It would take a huge amount of effort required to take notes to rival the info you get from HUD, especially for multi-tablers, so that is a somewhat specious argument.
It's not a specious argument, because that's exactly my point as to why HUDs are entirely logical and should be allowed for those who choose to use them. You can't compare taking notes while online to taking notes while live. You certainly COULD compile notes of that detail if you were playing live, you'd just have to be incredibly disciplined. And there are no rules against it. Gus Hansen used to dictate
hands as they happened into a tape recorder -- these tapes formed the basis of his "Every Hand Revealed" book about winning the Aussie Millions.
Online play is too fast, even on a single table, to do anything of the sort that would be reliable. Therefore, since we're playing an automated, technologically advanced game of poker (compared to live), it only makes logical sense that our notetaking and other tools are automated as well.
Shaun Deeb rarely ever uses a HUD while playing MTTs... doesnt seem to be denting his bankroll this year....
Well I guess this is my hard head again, but talking about specious arguments...
I've seen you mention this before PO, but I fail to see the relevance to the rest of us. Deeb is a machine. At his level of play a HUD probably gets in the way -- as many tables and tournaments as Deeb grinds at once he probably couldn't even take time to look at a HUD. Look at most of the top TOP pros, very few use tracking software or HUDs because they're beyond it. But I can virtually guarantee you that he's used it in the past. Durrr doesn't use a HUD now either, but he used to, and has said so himself.
This is like arguing that Tiger Woods doesn't use a caddy (he does, but sake of argument here), but rather carries his own clubs and makes his own club selections without input from anyone, therefore why would anyone else use one? Kind of silly, if you ask me.
The fact is a HUD is a tool allowed for and available to any players, good or bad, young or old, to play with at
most sites. And it is what you make of, it does not make you a better player if you don't know how to use it. As long as it's allowed and tacitly approved by the sites, it will be used and people should get over it. If every site bans them (HIGHLY unlikely, but again, sake of argument) I guarantee you there will be other things that losing players will complain about.
ok...this was a fairly cogent argument...however, if there is no advantage, then why would players threaten to leave bodog if the huds are disabled?
I never said it wasn't an advantage. Of course it is -- so is taking your own notes, studying to improve your skills, paying for coaching, etc. etc. Otherwise we wouldn't be bothered.
But there's nothing wrong with having and taking, er, advantage of an advantage, provided it's a fair advantage that is available to everyone. As tracking software/HUDs clearly are.
Recreational fish generally have no clue about pot
odds, implied odds, fold
equity, ICM, push/fold strategy, equity vs range, and any number of other advanced poker concepts. Those that do have that knowledge obviously have a HUGE advantage over those that don't. The argument could be made that those advanced players should be banned as well, since obviously they will run over the poor fish over the long term. Pretty silly argument though, eh?
