Holdem Manager is one of the best programs available for poker statistics collection. With the aid of Holdem Manager you will have full access to information about your opponents which will enable you to influence your future results in a positive way. The software is not free, but there is a version with a 30-day free trial. There are two versions – Holdem Manager Pro and Holdem Manager Small Stakes which cost $99. 99 and $59. 99 respectively. Each version functions the same, but the cheaper version does not work on limits higher than $0. 25/$0. 50 in cash games, and tournaments with buy-ins higher than $22.
For the full set of functions to work with Holdem Manager, you will have to download the PostgreSQL database system. This system handles the databases used by Holdem Manager. You can download it from the program’s official website.
The Holdem Manager’s main function screen is a HUD display (Heads-up display with real-time statistics) presented as an overlay at the tables, which allows any player to instantly evaluate his opponent. You can select the necessary parameters yourself, or use one of the many pre-configurations offered by HM. You can also obtain more detailed statistics simply by hovering your mouse over the information that you are most interested in.
How does it work?
Using Holdem manager is a breeze. Every deal played is stored in a database that is handled by Holdem Manager. To receive the most reliable stats, you will have to play through a few thousand deals – although there is an easier way. There are websites where you can buy archives containing details of millions of deals from each limit – for example hhdealer or hand hq). Such archives cost between five and ten dollars for low limit cash or sit-n-go games.
Once configured, the table with the stats overlay will look something like this (you can change both the displayed stats and the HUD design):
Additional features
Besides the display of statistics at your table, Holdem Manager will help you analyze both you and your opponent’s style of play. You can use many of the filters to help you prepare information for detailed analysis. Do you want to know how often your aces lose on pre-flop comparisons? No problem! Don’t forget that to improve your results you need to not only analyze your opponent’s play, but also your own. Several hours spent on deal analysis after a session will definitely help you to rid yourself of a lot of your mistakes, so you can positively influence your win rate.
For the analysis of deals, a brilliant hand «re-player» is available. This allows you to look through all the actions, step by step. You have to click the hand that you are interested in twice to open the re-player.
You can buy different add-ons for an extra charge. There is NoteCaddy (for convenient and highly visible visual notes for players), TableNinja (the program that makes life easier for those who play at a lot of tables), LeakBuster (will point out the most problematic aspects of your play), TiltBreaker (will cause you to stop playing if it senses you are tilting), SitNGo Wizard (a indispensable tool for SitnGo deal analysis) and TableScanner (will help you to quickly characterize all the players at the table). All the add-ons are sold separately at prices between $50 and $150, and all are worth the outlay.
Possible problems
Most often players face a situation where the HUD is not correctly displayed at the table. The Russian Language is the client’s typical problem. To allow Holdem Manager operate the deal history, you must first install the English Language version of your poker client. If English is installed, make sure that you have checked the «Save My Hand History» check-box in the room settings. After that, open the Hand Importing tab in Holdem manager, and select the folder where the poker room saves hands histories.
Stats location at the table can give rise to another problem. You can drag the stats window by pressing the right mouse button, but having to do so every time is not favorable. To make the windows appear in the same order every time you need to choose permanent settings. This is done with the help of the HUD Options tab, Seating Preferences sub-menu. Choose your room, mark the place where you are seated at the corresponding table (from two to ten players), after which just seat yourself there every time.
Conclusion
Holdem Manager is a very popular and easy-to-use program. Despite some misgivings with the initial set up, once you have it configured correctly it works like a charm and will never cause you any great difficulties. All updates run free-of-charge and done automatically. The 30-day free trial allows you to work out for yourself whether Holdem Manager is worth the outlay. A fee between $50 and $100 may seem excessive at the start of your poker career, but you can make a significant profit if you use Holdem Manger in the correct manner.
Please note, PokerStars has officially included Holden Manager within its official list of released software, which is a significant step.