
Players with a high fold to continuation bet percentage often give up to aggression on the flop and prefer not to continue the hand without a strong hand. On the contrary, opponents with a low fold to c-bet percentage persistently defend on the flop, either by calling or even raising.
Depending on how frequently the opponent folds to a c-bet on the flop, you need to adapt your continuation betting strategy.
● Against Low Fold Frequency:
- Avoid making continuation bets with pure bluffs. Bet either with strong made hands or hands that can significantly improve on later streets.
● Against High Fold Frequency:
- Make continuation bets as often as possible, even with air, to take the pot directly on the flop.
We opened with a raise from the Small Blind with K6 suited, and the opponent on the Big Blind called.
We missed the flop, but in our opponent’s HUD, we can see that they fold to continuation bets on the flop 71% of the time. This is too often, so in the long run, a bluff bet on the flop will be very profitable.
WTSD
The WTSD (Went to Showdown) stat indicates how often a player goes to showdown after seeing the flop. For regular players, this stat usually ranges from 27% to 32%.
An inflated WTSD indicates that a player reaches showdown too often, even with hands that should be folded. Players with a low WTSD prefer to get to showdown only with strong hands. Depending on the opponents’ WTSD, optimal adjustments will vary.
● Against High WTSD Players:
- Play more tightly and make bets only with strong hands, as these players do not like to fold and will often pay off your strong combinations.
- If an opponent’s WTSD exceeds 40%, avoid bluffing completely.
● Against Low WTSD Players:
- Attack such players with bluff bets and raises, as they often fold to aggression.
- Apply maximum pressure to opponents with a WTSD below 25%.
A regular player on the Button made a raise, and we called from the Small Blind with J9 suited.
On a rainbow flop of KQ8, we caught a gutshot and a backdoor flush draw, and check-called the continuation bet from the opponent. The turn brought a 9, giving us the bottom pair and completing a possible straight. We checked again, and the opponent fired a second barrel.
Another check-call on the turn would be a weak decision. Firstly, if the opponent has a better hand, we will improve too rarely on the river, making the call unprofitable. Secondly, if we plan to bluff on the river without improving, it will be difficult to represent a strong hand after a check-call on the turn.
A much stronger move on the turn would be a check-raise as a semi-bluff with the plan to either improve or continue bluffing on the river. The Button player’s statistics also indicate the profitability of this decision.
The opponent’s WTSD is only 24%, which is sufficient justification to put pressure on him. Additionally, the dynamic HUD in Hand2Note 4 shows that after a second barrel, the opponent folded to a raise 60% of the time, making the check-raise even more appealing.
W$SD
The W$SD (Won Money at Showdown) stat shows how often a player wins when they get to showdown. For winning regular players, this stat typically ranges from 50% to 55%.
If a player’s winning frequency at showdown is low, it indicates that they often get to showdown with weak hands and lose.
Opponents with a high W$SD mainly show strong hands at showdown and rarely bluff. If such a player shows aggression, you should consider folding even with a fairly good hand:
We made an open raise with pocket aces from the Cutoff and got a call from a regular player on the Big Blind.
On the flop QJ7 two-toned, we made a continuation bet, and the opponent check-called. The turn brought a 6, completing a possible flush, and in response to our second barrel, the opponent check-raised. Let’s examine their statistics.
According to the dynamic HUD in Hand2Note 4, the Big Blind player rarely applies a turn raise, specifically only 8.9% of the time. This indicates a narrow and strong range.
In the player’s popup, we see that their winning frequency at showdown averages 62%, which is very high. Based on this information and considering the strong line the opponent is demonstrating, it is better for us to fold our aces.
WWSF
The WWSF (Won When Saw Flop) stat reflects how often a player wins when they see the flop. An optimal WWSF is around 48%. The higher this stat, the more aggressive the player is postflop, and the more weak hands will be in their betting range.
Combining the WTSD, W$SD, and WWSF stats together will give you a fairly accurate picture of an opponent’s playing style and tendencies. Let’s look at some examples.
