Why ChipEV is the most important Spin & Go metric
We explain why we judge our SpinLegends players based on the average chips they win in a Spin & Go rather than their cash results.
Last month we explained how much variance there is in Spin & Go and why short term money results are very unreliable. Spins are a swingy format in and of themselves but when you factor in the variable prize pools, money results can vary greatly between players of equal skill.
At SpinLegends we instead judge our players on ChipEV, which is a measurement of how many chips you win in a Spin & Go on average (regardless of the prize pool).
Before we go any further, it is important to note that ChipEV is still heavily influenced by variance, especially in the short term. Like many things in poker, which is a game of imperfect information, it is a flawed metric but the best one we currently have.
You can easily get your ChipEV from tracking software like PokerTracker 4, but for the curious among you it is calculated as follows:
ChipEV = All-In Adjusted Chips/Number of Tournaments
You can also get your EVROI from ChipEV, which is the best predictor of how much you can win per Spin & Go, using the following calculation:
EVROI = [(ChipEV/500)+1] * (1-rake) – 1
Taking all-in luck off the table
ChipEV is the most reliable predictor of success in Spin & Go. It is calculated by averaging the amount of chips you have won, with the exception of hands where you got all your money in the middle of the table with cards left to come. In those instances it awards you chips based on your equity when you get all-in. So if you get all-in with Ace King against a small pocket pair, you will be awarded around half the chips because you win that hand 50% of the time.
ChipEV removes all-in luck but it doesn't remove cooler situations. If you get your money in with Kings against Aces, or a set against a bigger set, your ChipEV will suffer even though you played the hand correctly.
Just as important, ChipEV removes the multiplier variance in Spins. If you played really well in your x2 games but ran badly in your x4 games and above, your cash winnings may be low but your ChipEV winnings should be good. This is why we give our players the opportunity to play with EV Insurance so they are judged almost exclusively on their ChipEV.
Not only is ChipEV a more reliable way to measure your success in Spin & Go it is much better for your mindset when you are running badly or bricking all your big multiplier games. However, it is very important to not overuse ChipEV, because in the short term it is still influenced by variance.
Using SwongSim, which we used previously in our variance article, we have compared a sample of 100 games....
...to a 100,000 sample of games for a player with a ChipEV of 45:
As you can see in the short term the results are widely spread out but in the big sample they are much more closely clustered together. ChipEV is not a biased indicator. Your playing style should not influence whether you are above or below EV, although a looser player may be over or under EV by a wider margin than a tight player.
At SpinLegends we encourage our players to not look at their ChipEV at the end of a session or even a week. It is much more reliable when used as a long term indicator of ability.
Thinking about getting staked?
The most reliable way to climb the Spin & Go ranks is by joining SpinLegends. We provide the bankroll, world class coaching, support and you also get to rail your fellow SpinLegends members.
As soon as you show promise we move you up in stakes and we even take variance out of the equation with EV Insurance.
