There exists a tool for online poker players to view other player’s statistics at the table, this tool is referred to as HUD (heads up display). This tool is indispensable to the skilled professional. Professional online poker players often play several tables at a time, many will play anywhere from four to sixteen tables at once using several monitors. When playing this many tables at once it is virtually impossible to keep track of every opponent’s playing style. So, in a glance you can view who plays how and their stats using a HUD. Let’s look at how it works.
On your hard drive are stored the hand histories for every hand of poker that you play online. By importing these histories into tracking software and compiling them into a database that can be read by a HUD, the stats can be displayed directly onto the table. Poker players can then make fast decisions based on playing styles and weaknesses of their opponents. With a HUD poker players do not have to watch every hand and player closely. Let me tell you how beneficial it is in actual play.
We all know that watching how our opponents play closely will help us exploit their weaknesses. When you use a HUD in conjunction with a datamining software program you can get a huge advantage over your opponents. You can move from table to table and always know exactly how your opponents play without spending too much time studying them in real time. Your software will do it for you. Some players fold the flop 60% of the time but constantly check raise the turn. If you see this on a players stats, and they call the flop, you can often expect a checkraise on the turn. This may be a good time to check behind with a mediocre hand and save two bets. Without a HUD you would have to watch this player closely for thousands of hands to realize that this is their standard play when they make a big hand. Other players will try to run over any table they sit down at and raise 50% of the time before the flop. You will probably pick up on this after a few orbits even if you’re playing 8 table or more, but with a HUD you’ll know what you’re dealing with before the first hand is even dealt.
Another useful tool that your HUD will afford you is that it will show you your opponents hole cards after the hand is over if they go to showdown. Many players will muck their hand so that you can’t see it but the HUD will still pick up the data. Its helpful to know what a player will call a river bet with. This alone will help you value bet the river against players who will showdown weak hands.
Anyone playing poker online should be using a heads up display. The professionals are using them, shouldn’t you?
The author of this article plays poker online and receives Rakeback at Ultimate Bet. He is also a contributer at Rakeback Solution.
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