Poker Calculator Report is the Internet's Top Resource for Ratings and Reviews of the most popular Online Poker Odds Calculators, Profiling and Assist Tools
From Marty Smith, Webmaster; If you play poker online, you have certainly been exposed to a new generation of online poker software classified herein as "Poker Calculators". If you are not using such a program, someone is surely using it on you! Recent estimates indicate more than 40% of online poker players have some sort of 3rd party program aid while playing online texas hold'em poker.
Just think, you could soon be playing with with odds decision making skills of Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson or Daniel Negreanu. These 3rd party programs "read" your face up cards dealt and compare them to the flop, bets, pot size and other factors to instantly determine your pot odds, and thereby pass recommendations to you, the player. Hence, it is always the correct recommendation based on all mathematical probabilities. Yeah, just like you were Chris Ferguson or Andy Bloch at the WSOP final table.
The poker odds calculators are created by a complex set of algorithms, which compute the chances of winning based on past computations - the odds that this particular combination of cards will come up at a particular point in a game. While this information may seem to be too expansive to ever be able to commit to memory, there are some very basic odds that can be memorized by rote. Most successful poker players have educated themselves on the basic theories of odds so they can make snap decisions based upon those statistics regarding the chances of hitting a hand, as quickly as the cards are dealt. Which is precisely why amateurs should look to level the playing field by using an online poker odds calculator.
Poker Ethics and Rules When Using Poker Calculators
Are they unethical to use? For the most part, not really. It just brings you up to speed with the poker professionals and mathematical geniuses who have this information in their head and use it make key probability decisions all the time. Some of these programs are frowned upon by the poker sites but most, as in the case with Party Poker are internally described as acceptable 3rd party software. Companies like Party Poker will get a lot more uncomfortable though, if you are running a program that not only calculates bets, pots and odds, but profiles online poker player statistics .
It is unquestionably unacceptable to Poker Stars and Party Poker if you sit down at a table, and you have statistics on a player that you've never even played against before - so buyer beware. These big sites with all their might, are constantly seeking to level the playing field by prohibiting or negating such software. Most of the programs here are on the "safe" list. Other sites like Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet by-and-large ignore the issue of third party software altogether - seemingly an non-issue with them.
There are 3 different types of Poker Calculators:
Mathematical Generally speaking, all poker calculators have the fundamental ability to calculate the bets and pot size while measuring that against your position, hole card strength and drawing potential. These basic reading functions, extracted right from your poker window automatically, are essentially why poker calculators exist in the first place. They quickly decipher the exact math and probabilities and offer a raise, call, check or fold recommendation.
Empirical In addition to the above features, these Poker Calculators monitor and record the behavior of your opponents. Based on this added information, such a Poker Calculator can help support or contradict your impression of a certain opponent's grid factor, but more likely, set the framework for an hypothesis all on its' own. These are the most popular types and include Holdem Indicator and Tournament Indicator as the market leaders.
***Empirical Poker Calculators are the only types of reccomended software.
Operative This type of poker calculator will have a combination of at least some of the features in each of the Mathematical and Empirical, but is distinct in how it obtains that information. You could call this the black hat of Poker Calculators, because it extracts information on your future opponents, by monitoring your poker website's table action, and thus building a player database whether you are at a table or not. Then you can retrieve information from that database to view your opponents' hand selection, playing styles, raising habits, bankroll fluctuations, experience, and a host of other factors.
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Poker Calculator News and Updates:
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Omaha Indicator Now Released.
From the designers of Holdem Indicator and Tournament Indicator comes another stellar poker calculator product used for omaha and omaha hi-lo. The hard working crew there tell me the software uses the highly regarded Hutchison point system for ranking hands. As in the style consistent with thier succesful line-up of products, there will be a profiling and drawing window to toggle back and forth, and can be used for ring games of limit, PL and NL, as well as all types of tournaments. It will of course attach and read automatically all data from the poker site you play at.
Certainly a product long in the making given the intensity of the mathematical possibilities involved and a yearning market. Watch this site for instant updates and a new video explaining this anticipated product.
This now brings The indicator line-up to 3 products (not counting the poker indicator gensis). Watch the poker calculator video review here...
