At a glance
- On the HUD
- W$SD
- Formula
showdowns where they won money / showdowns reached- Typical range
45–58%
- Where it shows
- Badge, river: the bettor. Preflop: the 5-bettor.
- Read hint
- Below: Shows down weak hands: value-bet thinner.
- Trust it after
- 12 chances. Below that the number is faded; reads need 12 chances and a number at least one standard error outside the typical range.
What it measures
W$SD only looks at showdowns. Of all the hands where this player was still in when the cards were compared, how often did they collect money? Pots they won by betting everyone out don’t enter it; those belong to won when saw flop.
Over a decent sample, it measures what they bring to the end of the hand. A player who calls rivers with second pair and ace-high loses lots of showdowns, because those hands are often beat. A player who only gets to showdown with strong hands wins most of them. Over a small sample it mostly measures the cards they were dealt, which is why it needs more hands than most stats.
Its partner is went to showdown (WTSD): WTSD says how often they get there, W$SD says what they bring. And it isn’t a profit stat. A player can win most showdowns and still lose money by folding too much before them, or win few and still profit by taking pots without one.
How it’s calculated
W$SD = showdowns where they won money ÷ showdowns reached.
- A chance: every showdown they reach, meaning they were still in the hand, against at least one other player, when cards were compared. All-in showdowns count, preflop all-ins included.
- It counts: when they win any money in the hand. A split pot is a win, and so is winning a side pot while losing the main pot.
That “any money” rule lifts the number a little. A chop counts as a win for both players, so across heads-up showdowns the average sits slightly above 50%. Multiway showdowns pull the other way, since usually only one player wins. The HUD keeps one version of W$SD, with no splits by position or pot type.
Example: Eli reached showdown 40 times and won money in 16, one of them a chop: 16 ÷ 40 = 40%, below the typical range, so it shows blue. It doesn’t make a read yet. The standard error at 40% over 40 chances is √(0.40 × 0.60 ÷ 40) ≈ 7.7 points, and Eli is only 5 points under 45%. At 100 showdowns the same 40% has an error of about 4.9 points, and the read appears: “Shows down weak hands: value-bet thinner.”
Why it matters
W$SD tells you how strong a player’s showdown hands are, and that tells you how loose their calls are. A low W$SD usually comes from calling: hands that should have folded to a river bet get to showdown and lose. That’s the player you value-bet thinner, because their calling range holds the hands your thin value beats.
On its own it can mislead, so pair it with WTSD:
| Pattern | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Low W$SD, high WTSD | Calling station | Value-bet thin and big; don’t bluff |
| Low W$SD, low WTSD | Few showdowns, and many of them are called bluffs | With a high AF, call their big bets lighter |
| High W$SD, low WTSD | Folds marginal hands early and only shows down strong ones | Bluff the flop and turn; respect river bets |
| High W$SD, high WTSD | Calls a lot and still wins: opponents bluff into them | Stop bluffing; value-bet hands that beat a real range |
The money is in river decisions. Check W$SD with aggression factor before you choose between a thin value bet and a check, and before you call a river bet: a bettor with a high W$SD and a low river bluff (shown) is rarely bluffing.
Too low, about right, too high
Too low: under 45%
What it says
They reach showdown with too many hands that lose. Usually that’s calling: bluff-catchers that never caught a bluff, draws that called one bet too many, ace-high hoping to be good. Pair it with a high WTSD and you have a calling station. A low W$SD with a low WTSD points elsewhere: a player whose few showdowns are bluffs that got called, which a high AF and a high river bluff (shown) confirm.
How to exploit it
The HUD’s read: value-bet thinner.
- Bet the river for value with hands you’d check against a solid player: top pair with a weak kicker, second pair when the draws missed.
- Use bigger sizes on the turn and river with strong hands. Their calls lose often, so make each one cost more.
- Bluff the river less. A player who calls with losing hands calls your bluffs too.
- If they’re the bluffing kind (low WTSD, high AF), flip it: call their river bets lighter instead of value-betting into them.