Player 1:
A high WWSF and low W$SD indicate that the player is very aggressive and often bluffs. However, they don’t like folding to aggression themselves, as their WTSD is not low.
Against such an opponent, it’s best to play strictly by the book: build big pots with strong hands, bluff-catch them with medium-strength hands, and fold weak hands. Bluffing against this player is not advisable.
Player 2:
A low WWSF and high W$SD indicate that the opponent is passive, rarely bluffs, and mostly shows strong hands at showdown. This is also confirmed by their low WTSD.
You should not try to bluff-catch such players when they take aggressive actions. On the other hand, bluffing against them when they do not show strength will be very profitable.
Using Hand2Note 4 and the key postflop stats we’ve discussed in this article will help you not only better understand your opponents’ playing styles but also find the most effective strategies to exploit them.
Remember, the more hands you have on an opponent, the more accurate and reliable your stats will be.
Essential Postflop Stats
Postflop statistics play a critically important role in forming the strategies of any successful poker player. In this article, we will discuss key postflop stats and how these data can be used to analyze opponents’ playing styles and adapt your game accordingly.
Table of Contents:
- WTSD
- W$SD
- WWSF
Continuation Bet
A continuation bet, or a c-bet, is a bet made on the flop by the player who made the last preflop raise. In Hand2Note 4, this situation is represented by the Continuation Bet Flop stat. Since the opportunity for a continuation bet arises in almost every hand, the statistics on this metric are collected quite quickly.
The frequency of an opponent’s continuation bet indicates their playing style. Players with a high c-bet percentage often bet on the flop automatically, regardless of their hand strength. Conversely, opponents with a low c-bet percentage tend to play more cautiously and make continuation bets only with strong hands.
When you encounter a continuation bet on the flop, you can devise exploitative strategies against your opponents based on the frequency of their c-bets:
● Against Low C-Bet Frequency:
- Continue playing only with hands that have potential to improve, and avoid bluff raises, folding weak hands on the flop.
● Against High C-Bet Frequency:
- Use bluff raises more often, as such players frequently fold to aggression. You can also float the flop (just call) with the intention of taking the pot on later streets.
Preflop, we defended our big blind by calling with JT suited against an open raise from a regular player on the Small Blind. On a rainbow flop of AK6, we only have a gutshot, and the opponent makes a continuation bet.
In the HUD of Hand2Note 4, we see that our opponent c-bets 70% of the time on average. Moreover, the dynamic HUD shows that their continuation bet frequency out of position against one opponent reaches 93%.
This is a good spot for a bluff raise, as our opponent’s range on the flop is very wide, and facing a raise, they will be forced to fold most of their hands. A call on the flop with the aim of pushing the opponent out of the pot on the turn is also a good play.
Fold to Continuation Bet
The stat Fold to Continuation Bet Flop reflects how often a player folds to a continuation bet on the flop. This stat is important in situations where you were the preflop aggressor.
Players with a high fold to continuation bet percentage often give up to aggression on the flop and prefer not to continue the hand without a strong hand. On the contrary, opponents with a low fold to c-bet percentage persistently defend on the flop, either by calling or even raising.
Depending on how frequently the opponent folds to a c-bet on the flop, you need to adapt your continuation betting strategy.
● Against Low Fold Frequency:
- Avoid making continuation bets with pure bluffs. Bet either with strong made hands or hands that can significantly improve on later streets.
● Against High Fold Frequency:
- Make continuation bets as often as possible, even with air, to take the pot directly on the flop.
We opened with a raise from the Small Blind with K6 suited, and the opponent on the Big Blind called.
We missed the flop, but in our opponent’s HUD, we can see that they fold to continuation bets on the flop 71% of the time. This is too often, so in the long run, a bluff bet on the flop will be very profitable.
WTSD
The WTSD (Went to Showdown) stat indicates how often a player goes to showdown after seeing the flop. For regular players, this stat usually ranges from 27% to 32%.
