Poker tracker strategy

Having book and stats on a player can change dramatically how you play against him, and to be honest, I couldn't tell you exactly how, which is why I started this thread so that hopefully those who do know can help us PT noobs out.

I recently got a link to a script from a newer membe, stormswa (ty!), which opens and closes Full Tilt based on certain cryteria that you input yourself (ie 50NL 6-max NLHE, minimum 4 players). Anyways it's essentially a datamining tool to use to gain valuable info on your opponents. I only just started using it a few days ago and already am finding very useful stats on specific players.

In the past, I would use my PT stats to generalize a player as LAG, TAG, LAP or TAP and adjust my play accordingly. I'd tighten up my starting hands vs LAG players and loosen them vs TAG (and so forth). As you gain more info, though, I think there are many more finer adjustments you are supposed to make to your game based on your opponents' style of play and stats. Things like using his flop AF to your advantage by checking to him to gain an extra bet, or bluffing more postflop vs a tight-aggressive/passive player etc etc

So my question, after all that rambling, is for you PT vets:

How deep do you go with adjusting your play vs players you have lots of hands on, and what adjustments do you make specifically? Simple stuff like tightening up vs a LAG player? or more specific things like I mentioned above?

I don't look at my opponents' stats in that much detail. I mainly use it to keep track of how tight each player is playing to help in the pre-flop game, and giving me an idea of their range when I'm in a hand with them. Rather than looking at a bunch of numbers, I tend to just watch my opponents' plays carefully and develop a feel for how they play, then use my instincts, and try to think how they're seeing the hand. I tend to play one 6- or 5-max at a time. I suppose if you're multi-tabling you might find the PT player stats more useful, although you'd have less time to look at them.

I think PT used with PAHUD or Gametime is very useful but perhaps what PT isn't appreaciated as much for, is the ability to reflect on your play from before. I found that a lot of the successful players go back and look back on their plays through pokertracker and really focus on fixing up holes and leaks. And doing this through pokertracker is a more fun than doing so by just looking at your hand histories.

Personally, PokerTracker is of limited use for me in evaluating my opponents because I play on the big sites and change the games I play a lot. So I get the most use out of it in quickly evaluating the tight/looseness of my new opponents in a MTT. I just use it as a quick snapshot.

Even if I had a lot more data to mine, I would hesitate to make much finer adjustments than you already describe, Chuck, just because I feel you need a pretty large sample size to get a good sense of a player. You know how sometimes you play a SnG and in the span of 30 hands you're somehow dealt QQ twice, KK twice, and AA twice? Your stats are going to look quite a big looser/more aggressive with these cards, and if you don't end up having to show them down an opponent who played you based on your stats could really misread you.

If you have tons of hands on someone eventually this risk is mitigated, but unelss those hands are over a short period of time you also have to contend with the risk that their game has changed since you accumulated your hands against them.

That's why I like to use it to track my own performance and quick a lightning-quick snapshot of my opponents in MTTs.

Good point Beriac, and of course you shouldn't make any assumptions on a players statistics unless you have a decent sample size of hands. I've made sure my new DB is very clean in that it's only mining hands from 50NL 6-max NLHE with 4 players minimum, so the stats will be very representative of the players' actual play.

I too use PT mainly for tourneys (SnGs for the same use as you) but am looking to expand into cash games.

I think my attention span has always been too short to play cash games like that (playing the same stakes, same type, same site, with the same players, taking notes with the intent of using them in future sessions, etc) so I guess it's never really come up for me.

Long time no see, btw. How's tricks?

Yeh I'm alright, Beriac. Not much goin on; just slobbing around with not much work or anythin going on lately...hating on the INCONSISTENT-AS-HELL leafs as usual

How bout you - busy working?

Yeah, pretty busy with work, and the new wife takes up most of the rest of my time. Poker is a distant third in my life, but not in my heart, where it is first (or if the wife is somehow reading this, it is second, after her but before work).

Friggin' Leafs.

Hi there...

I'm also playin at FT but haven't found a data miner for this site.

Could you please share the app & the script or give a link where I can DL it.

thanks

might try pokeredge.com it has a trial and free for 3 months if u join bodog or mansion i think it is. might be helpful, maybe not. best of luck in any case... err odds

For the record I would like to state that I am not hijacking this thread, But am expanding on a statement that was made by the Original Poster.


That being said.... A team that is missing (was) 4 of their top forwards, as well as their BEST penalty killer / defensive forward.. Will always, always be incosistant.. Espcially with the way Raycroft has been playing..

The leafs have the most shots for, are nearing the least shots against... and are the second highest scoring team in the eastern conference... What does all of this point to ? Goaltending..

Now, Raycroft looked REALLY sharp last two nights ago vs tampa.. He made some HUGE saves offa the machine I like to call Lecavalier, but he didn't face many shots... And that has been a problem for him, letting in the softies.. Imo no goalie comes close to his downlow play, but that is also his problem, he goes down WAY too early.. and has a slow glove hand.. Hopefully last game was a sign of what he will bring to the table every game for the home stretch into the playoffs.. Because god knows we need it.

1st of all your very welcome Chuck.


I do not really use pokertracker to review my opponents because who the hell is going to remember all his stats. You have pokeracehud and that is really what is giving you all the info quickly enough to be valuable. As for how valuable your pokeracehud numbers are.....very!!!! I mean how often do you have AJ and the flop is J57 and dude bets into you and you have no idea what he could possibly have? Well seeing that he CB's over 60% of the time over 4,000 hands would help right now. Of course you shouldnt be calling raises with that kinda junk Chuck so stop it!!

I love my pokeracehud and wouldnt play a ring game without it open, as for how often I use it....everytime I sit at a table. I datamine about 8 hours a day while im working.

He's a solid goalie, but IMO should be a backup to Luongo on the leafs

How killer would that be....oh well we're gonna have to deal with two half-assed netminders until our dumbass GMs make a decent trade...

btw what the hell is with getting Green back? Hell let's bring back the whole crew with Corson and Roberts if we're goin down that gritty road again

Or until Pogge is ready..

Well I don't mind bringing green... We were in desperate need of some players with NHL experience and he is pretty good defensivly..

Pretty bad game tonight, first period was good then it just fell apart..... Raycroft played solid and possibly stole another game, thank god Auld let in a few softies in the second..