Best Poker Table Selection Software

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Whether you play cash games or tournaments, analyzing the games of both you and your opponents is an important part of improving as a player. Tracking software allows you to gain powerful insights into what is going on at the tables through statistical analysis. Poker players are creatures of habit, and once you have played a few hands with someone, a heads-up-display (HUD) will give you a really accurate picture of what they are doing at the table. If you use tracking software for no other reason, a HUD is almost a must-have if you want to excel at poker.

Here are the only tracking software programs that I recommend.

Best Programs For Analysis and Advanced HUDs

1. Hold’em Manager 2

My favorite poker tracking software. I have spent thousands (yes thousands) of hours using Hold’em Manager, or HEM. Choose this one if on a budget as it is priced much more cheaply than PokerTracker4, yet will do basically exactly the same thing. It also has versus hero stats that I love! PT4 does not come with this feature.

2. PokerTracker 4

A very smooth functioning tracking software that has awesome HUD and personal study capability. I used PokerTracker for a number of years and has a few newer features and updates. Check the latest price and get a 30-day free trial.

Features

If you are an analytical player who loves to dive into statistical analysis and break down the game into the nuts and bolts, then Pokertracker 4 (PT4) or Hold’em Manager 2 (HEM2) is for you. If you are on the fence about which to choose:

  • PT4 is a bit newer with more advanced features
  • HEM2 is time-tested and easier to navigate (also cheaper)
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My advice is to try both and see which one you like more. Or, just go with HEM2, my personal favorite.

Note: If you play on Ignition, Bovada, or Bodog, P4 and HEM2 won’t work without a converter or card catcher.

Hold’em Indicator

I have used this software since 2007 and it has never failed me. While I mostly use HEM2 in cash games, the only software I ever used when playing tournaments or sit and go’s is Tournament Indicator, which is the tournament version of Hold’em Indicator.

Features

Hold’em Indicator has seemingly been around forever. While it does not have all of the bells and whistles of PokerTracker or Hold’em Manager, it offers the vast majority of players all they will ever need to succeed. So, if you are looking for a no-frills tracker that has a simple HUD and easy setup, look no further than Hold’em Indicator.

Additionally, it is the only tracking software to work on Ignition, Bovada,& Bodog! As a bonus, Hold’em Indicator also functions as a calculator and will show all of the relevant odds while you play. This makes Hold’em Indicator an amazing choice for beginning to intermediate players! Check out my YouTube review of Hold’em Indicator that shows how it works on Ignition/Bovada.

What Is Poker Tracking Software?

Having studied and played online poker for over 10 years now, it’s hard to imagine where my game would be without the use of poker tracking software. In fact, I would argue that the use of such software has changed the game of poker more than any other factor since it’s advent back in the early 2000’s. The ability to deeply analyze one’s play over a huge hand sample has exponentially led to the rapid evolution and development of poker theory.

By having access to a plethora of different stats, which give intimate insights into the minutiae of a poker strategy, rapid development became the norm throughout the poker community. Studious players now had a powerful weapon in their never-ending struggle to “perfect” their strategy and tactics. Indeed, a constant dialectic was being waged on poker forums, as thinking players battled it out to develop optimal lines of play.

Soon, “standard” poker norms were being established as pretty much everyone battled to “solve” the game as quickly as possible. Everyone wanted the prettiest graph on the block.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that tracking software was the sole reason that poker developed into the game it is today. In fact, people had already started thinking deeply about theory years before it even existed. Indeed, a string of high-quality books on theory had been written between the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Authors like David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth had begun building upon what Doyle Brunson had started way back in 1978* when he published Super System.

What poker tracking programs did is add fuel to the fire by giving players the tools necessary to break every aspect of poker strategy down into nuts an bolts. Simple math could then be easily applied and a sound strategy and counter strategy developed. Couple this knowledge with the poker boom, and you had a proverbial Manhattan Project when it came to the development of poker theory.

Fast forward ahead only about 5 years, and by 2012, much of the rapid progress in the development of poker theory was in the past. Of course, there will always be room for improvement as the evolution of poker continues. However, it appears that the golden age of poker development is behind us.

*Actually, David Sklansky wrote the first true strategy book on poker in 1976 with Hold’em Poker. However, it wasn’t widely circulated and didn’t pack the mainstream punch that Super System did.

Something about HUDs

One of the consequences of poker software being used to play better poker was the controversial widespread use of Heads-Up Displays or HUDs. Since tracking programs gathered not just our own hands but everyone else’s as well, it didn’t take long for someone to figure out that all of that data could be used against opponents. This was accomplished visually via a floating box of statistics that hovered above opponents on an online poker table.

