‘HUD’ stands for ‘Heads Up Display’ and is a program used by most online poker players to gain information about an opponent’s playing style. A HUD provides real-time statistics about an opponent, indicating their next move and helping you make better decisions. And while there are plenty of HUDs out there, one stands out above the rest.
Poker Tracker 4 is the best poker HUD for tournaments and works effectively even when multi-tabling. Poker Tracker 4 is the most comprehensive HUD on the market, with a design that’s easy to use across all platforms and devices.
In this article, I’ll go into more detail about PokerTracker 4 and how it can improve your game, so you can see why it’s a worthwhile investment. Read on to learn why PT4 is the best poker HUD!
Why PT4 Is the Best Poker HUD
There are several HUDs out there with their own set of nifty stats and suggestions for players to analyze and improve their games. However, PokerTracker has been used consistently over the years, and the latest version (PT4) can help give you a significant competitive edge over other poker players. Let’s explore a few reasons why.
Seamless Integration
First, and probably most importantly, this software can be used on the most popular websites, including Pokerstars, Ignition Poker, GG Poker, 888 Poker, and Party Poker. And even if you’re playing on a less popular site, you can always transfer your data to the PT4 and analyze your playing style here.
Additionally, PT4 works across all devices and has been optimized for Apple devices as well. This accessibility across devices is a big deal as most HUDs are not optimized for Apple, and it can be troublesome to find one that fits.
And, PT4 offers customers a two-week trial period where they can test out the software before buying it. So if you’re still not sure, try it for yourself!
Range of HUD Stats
While PT4 has various ways to help improve your game (we’ll get to that in a moment), it also performs the essential function of a HUD exceptionally well. For starters, the software has hundreds of HUD stats to choose from, and you can customize this selection when you first open up the program.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to go through the trouble of setup, you can choose from the various HUD setups they have to offer.
Some of the more common stats include:
- VPIP. This shows how often a player puts money in the pot or the percentage of hands someone plays.
- PFR. Shows how often a player tends to raise before the flop.
- AF. Tells us how many aggressive actions (betting or raising) a player engages in when someone calls.
These are the most common stats and are available on all poker HUDs. However, PT4 also provides more detailed stats like ‘Fold to Steal,’ which shows how often a player folds when someone tries to steal the blind.
PT4 has several HUDs which indicate player statistics and help you make more calculated decisions. This information is handy when playing tournaments and multi-tabling as you won’t have much time to read players or assess their playing style.
And by including specific HUD stats, you can quickly decide without expending too much mental energy.
Game Analysis
Aside from providing these nifty stats to assess opponents, PokerTracker 4 also records a history of every single hand you played and stores it so you can revisit and evaluate your own game.
The software also offers an in-depth game analysis, and you can input certain filters into the software for a proper breakdown of the different elements in your game. You can check how many hands you’ve played at a particular stake, see your winnings, and observe any changes in gameplay throughout specific periods.
This information is valuable and practical when deciding which aspects of your game to change and how to improve your playing style.
ICM Calculator
Poker Tracker is handy for those looking to play Multi-Table tournaments as they allow users to use an ICM (Independent Chip Model) calculator. You can use this tool to determine your equity (position) in a tournament, even across multiple tables.
With the ICM calculator, you can determine your current position in any given tournament and the likelihood of you ending up in a particular position. While this may not seem like much, it’s enough to motivate you to change your playing style or ditch tournaments where you’re unlikely to win much.
Leak Finder
Finally, PokerTracker 4 can significantly improve your game with the help of its ‘Leak Finder,’ a tool that helps you find out what aspects of the game you need to work on.
The Leak Finder inevitably assesses your gameplay and determines areas you can work on or behaviors that are costing you money over the long term. You can use the statistics provided here to figure out areas to work on which will make you a more profitable poker player in the long run.
These are a few reasons why PokerTacker 4 has remained the best poker HUD for different kinds of poker games over the years.
However, if you’re looking for an alternative HUD, Holdem Manager 3 is probably the only other software that can compete with PT4. The software is nearly as comprehensive, with many HUD stats to choose from, and can help to improve your game in the long run significantly.
Final Thoughts
The field of poker has been wholly altered over the last decade, and HUDs are here to stay for good. In fact, there’s probably no professional (i.e., profitable) poker player out there without a HUD.
While those mourning the loss of ‘pure’ poker refuse to use HUDs, those who have embraced the new technology as a part of the changing landscape have experienced immense success in the last few years.
And if you’re playing online poker today, PokerTracker 4 can take your game and bankroll to the next level.
To truly get to another level in tournaments it is essential you combine the proper use of tools with coming up with a proper strategy. You can do it on your own, but it will be a lot faster to join some training sites. I have an in-depth article on the best poker training sites for MTTs here.