How important are HUD's & Trackers ?

SyKoChiller

SyKoChiller

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I am wanting to take my game to the next level. I've been playing online only for almost 2 years now and am thinking about buying some tracking/hud software.

How important do the hardcore grinders here think they are for serious & profitable play & which brand is the most recommended?

I mainly play MTT's but occasionally throw in some cash & sng's to mix it up. Thanks for all the free roll $ & opportunities CardsChat & to everyone else for all your advice, support & tips.
 
Keith_MM

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HEM and pokertracker both have 1 month free trials , try them both out for the free months first and see which you prefer. If you have a Mac you are limited to PT4 cos i don;t think that HEM2 is available on Macs ( they did put an advert out for a mac programmer though). for linux you'll have to use wine.
 
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trent32la

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As you go higher in stakes they become more important, however at the micro-low stakes I wouldn't even bother buying one since its not too valuable. If your more serious and are playing mid stakes+ I would recommend getting one. Many sites allow you to have a free trial of one so check those out,.
 
10058765

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As you go higher in stakes they become more important, however at the micro-low stakes I wouldn't even bother buying one since its not too valuable. If your more serious and are playing mid stakes+ I would recommend getting one. Many sites allow you to have a free trial of one so check those out,.

Depends on the use and the volume you put in.
While a HUD might be helpful if used in the correct way, tracking every hand you play is very helpful in finding leaks and getting to a next level.
Even in micros, if used correctly, it's very helpful and worth the money.

As said....check the trials for HEM and PT and find out if it's useful.
 
PokerTracker

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As you go higher in stakes they become more important, however at the micro-low stakes I wouldn't even bother buying one since its not too valuable. If your more serious and are playing mid stakes+ I would recommend getting one. Many sites allow you to have a free trial of one so check those out,.

Our extensive research disagrees with you. The HUD is most valuable at the lowest stakes where you're playing against massive fields of different opponents. The higher the stakes, the smaller the field of opponents, the less you need to use a HUD because you will tend to remember more about your opponents.

A HUD is a productivity tool, it is designed to help you remember who your opponents are and make the game more similar to the reads you get while playing live. In a live game your brain remembers faces and playing styles, you take these playing styles in your head and naturally create what we call an "Opponent Profile" to help you estimate your opponent's ranges and expected actions. Online the human brain doesn't work that way, its not easy to reproduce this natural occurrence because we do not have faces to remember, the human brain is not "programed" to do this for screen names. So we incorporated the same concepts behind baseball's stats into the online poker HUD to reproduce how the brain works. The stats alone tell you nothing important enough, but if you take the multitude of stats together it helps you recreate that opponent profile in your head based on past observations. In the end the HUD does not make you a better player - it makes you a more productive player that can remember past situations better which in turn helps you create that opponent profile faster. Thats why most multitablers tend to use HUDs.

PS: We have a thread here in this forum if the OP has any questions specific to PokerTracker, as previously mentioned we provide a free 30 day trial + a 14 day money back guarantee.
 
SyKoChiller

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Great advice & thanks everyone.
My goal is to move up to the MID-Level stakes during 2014 so I will likely be getting a HUD when I do transition.
 
Figaroo2

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When you do get your software I can recommend reading Dan Harrington's 6 max cash games book. It goes into detail about how to set up aHUD, what the stats actually mean and how to interpret them properly. I muddled around for several months not really understanding how to use the product properly, I wish id bought the book from the start. GL
 
PokerTracker

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When you do get your software I can recommend reading Dan Harrington's 6 max cash games book. It goes into detail about how to set up aHUD, what the stats actually mean and how to interpret them properly. I muddled around for several months not really understanding how to use the product properly, I wish id bought the book from the start. GL

I was involved in the printing of this book, it is very good - but the HUD recommendations are slightly outdated. Technology has advanced since the printing of this book, so be aware that many things have changed since that time. I highly recommend reading the various support guides provided by tracking software solutions in addition if you chose to read Harrington's otherwise very good book.

- TT
 
knileh

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Does holdem programs actually help that much?

Does it just give you more information or does it actually crush the competition if you know how to use that information?

Thanks.
 
PokerTracker

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Does it just give you more information or does it actually crush the competition if you know how to use that information?

Thanks.

I think that answer depends on your skill set and knowledge of the game, some people will find the book to be an encyclopedia of information, others might find it to be rehashing things they already know. There are no silver bullets, nothing can make you "crush" just by reading a book or watching a video - its up to you to apply the knowledge.
 
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jangalang37

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I was using sharkscope for a while when playing on lock poker, and by using it my game went from cashing moderately, to understanding who I was playing a lot more. I have not used any other HUD but will definitely be checking out Poker tracker now.
 
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