What is VPIP in poker, and what is a good VPIP?
VPIP — voluntarily put money in pot — is the percentage of hands in which a player calls or raises preflop (blinds don't count). It's the single best measure of how loose or tight someone plays. In 6-max cash, roughly 22–28% is the solid range; over 35% is loose, under 18% is tight.
Why it matters
VPIP is the first stat to read on any opponent because it defines their preflop range: a 15% VPIP player who calls your raise has a strong hand; a 45% VPIP player could have anything. Combined with PFR it tells you whether they enter pots by raising (aggressive) or calling (passive).
For your own game, a VPIP far outside the 22–28% band is a preflop leak — though HoldemPro's data shows those are much rarer at low stakes than postflop leaks.
The numbers
- HoldemPro's stats engine flags VPIP above 35% as "too loose preflop" (severe above 45%) and below 18% as "too tight".
- Preflop leaks are the #1 problem for under 5% of the 147 players HoldemPro has diagnosed; "Too loose preflop" alone is 2.7%.
- On HoldemPro's default Action table the hero is dealt playable hands more often, so the site re-weights VPIP to a fair-deal equivalent before judging it — raw VPIP at that table would read ~60% for a correct player.
Figures come from the same preflop charts and research data the rest of the site uses (charts last updated July 5, 2026); they change when that data does.
The measured distribution of poker leaks across 147 diagnosed players.
You play 35%+ of hands, including weak offsuit hands out of position. Lots of trouble spots postflop.
Common questions
What is a good VPIP for 6-max?
About 22–28%. The button and cutoff push it up, UTG and MP pull it down; a position-weighted average in that band means you're playing roughly the chart.
What's the difference between VPIP and PFR?
VPIP counts every voluntary preflop entry (calls and raises); PFR counts only raises. A big gap between them means a player calls a lot preflop — a passive, exploitable profile.
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