About right: 45–58%
What it says
Their showdown hands are about as strong as most players’. They call down with some bluff-catchers and lose some, win with their value hands, and chop now and then. Inside the range, small samples hide a lot: at 30 showdowns the error around 50% is about ±9 points, so a player who truly wins 40% can easily read 49%.
How to exploit it
Look for the edge in how they got to showdown, not in the result. A normal W$SD from a high WTSD still means they call a lot; they’re just being bluffed often enough to keep the number normal, so bluff them less than others do. Then split out their river calls with river call wins: a player with a normal W$SD but a low river call wins does well when they bet and badly when they call, so value-bet them on the river and skip the river bluffs.
Too high: over 58%
What it says
They win most of the showdowns they reach. Either they only go to showdown with strong hands, folding marginal ones earlier (a low WTSD confirms it), or they call correctly while opponents keep bluffing into them (a normal or high WTSD). Nits and tight regulars often sit here. Over a short sample it can also be good cards. The HUD colors it gold but makes no read for it.
How to exploit it
- With a low WTSD: bluff earlier. They fold marginal hands before showdown, so double-barrel turns that don’t help a calling range.
- Respect their river aggression. Fold one-pair hands to their big river bets, especially when their river bluff (shown) is low.
- Skip thin value. When they call the river they usually beat top pair with a weak kicker, so value-bet only hands that beat a real range.
- With a normal or high WTSD: stop bluffing them at all. They find calls, and their high W$SD is the proof.
When it’s your own number
A low W$SD on your own badge tells observant opponents to value-bet you thinner. That’s the only side of W$SD that makes a read; a high number doesn’t.
To check yours, look at it next to your WTSD and river call wins. Low W$SD with high WTSD: you call down too much, so fold more one-pair hands to big river bets, especially from passive players. Low W$SD with a high AF: called bluffs are dragging it down, which is fine only if your bluffs win enough pots before showdown. High W$SD with low WTSD: you fold hands that would win, so call more against small bets. Give it time: at 30 showdowns your number is still ±9 points.
Using it on the HUD
W$SD shows on the river on the bettor’s badge, next to their river bluff (shown): together they tell you how often a river bettor is strong. It also shows preflop on the badge of a player who 5-bets. Colors: gold over 58%, blue under 45%, faded with fewer than 12 showdowns. The read (“Shows down weak hands: value-bet thinner.”) needs 12 chances and a full standard error under 45%. There are no narrower versions.
Sample size is the catch. Chances are showdowns, not hands. A player who sees a flop every third hand and reaches showdown on 30% of those gives about 10 per 100 hands (100 × 1/3 × 30%). So 30 showdowns (±9 points) take roughly 300 hands, and 100 showdowns (±5) take about 1,000. Read it with WTSD and AF.
Questions
What is a good W$SD in poker?
Somewhere in the HUD’s typical range of 45–58%. Inside it, a player’s showdown hands are about as strong as most. Under 45% they show down too many losing hands, usually from calling too much. Over 58% they only reach showdown with strong hands, which often means they fold too much before it, or that opponents bluff into them.
What does W$SD stand for?
W$SD means won money at showdown: of the hands where a player reached showdown, the share where they won money. The dollar sign stands for money: any money counts, including a chopped pot or a side pot. It’s measured per showdown, not per hand or per flop.
Does a split pot count as a win for W$SD?
Yes. Any money won at showdown counts, so a chop is a win for both players, and winning a side pot counts even if the player loses the main pot. That’s one reason the average across heads-up showdowns sits a little above 50% instead of exactly half.
WTSD vs W$SD: what’s the difference?
WTSD is how often a player who sees the flop reaches showdown; W$SD is how often they win once they’re there. High WTSD with low W$SD is a calling station: value-bet thin. Low WTSD with high W$SD is a player who only shows down strong hands: bluff them earlier in the hand.
Why is my W$SD so low?
Usually because you call too many river bets with hands that only beat a bluff, or because your bluffs keep getting called. Check your WTSD and river call wins: if both point to calling, fold more one-pair hands to big river bets from passive players. Under about 100 showdowns, variance is a big part of it too.