Cash Game Calculator Profiling from JP:
Above is for reference on my opponent profiling:
Red for Alpha-T = TAG, good W$SD
Pink for Alpha-L = LAG, Good W$SD
Blue for Beta-T = Tight, weaker player, possible player in transistion getting better, not that good in W$SD, Mouse types, some rocks, some green smilies and yellow smilies, etc... Usually it's a T-Pass player
Green for Beta-L = Loose player, poor W$SD, can be agressive or passive, makes a lot of mistakes, in too many pots and sees too many showdowns with low win percentage. Calling stations, maniacs, chickens, neutrals, gamblers, monkeys, donkeys, etc....
Note, in my profiling system a maniac, calling station and gambler type can be under pink based on a better win ratio.
Some other player "types" can fit in a different color code category too than you would expect. I look at players as succesful if winning along with their other traits. Loose play can be profitable if done right, Loose play can also just be mistakes. So I differentiate my player types a bit more than just on standard data. I want to know if they are winning with their style of play or not and accord them the proper profile based on that.
Please note, this is just a simplified profile at a glance route I have developed. I still use stats and notes as the game goes on to refine a player profile and shift them. I find that over time a few may shift both within the same game as well as from month to month. Once in a while I come across someone I played and profiled a month or more ago. Since the last time played they may have been a Beta that has moved to Alpha or Loose that moved to tight etc....
SpadeICM Delivers Real Math.
The latest entry into the ICM Poker Calculator market is SpadeICM and is surely a player with all the necessary credentials. ICM's are now a part of every sit and go rounder's arsenal, in particular for self analysis and improving game time bubble and ITM decisions - SpadeICM is designed to expedite that training. Full review at here: SpadeICM
Poker Stars Now Prohibiting Use of ICM Calculators
Read below a letter from Poker Stars support in regards to ICM calculators (SnG calculator based on real dollar equity as opposed to chips stacks) that give an edge to a player who knows when to push for equity.
After listening to feedback from players, and monitoring the development of software, PokerStars has decided to prohibit the use of ICM Calculators during play.
We believe that this is the best decision to make, as part of on our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest possible standards of game integrity.
Previously, our policy permitted the use of ICM calculators during play. We have changed our policy on this issue because the facts have changed. Increasingly, ICM calculators are able to automate many judgments about the correct play with little or no input from the player, and are able to do this faster and more efficiently than ever before.
We do recognize however, that ICM calculators can be valuable learning tools. Consequently, you are welcome to continue to use them to study when you do not have the PokerStars client software open. However, using such a program while PokerStars is running will no longer be permitted. To implement these rules, we will:
1.In the short-term, educate the community via forums like this and our website, and educate individual players who use ICM tools by emailing them directly
2.After this brief period, issue warnings to players who use ICM tools (which may include temporary suspension of their PokerStars accounts until they acknowledge the warning)
3.Take further action as needed against repeat offenders
This is a significant change in policy. In the spirit of fairness, no player will be penalised for past use of an ICM calculator, and there will be a brief ‘grace’ period for all players who currently use ICM calculators.
Please feel free to email us anytime at support@pokerstars.com if you have any queries about this or anything else.
Poker bankroll calculators now gaining in popularity.
Maybe some players are slow to learn, but bankroll managment for online poker is about just as important as playing the game well itself. There have been a few lite-wieght versions of spreadsheets and software around to help with this part of the game, but now Triskele Software has introduced a software tool completely devoted to bankroll issues. Consider it a Quicken or Simply Accounting for your poker money.
Full review of Personal Poker Pal.
Holdem Indicator and Tournament Indicator are now resizeable.
When it comes to multi-tabling your poker calculator needs to be based on the chat reader technology, not screen scraper. In that sense Holdem Indicator and Tournament Indicator have a distinct advantage over their competition because you have the option of playing as many tables at the same time as your monitor can handle while having the poker calculator attacch to each and every one - automatically!
Read more about: Can I play more than one table while using my poker calculator?
Playing Poker Against The Pioneer, The Butterfly, and The Avarice.
On many occasions when my poker calculator hasn’t had time to profile my opponent properly, a difficult hand has sent me scurrying into the sharkscope website doing a quick search of someone who has just put a big bet to me. If you dig into the some of the other features on sharkscope though, in particular the graphs, this service can do well by helping you identify the type of player you are up against, and I am not talking poker, as much as I am human nature here.