An inflated WTSD indicates that a player reaches showdown too often, even with hands that should be folded. Players with a low WTSD prefer to get to showdown only with strong hands. Depending on the opponents’ WTSD, optimal adjustments will vary.
● Against High WTSD Players:
- Play more tightly and make bets only with strong hands, as these players do not like to fold and will often pay off your strong combinations.
- If an opponent’s WTSD exceeds 40%, avoid bluffing completely.
● Against Low WTSD Players:
- Attack such players with bluff bets and raises, as they often fold to aggression.
- Apply maximum pressure to opponents with a WTSD below 25%.
A regular player on the Button made a raise, and we called from the Small Blind with J9 suited.
On a rainbow flop of KQ8, we caught a gutshot and a backdoor flush draw, and check-called the continuation bet from the opponent. The turn brought a 9, giving us the bottom pair and completing a possible straight. We checked again, and the opponent fired a second barrel.
Another check-call on the turn would be a weak decision. Firstly, if the opponent has a better hand, we will improve too rarely on the river, making the call unprofitable. Secondly, if we plan to bluff on the river without improving, it will be difficult to represent a strong hand after a check-call on the turn.
A much stronger move on the turn would be a check-raise as a semi-bluff with the plan to either improve or continue bluffing on the river. The Button player’s statistics also indicate the profitability of this decision.
The opponent’s WTSD is only 24%, which is sufficient justification to put pressure on him. Additionally, the dynamic HUD in Hand2Note 4 shows that after a second barrel, the opponent folded to a raise 60% of the time, making the check-raise even more appealing.
W$SD
The W$SD (Won Money at Showdown) stat shows how often a player wins when they get to showdown. For winning regular players, this stat typically ranges from 50% to 55%.
If a player’s winning frequency at showdown is low, it indicates that they often get to showdown with weak hands and lose.
Opponents with a high W$SD mainly show strong hands at showdown and rarely bluff. If such a player shows aggression, you should consider folding even with a fairly good hand:
We made an open raise with pocket aces from the Cutoff and got a call from a regular player on the Big Blind.
On the flop QJ7 two-toned, we made a continuation bet, and the opponent check-called. The turn brought a 6, completing a possible flush, and in response to our second barrel, the opponent check-raised. Let’s examine their statistics.
According to the dynamic HUD in Hand2Note 4, the Big Blind player rarely applies a turn raise, specifically only 8.9% of the time. This indicates a narrow and strong range.
In the player’s popup, we see that their winning frequency at showdown averages 62%, which is very high. Based on this information and considering the strong line the opponent is demonstrating, it is better for us to fold our aces.
WWSF
The WWSF (Won When Saw Flop) stat reflects how often a player wins when they see the flop. An optimal WWSF is around 48%. The higher this stat, the more aggressive the player is postflop, and the more weak hands will be in their betting range.
Combining the WTSD, W$SD, and WWSF stats together will give you a fairly accurate picture of an opponent’s playing style and tendencies. Let’s look at some examples.
Player 1:
A high WWSF and low W$SD indicate that the player is very aggressive and often bluffs. However, they don’t like folding to aggression themselves, as their WTSD is not low.
Against such an opponent, it’s best to play strictly by the book: build big pots with strong hands, bluff-catch them with medium-strength hands, and fold weak hands. Bluffing against this player is not advisable.
Player 2:
A low WWSF and high W$SD indicate that the opponent is passive, rarely bluffs, and mostly shows strong hands at showdown. This is also confirmed by their low WTSD.
You should not try to bluff-catch such players when they take aggressive actions. On the other hand, bluffing against them when they do not show strength will be very profitable.
Using Hand2Note 4 and the key postflop stats we’ve discussed in this article will help you not only better understand your opponents’ playing styles but also find the most effective strategies to exploit them.
Remember, the more hands you have on an opponent, the more accurate and reliable your stats will be.
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