[Smurph64]

I use stats as a yardstick to determine if my read was correct not the other way around.

There should be convergence at some point but I have found stats misleading so many times I just use them as broad point guidelines.

It is much more relevant to me whether a player calls to showdown with bottom pair vs calling to showdown with an ace or what he defends or steals with.

I gain more insight if I know the guy reraises with draws or needs two pair.

Typically I can tell a lot about a player by marking down what he cold calls with and it is on those players that I expect to see some convergence of stats at some point.

The other day I had an interesting situation. I was playing at a table when a guy made an interesting comment:

He was acting in front of me and said: " I am limping with any thing because this fish (me) raises preflop 45% of the time"

To which another guy stated, "you do that, he is a fish"

The one guy who made the first comment just looked at my stats, the other guy who replied avoided me or 3 bet because he knew I had raised a lot in the last few hands because I had pocket AA's twice AK 4 times and KQ suited a few times.

It took that guy who called me a fish about 100 hands to figure out I was killing him before he left.

That session I had indeed raised 45% pfr and played 48% at that time but it was only 40 hands in. After 140 hands I was still high but much more in line with my usual stats. I was still high because I iso raised the limper whenever I was in late position and he was first in.

It's really important to try and put notes on your players that explain situations. One good note can make or save you a lot of money a lot more than a sample of stats.