Sharscope article
Can Tournament Indicator Tell you When You Need to Double Up?
It’s when you get to the Orange MZone that you could, and should start looking to double up. Under an orange mzone condition, a good number of your opponents are going to have you substantially out-stacked. If you are using tournament indicator, it will show you what mzone you are in throughout the whole tournament. Now that also means your Q, or stack average, is probably relatively low as well.
Poker-Spy 2 Review
Poker-Spy has been around for longer than most other poker calculators and quietly ushered in the classification of empirical poker calculators. That being the type that offered you not only poker odds and drawing information while extracting the pertinent data from your poker screen, but also keeping track of you and your opponent’s profiles.
In a substantial way, Poker-Spy's value lays within these reports which have done well by this program in the growing days of online poker. I personally recommended this software nearly two years ago now, but let`s fast forward to Poker-Spy 2.0 which was recently updated with a few new features, albeit hard to find as they were. Full review of Poker Spy 2
You won't be able to use Data-Mining Software at Cake Poker.
The security staff at Cake Poker are trying some unconventional strategies to combat third party data-mining at thier poker site. There won't be any free poker information available any more because the system undermines the player ID value by adding stars, or asterisks, (it varies) to a players name, unbeknownst to him or anyone playing against him. Add this strategy to the allowance that Cake gives it's players to change their name outright once per week, and data minng by programs like Poker Tracker, Poker-Edge, and Poker Sherlock will not possibly be able to sort it out.
What is the best "time" of day to play cash games? Can your poker calculator help you decide?.
If you have Poker Tracker, it will automatically track your sessions by day and 1 hour time intervals. Then you will know the best time for YOU to play, based on the sites/tables you play at.
Sun137 has posted at Tournament Indicator Forum the best times for him, one of which is early Saturday morning UK time - about 2am USA time. Generally early UK time is better if playing USA players, but to be honest it is always table/player dependent in relation to your own style of play. The 'right' time of day and wrong table selection could be a disaster.
Poker Tracker crawls towards version 3 release.
The anticipated release of Poker Tracker is still in the beta version while some users are sifting through the new options and interface which promise to be more user friendly. If you have never used Poker Tracker read the full review to find out what you mnight be missing.
Tournament Indicator adds Boss IPN Network and Svenska Spel (the Swedish Government-run online Poker site).
While tournament indicator and holdem indicator are now the only poker calculators running on the Swedish network, they didn`t stop there with updates this month adding some upo and coming sites like Poker Heaven, Euro Super Poker and TGF Poker of the IPN network. And yes that also includes the recent software change-over for Paradise Poker too.
Using more than one poker calculator or assist software for your game
I have always been on the side of not over doing it poker calculators. I have just found that once players start looking into thier game, for some, it takes on monumental adventures - to the point that it takes away from thier game. Since I do play mostly tournaments though, there is a stream of thought that your cash and ring games could very well be improved my running multiple poker software programs like poker tracker AND holdem indicator. Read more.
Looking at your own statistics in a poker calculator:
It's one thing to profile others, but if they are using software on you, then you should know what they think about your playing style. Johnny Tropic responds to a forum post.
Understanding the AF in Poker Calculators and what it means about your opponent.
The AF integrates into the overall profiling of your opponent but can be used on it's own to guage a player's experience level with realtive ease and accuracy.
CakePoker creates new solution to data-mining tactics. This statement is pulled right from the Cale Poker website declaring the ultimate protection against being datamined yourself.
"CakePoker players will be granted the option of changing their Poker Nickname every 7 Days.
By allowing players to change their Poker Nickname often, CakePoker thus negates the effectiveness of shared or prolonged poker data tracking."
This is interesting and could be a much more manageable way for the major websites to control what may be becoming an overload of datamining activity infiltrating all major poker sites.
Using Poker-Edge can be a risky business if you play on Poker Stars. But if you are moving over to the dark side, you better know what to do when booting up this black-hat software.
Keep in mind that Poker Stars and any other poker software you install in your computer has implicit access to your whole computer system. And they do sweep check hard-drives for black hat software that is specifically on thier pohibted programs list. The designers of Poker-Edge however, think they have come up with counter measure that will protect the user.
Understanding Implied Odds can help you make better decisions about contesting a pot or conceding it.