Pretty much anything you wanted to know about another player could be included on the HUD. How many hands did they play? Check. How often did they raise versus call? Check. How often did they 3-bet or fold to a 3-bet? Check.

In the first few years, anyone employing a HUD via tracking software had a MASSIVE advantage on the rest of the player pool. It was basically like playing bumper cars with a Sherman tank. Inexperienced players didn’t stand a chance. As a result, there was an accelerated transfer of wealth from recreational players into reg accounts. Seemingly overnight, there was an abundance of internet poker millionaires in the making.

Today, even the biggest poker newbies out there are aware that HUDs exist. And, with the growth of more anonymity in poker rooms, the extent of a HUDs effectiveness have atrophied. Even so, if you want to compete on the numerous poker rooms that still allow them, a HUD is pretty much mandatory.

How Does Poker Tracking Software Work?

Poker tracking software works in several different ways. It gathers raw data from any hand you either observe or are involved in, and then gives multiple ways of using that information.

1. Hand Histories

Every time you play a hand, the software pools that information and expresses the action in the form of a hand history.

$1/$2 No Limit Hold’em Cash, 6 Players

BB: $291.18 (145.6 bb)
UTG: $99.20 (49.6 bb)
MP1: $467.71 (233.9 bb)
MP2: $188.60 (94.3 bb)
Hero (CO): $48 (24 bb)
BTN: $277.07 (138.5 bb)

Preflop: Hero is CO with J♦ T♦
UTG folds, MP1 calls $2, MP2 folds, Hero raises to $8, BTN folds, BB calls $6, MP1 calls $6

Flop: ($24) Q♠ K♥ 9♦ (3 players)
BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets $6, BB folds, MP1 calls $6

Turn: ($36) 3♦ (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $9, MP1 calls $9

River: ($54) K♠ (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $25 and is all-in, MP1 calls $25

Results: $104 pot ($4 rake)
Final Board: Q♠ K♥ 9d 3d K♠
BB mucked 5♥ 5♣ and lost (-$8 net)

Those hand histories can then be studied and posted for further review by your peers. Alone, hand histories made “talking” poker much easier.

2. Statistical Analysis
Tracking programs allow someone to not only view their raw stat frequencies, but also filter for particular situations. Want to know how much you make when you c-bet or call a 3-bet? Ever wonder how well you do when you flat call in a particular situation and/or position? Tracking software pretty much allows you to analyze any possible circumstance that could ever possibly arise at the tables..

3. Tracking Playing History
As time goes on, tracking software programs, allow you to see every single session you have ever played and gain a long-term perspective on your progress. That way, you can analyze a particular day to see if a loss or win was caused by tilt or just normal variance.

What Is The Best Poker Tracking Software For The Major Poker Sites?

Choosing the best tracking software is all about personal preference. If you want something simple or have a low-end computer, you will want to go with Hold’em Indicator, or Tournament Indicator, for MTT/SNG players. If you want to analyze your game in depth and spend hours pouring through hands and statistics, looking for opponent weaknesses, then you will want to choose HEM2 or PokerTracker4. Just remember to check to see if your poker site is on the list of supported sites, shown below.

PokerTracker4/HEM2 Supported Sites

  • PokerStars
  • Full Tilt
  • PartyPoker
  • 888Poker
  • iPoker Network
  • Merge Network
  • MPN (MicroGaming)
  • OnGame Network
  • Revolution Gaming Network
  • Winamax
  • Winning Poker Network

You will notice that Ignition, Bovada, Bodog, nor the Chico network are on the list. In order to use HEM2 or PT4 on those sites, you will need a card catcher or hand converter.

Best Poker Table Selection Software

​What Is The Best Poker Tracking Software For Recreational Players?

If you are a casual player who only plays for fun, by far your best choice is Hold’em Indicator and Tournament Indicator. This software works on nearly every poker site in the world is basically plug and play, and will give you just enough information about other players to allow you to adjust to what they are doing. On top of all that, it is also a poker calculator and will solve all of the basic poker odds questions for you as you play. This is the tracking software I prefer over all others!

Summary

Poker tracking software is but a tool used to enhance your play at the poker table. It is designed for players looking to invest in improvement and the ability to make better adjustments to their opponents during play. I am not sure where I would be without the ability to do a deep analysis of my own play over the years. I can honestly say, without the help of tracking software, I’d be just another huge fish swimming around the poker rooms.

Good table selection is important if you want to maximize winnings from your time spent playing poker. If you want to make the most money possible, sit down with players who are worse than you.

To win money from poker, you can either develop a better strategy than your opponents, or play against worse players than you.
Why not do both?

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Your potential margin for profit against any player is proportional to the gap between your ability to play poker and theirs.

