Tracking Software???

I am trying to get some information on tracking software... which ones are good?

I have heard a little about PokerTracker 3 and Holdem Manager... anybody familiar with these? I'm not sure which one I should go with, or maybe there are others that are better.

i've used pt3 and it works pretty well with ps and ftp. everyone once in a while it screws up my winnings but other than that...it's good to keep track of my stats. does both cash and tournaments so that's nice. includes a HUD for quick stats on individuals. As for holdem manager...i believe it doesn't work with the 3.* version of pt3, but don't quote me. otherwise, i haven't tried it, but if it works, i will. good luck

Poker Tracker & Hold Em manager are good. Poker Edge is even better but it is banned on a lot of the big sites

I have tried both PT3 and HEM, and I think that Hold'Em Manager is better than PT3.
I think it's really a good software
I don't know Poker Edge, but I already heard it was banned from many sites

Poker Tracker 3 is an exceptional program but is costs money hold em manager if i think of the right one it is ok i dont know much about it... but if you are willing to pay for a poker tracker get the 1st one

does anyone use Tournament Indicator? i am watching a free video series that shows how it works. it looks cool, but cost $89. is it worth the money to have it.

is it really a good idea to use these? woouldn't notes or just observations work just as well? and it would only work online, wouldn't be any use in live games.
i guess i'm to old fashion.
well good luck with it. peace

Notes are, by far, inferior.
You'll play thousands of different players online, and it's difficult to get notes on them all with them popping in and out of games.
And the keeping track of important stats like how often they three-bet is going to be nearly impossible. I mean, if someone three-bets three times in a row do you make a note that he does it too much, or was he just lucky? But if you see that over 2,000 hands he's three betting only 3% of the time you know exactly what that means.

Keeping accurate track of how thousands of people play pre-flop, post flop, and in other specific situations (especially rarer stuff) with just notes is impossible. And even if you were typing like a mad man, taking detailed observations on every player on every table, you won't have time to look at the notes. While, with PT and HEM they're displayed on the table.

I play this game as a hobby so I don't use any tools. If you're playing for high stakes go for it. Frankly, I wish this type of thing was ban at every site.

Agreed. Most of the CC regulars have switched from PT to HEM in the last year.

I must admit that when i first started reading this site I was really against the idea of using these tools for 2 reasons.

1) I thought it was an unfair advantage
2) It would be of no help to me in live situations

However I realised 2 things firstly if others have this advantage then why not give myself it and secondly playing live I am more observent anyway and tend to remember how a particuliar player plays.

I'm currently trialing PT3 and I am on my largest winnings ever. Its not alot as I only play micro stakes but it has helped in several questionable situations.

I'm a bit of an old school myself. i play at the lower stakes and should be using these tools. Anyways, i just thought that using these tools would be opposite of what you said. I would think that it's used LESS at higher stakes. Curious to know if anybody effectively uses these tools at the higher stakes?? like $500 buy in tournament and such.

Why exactly do you think that this would be used less at higher stakes? I'm just curious about what your thought process is.

Almost every successful high stakes player is using some form of software.

Is there a good, free program out there that tracks my play, but doesn't necessarily have to give me live odds??? I am mostly curious to know what hands I am often losing with.

I'm going to first assume that the higher stakes players play better on average than the lower stake players so.....

My thought process about higher stakes is that they change gears and play differently depending on the situation a LOT more often then in lower stakes (maybe i'm wrong here). So it would seem to be harder to track or misguided information.

As oppose to lower stakes where players are probably more predictable, making the software more valuable. wrong thinking?

I'm wondering... what was the biggest advantage you found by using PT3? How did the program contribute to your winning?
This is a reply to Fat Stu... I'm new to the forum and still trying to figure out the features, sorry

I'm wondering... what was the biggest advantage you found by using PT3? How did the program contribute to your winning?

If you're really interested in getting Poker Tracker 3 , you can download and make an account on some site using their link on the site and you will get it free.

Why would someone choose to not make use of a tool when the tool exists?

Its like saying that top scientists don't use calculators when working out sums because they are better than maths than most people.

I use poker tracker 3 to keep track of my sessions and play hands played. It's starting to become a very useful tool as I try to grind up a small bankroll on Pokerstars.

I too was aghast when I first found out how prevalent trackers are.

Get used to it, they are here to stay.

I use PT3, the HUD sometimes helps me deal with particular players in specific situations, and for that reason alone, maybe 1 hand in 10-15 that I engage in, it has helped me.

More important (but so far imperfect) is the bankroll tracking it does for me.

Oddly, my favorite game lately is HORSE, and PT3 doesn't work for HORSE.

along with tracking my wins/losses and sessions.
I like to go back after each session and evaluate how I played my big winning and also losing hands.
I also like to evaluate the hands that are costing me the most money and where some of my leaks are. overplaying AQ used to cost me the most $$$, limping in the small blind is a huge leak. over 1,000's of hands that can affect your bottom line.

I currently use PT3, have heard good review about HEM.
both have trial versions to get a feel for either before you buy.

I just tried a 5 day trial of poker edge...but honestly there were many players for which info was unavailable...i would not recommend poker edge

Does the majority of the poeple that play serious poker use some type of poker software? I downloaded the free trial of poker tracker 3 but it seems very limited in what I can do with it in the trial version. How usefull are these software programs?

I starte with PokerTracker2.
I was a wishy-washy player. I deposited $50, playing the $.01/$.02 ring games, and was happy as long as my bankroll didn't dip below $50. I'd play smart until I had $70, then I'd get loose and make bad calls until I dipped below $50. Then I'd panic and play smart again, working it back up. Up and down, like a yo-yo.
PokerTracker2 suddenly made me accountable for all of my actions. In my eyes, losing "a few extra bucks" was no big deal because it was a small decrease in profit. However with PokerTracker2, suddenly every bad play I made went on my perminant record. Every losing session was a red number on my session list, and every bad call damaged my career stats. PokerTracker drastically decreased my "oh what the hell" calls.

With my new found success and a bit more confidence, and an eagerness to improve my stats, I started to learn the nuances of online ring games.

PokerEdge is on PokerStars list of banned software. If they catch you using it they can seize your bankroll and ban you from the site.
Whereas PokerTracker and HEM are both given as examples of software which they do allow.

I've been using Holdem Manager for the past 6 months, and as I learn more about how to use it, it just gets better and better. There are some great tutorial type vids at some of the training sites that show you which stats to concentrate on for various situations, and all in all just help you get the thing set up.

Try both Poker Tracker and HM... they both have good free trials too.

I have to go with Hold em manager. It really is a helpful tool to have. If you have to go with a tracking software it probably is one of the best.

why did the monkey eat the banana? you're going off topic dude.

we were discussing whether or not the tools have an INVERSE relationship with stake levels. i personally haven't gotten around in using them, but that wasn't the discussion i was trying to bring up.

You think that HUDS are used less at higher stakes.

To use a HUD less you would have to switch it off or not own one.

So I ask you.. why would someone choose not to use a HUD when it is availiable? It just dosent make sense. Why would a top player choose to have less infomation availiable than a lesser player?

Do people at the lowest stakes use trackers? or what percentages of people use them at low stakes like I play?

I dont know..

Throw me a bone here.

At what stakes do you play?

Great thread everyone... thanks for the feedback. I've been using PT3 for about a week now (dl'ed a full free version ) I can see some real percs for analyzing my game and am eager to put it to work. I am new to becoming a serious player and hope this will help level the playing field.