Given that some players need help with, or enjoy the ease of having their pot odds displayed at every turn then you might imagine that figuring implied odds would be beyond the scope of most recreational players. The thing is, implied odds may have a more immediate and profound impact on making the correct decision in given situations, thus not understanding this concept will surely be costly to your game.
VPIP and AF can mean a heck of a lot more in cash games than tournaments.
These two indicators may just mean more about the stage and payout of a tournament, than they do about the "normal" playing style of an opponent. Keep that in mind when an opponent has a 42% VPIP but is ALSO in the orange MZone.
Poker Prospector newest and quite possibly the best of self analysis software according to BaddBeatBobb:
Poker Prospector comes from the same dudes who made Poker Academy whoare the same dudes who created the AI player that challenged the likes of Phil Laak last year admirably. Yeah, it those guys... So you got to figure Prospector is worth looking into.
Tournament Indicator adds Player Stats Asisstant Feature:
The profiling feature on Tournament Indicator not only has a 2 year database, but now offers you the option of saving that database in case you ever change computers, have to re-install operating software, or use two computers at home. The programmers decided to add this feature so that stattistics would no longer be "lost" if somebody decided to buy a new computer.
Cake Poker experiencing technical difficulties.
"Software is buggy, the servers often have trouble (paused tables across the entire network) but support tells me they are working on that. Support are very helpful and have refunded my buy-in several times when server lag caused me to lose it. Sometimes you are not aware the game screen is frozen and you have to ctrl alt delete to close it and then reopen it to re-enter the game, by this time you can lose a lot of blinds depending on the state of the tourny." User at Cake Poker
Poker Sharpener is the first software of its kind that combines a poker calculcator and self analysis software.
And it handles them both surprisingly well, at least from a programming stand-point. The graphics are well done too but oh that dam pesky overlay feature....
Magic Holdem gets a second chance for a positive review.... still nothing but misguided programmers thinking they know what poker players want.
It still baffles Marty Smith that computer programmers are pumping out the simplistic "mathematical" poker calculators.. Watch this video and hear him ramble on about computer nerds with their heads in the the dirt.... Marty Smith's Rant On Magic Holdem
Read the real-life reality of installing and learning how to use some deep thinking self-analysis software like Poker Office2.
"Now we get to the really great features of the program and what makes it SO valuable a tool to have! I thought I knew what hands to play and how to play them. I thought I knew what was making me the most and losing me the most. I thought I knew what I had to work on to improve my game. BOY was I wrong! Collecting, sorting and formatting ALL the data for 1,000’s of hands gives you some real cold hard facts that are undeniable".. The installation exploits of Johnny Tropic
Tournament Shark is a new datamining tool for online MTTs and STT opponent profiling. Unlike other datamining software this one got preapproved by Poker Stars..
Tournament Shark is a poker assist tool that offers you opponent data based on thier statistics when playing in multi-table tournament and sit and go tournaments, and that includes short and heads-up table action. Full review of Tournament Shark
Poker Office 2 Comes packed with new features that may just mark a new industry standard in poker analysis software.
You rarely find anything but positive comments about Poker Office it in the forums and that speaks volumes to be sure. In recommending Poker Office to players who want to improve their game, and take it seriously enough, you may find some of these features as beneficial as I have to my game. Full review of Poker Office 2
Poker Calculator Software that actually Doesn't Work Properly
Once a decent product on the market, Calculatem Pro has suffered from stagnant design, no updates in 2 years, poor customer service and now basic miscalculations that can cost you money at thye table.... Read our special report and find out why...
Poker Calculator Report – Full Tilt Cracking Down Now
Next is the enforcement and crackdown on the data-mining activities of third party software like Poker-Edge. This software has always been the nemesis of Poker Stars and Party Poker where those sites actually scan your hard-drive now to determine if you are using such software. You will get a warning of account deletion and confiscation in about a New York minute if you are actually using it. More...
Software Review: SitNGo Wizard As Your Personal Poker Tournament Coach.
My friends and I started out learning poker by playing sit and go tournaments. It was a great way to learn about tournaments, blinds structure and aggression while not bleeding your whole deposit in a couple hours. We actually use to pride ourselves on how long it would be until we had to reload! Playing very tight a few years ago was actually the thing to do to make money. Full Software review