Whether to use a HUD or not

I was wondering what are people's perspective of this. I play live a lot and I thought that it would interfere with my live game. Maybe I could just use voluntary put money in pot, since I could always keep track of that when playing a live game.

I'm torn between whether HUDs improve your reading ability, or make you lazy. If you're never going to play live poker, than I would say using a HUD is to your benefit. If you want to play live, you need to be able to spot certain patterns, tells, and other observations. Using a HUD will not help you do this.

The people who play 10 tables at once have to use a HUD, how else could you pay attention to the games? But this also turns these players into robots. Whatever their number reads, they have a play for it, and Ithink that's a horrible habit. When I read this forum everyone wants stats and crazy abbreviations for something I can't figure out, and I just don't understand half of it. Make your own reads, don't rely on the computer to do so.

I haven't played online poker in a long time. But when I did, poker tracker was used solely to track my play and improve it, not to let the machine tell me who's a fish and who's a shark.

Since you play a lot of live poker, I say screw the HUD.

Yesterday I played 10-tabled 5max NLHE without a HUD. I did make some money because 50nl is lol-easy, but frankly a HUD would have helped tremendously.

If you play a single table, note-taking is actually a lot more useful than a HUD.

I'm with Belgo, if you're playing a single table, you really don't need a HUD because everything is going at a slower pace and you have some time to take proper notes and watch every hand play out. If you're playing more and more tables, then a HUD is going to become very useful to you because you're unable to watch every little thing that happens at all of your tables. Can you play all of those tables and be profitable, yes, but would you be as profitable as you would without having a lot of that information? Probably not.

Also, I don't think that a HUD in any way makes someone lazy. You still have to know how to read that data that the program is giving you and know what to do with that info. Who cares that someone has 16 stats on their HUD when they only really know what VPIP and PFR are.

Also, Belgo, where are you playing 5max?

absoluthamm said:

Also, Belgo, where are you playing 5max?

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The Ongame and Boss Media networks have 5max tables. Pretty wild games obviously.

I see, I haven't played there before. I've played a couple 4max tourneys before and those are pretty crazy.

To be honest, I thoguht it was a mis-type at first, lol

And like I said, once the information is gathered, whatever number shows up determines how people play the hand, people become robots, using the same thing over and over again. Since the information is gathered automatically from a program and not the player, it's a short cut. I'm not saying it isn't a profitable tool online, but I see it hurting people's live game.

Herbish1 said:

once the information is gathered, whatever number shows up determines how people play the hand, people become robots,

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I really don't think you understand what the HUD does, it may give you stats on other players but it doesn't tell you how to play a hand in any way. Some people may become robots because they are playing too many tables for them to handle, but this does not mean that all the people multi tabling with a HUD do.

Herbish1 said:

And like I said, once the information is gathered, whatever number shows up determines how people play the hand, people become robots, using the same thing over and over again. Since the information is gathered automatically from a program and not the player, it's a short cut. I'm not saying it isn't a profitable tool online, but I see it hurting people's live game.

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I use a hud most of the time when I play online and I don't drink alcohol while doing it. I drink beers constantly while I play live and spend most of the time chatting around instead of paying attention to the game. And yet I totally crush the live games at higher stakes than I play online because playing live is so lol-easy. I really don't see how using the HUD could possibly hurt that.

exactly. I think if someone is able to dissect the information that a HUD can give them and come up with the correct play to make because of that while they are playing multiple tables then they will be able to do the same thing in their minds while playing a live table. I know that while I am playing online I don't pay all that much attention to the exact number of times people are playing a hand or putting in raises because I don't need to because I have that information already and I also wouldn't be able to keep track of it all with the number of tables I am playing. But when I am playing live, I pay attention to all of that. I keep tabs in my mind of how many pots so and so are getting involved in and how aggressive they are being that night, because I have so much more time to think about everything and it is right in front of your face constantly because that's the only thing going on for you to have to pay attention to.

Upon Multiscreening games, yes the HUD is of tremendous help unless your absolutely Crushing the usual stakes played. Every little advantage toward your arsenal helps.

I understand what the HUD does, it provides you all information you've gathered on a player, but it's the one doing all the work. I don't have a problem with people using a HUD, that's your choice, it's not illegal. My problem comes with people gaining information from games they aren't playing in and having that information available to them. But that's not what this topics for.

I feel that people will rely on having that information hovering over their screen. They will become used to not having to pay attention as closely to the game, and therefore slack off at the live poker table. Luckily for most people small stake tables are full of enough players where ABC poker will work and you don't need to observe them, but at higher stakes you're going to need to learn how to pick up on patterns and other observations.

robert_wrath said:

Every little advantage toward your arsenal helps.

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+1 It is obvious that you cannot simply give an idiot a HUD and they will start making money. But for a multitabler, it really aids in making key decisions. I just don't see a reason NOT to use it. Unless money is an issue.

HomeBrewer said:

+1 It is obvious that you cannot simply give an idiot a HUD and they will start making money. But for a multitabler, it really aids in making key decisions. I just don't see a reason NOT to use it. Unless money is an issue.

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And in that case you can use FPDB

I have already purchased PokerTracker. I do 9 table at the moment but have aspirations to move up a lot more. I am quite concerned that it would effect my live game but if I just track 1 or 2 stats I could learn to measure them live as well, so basically I already have the stats when playing live.

When isn't it worth using a HUD?

This is something I've been wondering about as well. If I'm not multi-tabling and I'm (at this point at least) only playing micro stakes, is it worth investing in a HUD?

And forgetting paying attention to other players with software. What is the best way to analyze my own game so I can improve my leaks?

yes its worth it, just to look for leaks in your game.

I have Holdem Manager but I don't understand how to use all the stats to my advantage yet. Where is the best place to find out more about how to use a HUD?

BelgoSuisse said:

I use a hud most of the time when I play online and I don't drink alcohol while doing it. I drink beers constantly while I play live and spend most of the time chatting around instead of paying attention to the game. And yet I totally crush the live games at higher stakes than I play online because playing live is so lol-easy. I really don't see how using the HUD could possibly hurt that.

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I can confirm that this is true.

PNJs_dad said:

I have Holdem Manager but I don't understand how to use all the stats to my advantage yet. Where is the best place to find out more about how to use a HUD?

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Check my sig for a guide on using the specific stats in HEM.