A Heads-Up Display (HUD) is software that displays real-time statistical information about opponents during online poker, showing metrics like win rate, aggression factor, fold rates, and other behavioral data accumulated from previous hands.
HUDs are powerful tools available only in online poker, providing statistical summaries of opponent tendencies. A typical HUD displays numbers like VPIP (voluntarily put in pot percentage), PFR (preflop raise percentage), aggression factor, fold to three-bet, and dozens of other metrics. This data allows players to make decisions based on concrete tendencies rather than guessing. If a HUD shows an opponent folds 50% to three-bets, you should three-bet frequently. If it shows they fold 10% to three-bets, three-betting requires premium hands. HUDs democratize information: a relatively inexperienced player with a HUD can exploit tendencies that would take a seasoned professional years to notice.
What HUDs Display
Common HUD statistics include VPIP (how often a player voluntarily enters pots), PFR (how often they raise preflop), AF (aggression factor across all streets), fold to three-bet, fold to cbet, check-raise frequency, and many others. Advanced HUDs allow customization, showing whatever statistics you want to track. The best HUDs are three-dimensional, showing statistics for different stack sizes and situations. A player might be aggressive short-stacked but tight deep-stacked; a HUD captures these nuances.
Strategic Application
Using a HUD effectively requires understanding what the numbers mean. A 30% VPIP is tight; 50%+ is loose. Aggression factor above 3 is aggressive; below 1 is passive. High fold-to-three-bet indicates exploitability through bluffing. Low fold-to-three-bet suggests they call wide. Combining these metrics reveals opponent tendencies. A 50% VPIP, 3 AF, high fold-to-three-bet player is loose-aggressive and exploitable through bluffing and value-betting. A 20% VPIP, 0.8 AF, low fold-to-three-bet player is tight-passive and exploitable through position and light aggression.