In casinos you have a limited choice of tables to sit at, so table selection is a little trickier when playing live poker. However, with online poker you have the opportunity to choose from a long list of tables.

You should take advantage of this freedom of choice.

Poker room selection.

Not all online poker rooms are created equally.

Before selecting tables, think bigger and choose which online poker room you want to play at.

Each destination has it’s own pool of players. And just as each city you visit has it’s own personality, each poker room has its own vibe. People are influenced by their surroundings, so when you’re checking out a poker room have a think about:

  • The company – are they running a sportsbook or casino as their main product? Can these gamblers easily drift over in to the poker room, or are they mainly attracting those who already play poker?
  • The poker room design – is it fun and casual, or cold and serious?
  • The bet slider – does the room make it easy to bet more optimal bet sizes by default, such as ¾ pot? Or are new players given freedom to make their own bet sizing mistakes?

Is there anything else that could cause more bad players to play at this particular poker room than somewhere else? What makes this poker room different? It could be anything.

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.Winston Churchill

The online poker ecology morphs and evolves over time. The softest poker site today could be a shark tank a year from now. Play at different locations and don’t be afraid to spend most of your playing time at the room that 'feels right' to you, even if it’s not the most popular destination right now.

You can play poker anywhere you like, and you should; just be sure to know why you’re playing there.

Tip: Don’t follow the crowd. You don’t make money from poker by doing the same thing everyone else is doing. You’re a poker player; you make your own decisions.

Table selection.

Online Poker pools together players from all around the world, so there are literally lists of tables to choose from. But how can you determine which tables may be more profitable than others?

1. Lobby stats.

Firstly, some poker rooms online will give you table stats in the lobby to give you a rough idea of how the table is playing. It’s not an exact science, but it’s better than nothing.

The figures that we are most interested in are the average pot size and average number of players per flop.

1.1 Average pot size.

The average pot size figure gives us an indication of how much action the players are giving at the table.

If players are making mistakes, the larger pot size suggests they are putting more money behind those mistakes. We make money when players make mistakes, and if they’re happy to throw around more money along with those mistakes, the more we can win.

1.2 Average number of players per flop.

The average number of players per flop figure tells us how loose the players at the table are playing.

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If this figure is high, then we can assume that the players have low starting hand requirements and are probably poor poker players. On the other hand if the figure is low, we can assume that the players are tight, and will only see flops with a good starting hand.

A high average number of players per flop figure indicates that the players at the table have poor starting hand requirements.

In general, if players are entering the pot with wider ranges of hands, they’re giving you more opportunities to profit from their mistakes. It’s difficult to win big money quickly from players who like to fold preflop.

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Take note of the number of players at each table (e.g. 6-seater, 9-seater) in relation to the players/flop, as the 6max tables are more likely to have higher percentages than the FR tables.

Lobby stats example.

A screenshot of the PokerStars lobby. It’s a bit of an old screenshot, but it does the job.

As you can see on the diagram, the table with the highest average pot is Cassiopea, and the table with the highest number of players per flop is Athor IV.

However, the best table to sit at out of the two would be Cassiopea, because Athor IV has a low average pot size despite having the higher number of players per flop.

2. Know the players.

Stats are a rough guide. There is simply no substitute for knowing who the bad players are.

The more you play the more you’ll figure out who you can win the most money from. You will start build a mental map of where the sources of money are, and who you want to avoid along the way.

The next time you play, have a browse around the lobby and see if any of your favourite players are active. If they are, sit down and start playing some poker. Try and sit to their left if you can, as this will give you a positional advantage.

Poker is about taking advantage of the best opportunities you can find. A bad player makes for a good opportunity.

Player search.

Some poker rooms offer you the ability to search for specific players. If this is available, take note of every bad player you come across and search for them before you sit down. This way you can guarantee yourself to be playing against at least one bad player, instead of taking a chance on a table of unknowns.

The 'player search' feature is rare these days. But if it’s available, awesome.

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Conclusion.

If you want to win money, you should play as many hands as you can against the worst players your can find. You have a selection of tables to choose from, so use your head and sit down at the most profitable locations.

You could be the greatest farmer in the world, but you won’t get very far trying to grow crops in the desert. Planting seeds in fertile soil isn’t strategy – it’s the basics of being a good farmer.

Similarly, table selection isn’t a science. It’s common sense.

Tip: Check out my list of the softest online poker sites for a table of rankings of poker rooms based on the volume of bad players.

Go back to the awesome Texas Hold'em Strategy.

Can You Afford Not To Use
Poker Tracker 4?

“I wouldn’t play another session of online poker without it”

Best Poker Table Selection Software For Windows 10

“I play $25NL, and in under 1 week PT4 had paid for itself”

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