Poker software development has been in demand so much over recent history that is has actually helped propelled the internet as whole, while also improving cash and credit exchanges via secure networks.
Poker Software in general is actually the program that you download when you sign up for a poker site. Most major poker sites have thier own software, but many use a shared platform and just label and market the software under different websites. The end marketers usually pay a monthly lease fee or cut of rake for useage. Some of the popular platforms outside of the major players are IPoker, Cryptologic and Boss Media.
The other major category of poker software is used by individual poker players that want some sort of software assistance with thier game. Included in this poker software category are poker calculators which subsequently have divisions and classifications of thier own.
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 because that are allowed at all poker sites, and they profile opponents too.
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.
The other type of poker software category is called Self Analysis Poker Software. Poker Tracker has long been the leader in this category but recent introductions have seen not only thier market sahre split, but the actual command of the tools being usurped by competition.
More and more online poker players of the amateur status are really getting into using self analysis tools to take a deeper look into their game and identify potential flaws in their overall strategy. To go deeper into their game, players may turn perennial losing “game” situations they have struggled with into break even or even profitable scenarios.
Flaws in your game are often referred to as “leaks” in poker, because you are essentially spilling money on to the table and in to someone else’s bankroll. This can be a huge factor on a player’s bankroll progression and has been the downfall of the majority of poker players online.
With the growing choice of self-analysis software, some players are taking time away from the game and pouring through their own hand history data to uncover leaks and attack the problem head-on. A player using self-analysis software may not even know what he is looking for, but may after a single session of hand history study may find in his game a golden nugget.
Self analysis software or SAS has long been the studious players’ backdrop to sound strategy and growth, but what exactly can SAS tell you of any value? Well do you think it would be valuable to know you have lost $3,150 playing KQos from early position this year alone? Do you think it would valuable if you knew your win rate at $5/$10 limit hold’em on Stars tables was 3 times more profitable per hour than your $1/$2 No Limit game at Full Tilt? And do you think it would help you to know that against player with a high VPIP and high aggression factor that you lose on average, 1 ½ big blinds per hour?
Of course all these would be interesting facts and programs like Poker Tracker, Poker Office, Poker Sharpener and Poker Prospector are the type of SAS programs you need to be spending more quality time with, especially if you play the cash and ring games as your dominant online game. The reason for that is because they can be measured more accurately with consistent blinds and game structures.
It all comes down to how dedicated you are to improving and how you want to respect and grow your bankroll. If your bankroll could be bigger than it is now, or if it is trending down, than a self-analysis session is surely required. Don’t let your judgment, ego, or for heaven’s sake, anger stand in the way of you becoming a better player.
Poker bankroll software is becoming important part of the online game.
Chris Ferguson proved it. You can start an online poker bankroll from ZERO dollars. The fact that a pro went through the whole process not once, but twice building an account surplus of $10,000 shows that with due diligence and dedication to the task, anyone can do it.
Anyone with a little self control that is. In online poker, that attribute is far more rare than you might think. Some conservative estimates indicate that more than 75% of online poker players lose money. With the outrageous growth of poker and hold’em in this millennium, there is certainly no shortage of valuable information for anyone who wants to learn how to play the game.
So many players though end up playing above their skill level and even worse, above their bankroll that inevitably, these are the players that end up in that 75% cluster of money losing fish. Yes you are essentially a fish by playing above your bankroll. Chris Ferguson didn’t build his bankroll with magnificent bluffing, power all-in betting, and underground intimidation tactics. Are you kidding me? Have you ever played in the $1 sit and go tournaments? Strategies like that will send you to head first into a brick wall repeatedly in frustration.
Ferguson merely used fundamental poker skills to win as much as he could, but more importantly executed exceptional bankroll management with a strict set of rules that determined which games and game conditions he could participate in.
Bankroll management is then, utterly important to your success online, and now there are software choices to help you keep track of that very aspect of your game. Personal Poker Pal is the latest in this market that with a variety of graphs, reports, and analysis tools can help keep your game moving up and build your bankroll the very best way – using other people’s money.
What a poker bankroll calculator can do for you is keep your skill set evenly matched with your bankroll. As your knowledge and understanding of the game improves, so then are you rewarded in your bankroll. It’s simple math really. If you jump too far up, you are penalized (eventually) for playing above your head and you take a hit.
It is impossible to be consistently successful in the modern game without a detailed analysis of performance, highlighting the reasons for success or failure either in particular hands or over a session, with the aim of improving future results. If you can operate a simple program like Quicken, then you should have no trouble with Personal Poker Pal.
You manage money everywhere else in your life don’t you? Unless you are just out having fun and you really don’t care about how much you spend on entertaining yourself playing online poker, then you need to start managing your poker bankroll, just like the pros.
