Yorky Pud

When I first started playing online poker I had absolutely no idea software such as Poker Tracker and Holdem Manager existed (Holdem Manager had not been created back then but let us not dwell on it) but when I discovered it I was in awe at the plethora of statistics it could create for me. As a self confessed geek I was the kid in the proverbial sweetshop.

A little further down the line I discovered Heads-Up Displays (HUDs for short) and was even more amazed. Not only could I look at all these amazing statistics but I could not display them, in real time, next to my opponents. I was going to take over the poker world! Obviously that did not happen but using a HUD has become a big part of my online game and something that has paid for itself dozens of time over.

Gone are the days where you had to purchase the HUD separately, now both Poker Tracker and the vastly superior (my opinion) Holdem Manager come with a built-in HUD for your pleasure. In the right hands a HUD can be a powerful weapon in your arsenal but unless you spend some time learning how to use it properly then it can have a serious negative effect on your game and will cost you money.

The first obstacle HUD users need to cross is what statistics they want displaying on their screens at any one time. There will be some people who will use the same HUD regardless of what their usual game is but you really should be looking to create a HUD that is specific to the game and discipline you are playing. For example, I have one HUD layout for short-handed no limit Hold'em, one for pot limit Omaha, one of heads-up games and another from when I used to play MTTSNG. Each game is different, requires a different skill set to beat and therefore a different set of statistics on show to help you make your decisions.

As short-handed Hold'em is the more popular of the games I mentioned I will spend the next couple of articles going through what statistics I have displayed as I play, why I have chosen these particular credentials over others, what they mean and how to interpret them.