Poker Tracking Software

As poker tracking software becomes more popular here is a short description of how its used

When you approach a poker professional to ask their advice on how to play a particular aspect of a game they will normally happily give you a very detailed response. However, when you ask them about what software they use to track their opponents you will normally get a very hesitant response, players don’t like to give away too much information.

Some players get started using software that their friends have recommended but most seem to use public forums such as TwoPlusTwo, PocketFives and DeucesCracked. Nearly all websites and software offer free trials so there is nothing to stop anyone trying anything that takes their fancy.

A surprising number of players seem to start their online poker careers using PokerTracker but switch soon after to Holdem Manager. Players have said that when they move up in the stakes and start making some money it became worthwhile to invest in software to ensure that they were using the best tools available. Most seem to think that Holdem Manager is the most user friendly and much more stable than Poker Tracker so it has become the preferred choice.

Software such as PokerTracker and Holdem Manager is used by players to keep track of their opponent’s poker hands and can then analyse their hand histories in a number of different ways. The software also allows you to analyse your own play and see if you are falling into any predictable patterns and generally improve your game.

Players say that the most important feature for them is the ability to configure a program to suit their individual needs. Most programs are very customisable so when asked, players tend to give very different answers on how they use them. However, most of them like to remove features which aren’t relevant to them and just display things such as VPIP/PFR/Hands. They tend to hide a lot of bet statistics and post-flop information in order to make playing easier.

Every professional player seems to make use of the software PokerStove; it is an incredibly useful piece of software for performing basic equity calculations. There are a number of other pieces of software which can perform the same function; however, PokerStove seems to be the most user friendly and easy to use. Players use PokerStove in order to make decisions for borderline calls and calculate a number of other odds.