New to Trackers: Pros, Cons, Questions.

Hi guys!

I have been playing poker for 1 1/2 year now. I have never tried a pokertracker since I think its "not real" poker. Now however I have started to realise that everbody uses it. Is that true? Whats the + and whats the - with using Pokertracker? On what level do people start using it? I basically knows nothing about this so all input would be awesome!

See you at the tables!

Skidis said:

Hi guys!

I have been playing poker for 1 1/2 year now. I have never tried a pokertracker since I think its "not real" poker. Now however I have started to realise that everbody uses it. Is that true? Whats the + and whats the - with using Pokertracker? On what level do people start using it? I basically knows nothing about this so all input would be awesome!

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Skidis - You were misinformed. PokerTracker or our sister application Hold'em Manager's principal feature is the ability to track every hand you play, so you have records of your online poker experience. Our applications create a database of all the hands you have ever playeed that were imported into the application, you can then use reports and filters to look at components of your game to find flaws. This is the biggest benefit, the ability to help yourself to become a better player.

A secondary function of PokerTracker or Hold'em Manager is the Heads Up Display (HUD). The HUD provides a series of statistics that you personally acquire about your opponent's play. These stats alone will not make you a better player, but they can help you remember more details about your opponent's play - which in turn helps you make better decisions. The human brain remembers faces by associating attributes with that face, this is why in a live game we can typically learn about an opponent's playing style rather quickly through some basic observations. We don't need stats in a live game, the brain does this processing for us. Online however humans have a tough time remembering game play attributes associated with screen names, we need a face to help the brain process the memories. Thats where the HUD steps in... any one stat alone will not be of any great advantage, but if you combine many of the stats together in your mind then you can start to create what we call an "Opponent Profile" to helps us estimate how an opponent might act or react - which is what we naturally do in a live game. Not all players use or need a HUD, for example high stakes players who encounter very small fields of opponents may not need a HUD because they know each of their opponents. Low stakes players who play in massive fields of opponents can benefit the most from a HUD because it makes it easier to remember key attributes of each opponent's playing style. The person who is writing this post for our company mostly plays heads up and short handed games, he disables the HUD while playing headsup - but uses the HUD while playing shorthanded or full ring games. By itself the HUD is a matter of personal preference, but there is no denying that using PokerTracker or Hold'em Manager for personal tracking and reporting can benefit all players.

Thanks for your answers!! You have got me convinced that I really should download pokertracker! I will start with the 30 days free trial and then we will see I will keep you updated with my thoughts

Seeking opinion on HM2

Hey guys.
So i saw that Holdem Manager 2 is worth 100$ and I was watching videos etc and i really like it , it looks like it's easy to use.
And since I want to make money on online poker some HUD will be really helpful.

Anyway I have few questions since 100$ is really huge amount for me right now..

1.Aren't you scared that pokerstars will forbid using HM or any other HUD softwares?
2. Which features can you use on free trial for HM2 or PT4 and can I make like 100$ in that period of time on online poker using that software? I thought to try free trial and try to make 100$ there to buy one.
3. Can you make money on online poker without HUDs ?

1- no
2- click on get it for free when you are on HEM2 website. you have to get a certain amount of points, and when you reach that amount, you can get the SW for free. that is how i did, and i believe that is how many players do. don't worry, HEM folks still make money and still get at least $100 from you. I am far from being a great player, so yes it is achievable. it may take more than 30 days, but that doesn't matter esp if you are an amateur player
3- yes

it's easy to use when it works

Poker Tracker

Hello Guys,

I just want to ask this but I will do my research also.

Do you use poker tracker? What is the ROI in using it? How much the improvement you've gained by using it by percentage? Let's say I will start at the micro cash games, do i need this or I should use it once I am up to the mid stakes? thanks in advance.

You can find reviews on different trackers that are listed on CC. I know that most people use them and find a higher ROI with their investment (if they pay for it) yet, most are free. I've used a few that I could see some improvements being made but hey its free right!?

You can use the search box option to find different threads regarding the trackers. From there you should be able to find one that fits your interest.

Cokatoo56 said:

1- no
2- click on get it for free when you are on HEM2 website. you have to get a certain amount of points, and when you reach that amount, you can get the SW for free. that is how i did, and i believe that is how many players do. don't worry, HEM folks still make money and still get at least $100 from you. I am far from being a great player, so yes it is achievable. it may take more than 30 days, but that doesn't matter esp if you are an amateur player
3- yes

it's easy to use when it works

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Thanks for your reply.Can you just explain me what SW is ?

bkniefel said:

You can find reviews on different trackers that are listed on CC. I know that most people use them and find a higher ROI with their investment (if they pay for it) yet, most are free. I've used a few that I could see some improvements being made but hey its free right!?

You can use the search box option to find different threads regarding the trackers. From there you should be able to find one that fits your interest.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply. I will check these threads and also try those free poker trackers. cheers!

turtlehermit said:

1.Aren't you scared that pokerstars will forbid using HM or any other HUD softwares?

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Holdem Manager and PokerTracker are personal trackers that have a HUD built in a s a feature of the application. The HUD helps you remember who your opponents are, and your prior experience with these players. PokerTracker is an official sponsor of the PokerStars European Poker Tour, Holdem Manager and PokerTracker are owned by the same company - we have a positive working relationship with PokerStars and the EPT. Our software helps keep players active and engaged, this has a net positive effect for online poker networks.

turtlehermit said:

3. Can you make money on online poker without HUDs ?

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The HUD is one of the most misunderstood part of the online poker experience. - we are the first to admit that not everyone uses a HUD, it is optional. For example high stakes players who play vs just a few opponents that they know personally have less of a need for a HUD than a low stakes player who plays vs massive fields of opponents. The HUD is a memory tool, it helps remember the past so you can make more efficient and possibly better decisions in the future - but the HUD does not make you a better player, it only helps you to make the decisions faster while playing multiple tables and while helping you remember the past so you might be able to make better decisions.


With that said, even if you choose to not use a HUD, you should be using personal tracking software like PokerTracker or Holdem Manager to keep records of your online experience, and to allow you to run post-game review reports that can help you coach yourself.

If you get HEM2 make sure your computer is up to the specs, it is very processor hungry. I have a quad core fast solid computer and from time to time HEM2 locks up my game. Apart from this HEM2 is an excellent program lacking in only a few areas that a pro would desire (ie support for stud horse draw etc....)