What is a Good PFR in Poker? (The Proven Data)

PFR is one of the absolute most important HUD stats in poker. PFR stands for preflop raise percentage and it is one of the #1 stats I rely on when playing online poker to determine player type.

A good PFR in a 6max poker game is around 18. And a good PFR in a 9max poker game is around 12. But it is important that your PFR is reflected by your play style and also your VPIP.

Let's dig into these poker PFR stats a bit deeper.

What is a Good PFR in a 6max Poker Game?

Many people play 6max poker online these days. It is the most popular format for cash games in particular.

So yesterday I wrote an article discussing what is the best VPIP in poker games including 6max. VPIP in poker by the way is essentially the percentage of hands that you choose to play.

Now, as I stated in that article, I think a good VPIP for 6max is 21.

So from there it follows that a good PFR for 6max is about 18.

You are probably asking yourself why though. So let me explain.

From years and years studying my PokerTracker database (millions and millions of poker hands), I have found that most winning poker players at 6max have a VPIP of around 21.

I have also found that most winning poker players at 6max also have a PFR of 18. And this is consistent across all online poker rooms I have played 6max at.

Here is a 6max poker hand I recently reviewed by the way showing an excellent bluff.

But anyways, I have also consistently found that most winning poker players have a separation of around 3 points between their VPIP and PFR. And this is regardless of whether they play 6max or full ring.

So the "ideal" 6max stats (if I had to suggest) would be to play a 21/18 (VPIP and PFR).

Now, you do need to be careful with this though because there are many different styles of play that can win in poker.

Just because I believe that 21/18 is optimal, this does not mean that somebody playing a 15/12 or even a 27/24 could not win at 6max.

They could. But those are probably the furthest away I would go from 21/18.

The important point is to play to your own unique style, whether that is loose or passive. But of course still keep that within reason. Use 21/18 as a rough set of goalposts to aim for.

I would also suggest keeping a tight separation of roughly 3 points between your VPIP and PFR. This means that you will be entering the pot with a raise or a re-raise the large majority of the time.

What is a Good PFR in a 9 Person Full Ring Poker Game?

What about full ring poker though? What if you play live 9 or 10 player games or full ring online?

Well, as I also stated in my optimal VPIP article, I believe that the best VPIP for full ring is around 15. So you can probably already guess then, that I believe a good PFR for full ring is 12.

Again, all of this comes directly from my PokerTracker database which includes millions and millions of hands that I have played online in my pro career over the years.

So if I had to suggest one specific style of play for 9 or 10 person games it would be 15/12 (VPIP and PFR).

Now once again, I will say the same thing as above.

You absolutely can win in full ring poker if you play tighter than this or looser than this. You should play according to your own personal style.

But once again, you want to keep a pretty tight separation of just a few points between your VPIP and PFR in full ring poker.

Your PFR should remain high no matter poker game you play in. This means that you are entering the pot with either a raise or a re-raise the large majority of the time.

This is something that I specifically talk about in my book Crushing the Microstakes.

The key to success, especially in small and mid stakes poker games, is aggression. By entering the pot with the betting lead most of the time, you will give yourself more ways to win the pot after the flop.

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What is a Good PFR in Zoom Poker Games?

Alright let's talk about Zoom poker games next.

Now, as I often mention on this blog and elsewhere, it is really important to understand that fast fold poker games like Zoom still have basically the exact same strategy as a normal poker game.

So a good PFR if you play Zoom 6max is still going to be about 18 and if you play Zoom full ring, then it will be 12.

The only real adjustments that you need to make if you play Zoom poker are to understand how to play against unknown players more often and how to exploit that dynamic.

And this is because due to the size of the player pools in Zoom and other fast fold games like Snap or Zone, it is often much more difficult to develop any solid reads or HUD stats on your opponents.

I believe this creates a lot of great opportunities for bluffing though, especially given the generally tight way that these games tend to play.

For example, in this hand I explain how to beat extremely tight poker players.

For more on everything Zoom poker, I have written the #1 Zoom poker strategy guide online.

Look For Poker Players With An Extremely Low PFR

The last recommendation that I have for you with PFR (or preflop raise percentage) in poker is to look for players with an extremely low PFR.

This is one of the biggest reasons why PFR is one of the very first stats that you will find on my Custom PokerTracker HUD.

And the reason why is because this is very often a dead tell of a recreational poker player. Or in other words, the type of player that we make most of our profit from.

The classic stats of a passive recreational poker player (fish) are something like:

24/2
56/5

The first player (6max, Zoom or full ring) is kind of the classic semi-loose passive (or SLP player) as I call them in Crushing the Microstakes.

While the 2nd type with the 56/5 HUD stats is the classic "whale" recreational player. This is the type of player who loses their chips very, very quickly.

Overall, you want to consistently play with both of these player types. Both of them are extremely profitable to play against especially if you can get on their left.

These are the types of players who I have literally made a career out of by getting a seat on their left and then just isolating them again and again and again when they limp into the pot.

If they fold to me preflop, that's great.

If they call me though, then I am going to continue to apply more pressure after the flop. And eventually they will crack and make a big mistake against me at the wrong time.

You don't need to know any kind of advanced poker strategy in order to beat players like this. It's pretty simple stuff.

So that is why I am always on the lookout for players with an extremely low PFR when I am playing online poker. I will tag them right away and follow them around if necessary.

Final Thoughts

So what is a good PFR in poker?

Well, it depends on whether you play 6max or full ring. In 6max a good PFR is about 18 and in full ring a good PFR is 12.

But these are really just rough guidelines to go by. You should always play according to your own unique style. And your PFR should be fairly close to your VPIP.

This will ensure that you are either raising or re-raising the large majority of the time when you enter the pot. This will give your far more ways to win the pot which is ultimately how you win at poker.

If you play Zoom poker things don't really change much. And no matter what game type you play, you should always be on the lookout for players with an extremely low PFR.

And the reason why is because these players tend to very often be recreational poker players. These are the kinds of players who make big fundamental mistakes and therefore you will profit from them more than any other player type.

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What do you think is a good PFR in poker? What PFR do you use? Let me know in the comments below!