Should poker players use HUDs?

Do tracking tools improve your game or make it less interesting?

Vovk said:

Do tracking tools improve your game or make it less interesting?

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I have never used any additional software to play the game and I don't plan to do so. I play poker primarily for fun, and I always hope that my skills will allow me to increase my bankroll. I don't want to overcomplicate the game and turn it from fun into a headache.

Vovk said:

Do tracking tools improve your game or make it less interesting?

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It's very useful in some cases, specially to study.
There's a lot of good players that doesn't use them while playing tho.

I agree that you need to at least study some hands that you repeatedly don't do well in. But it's not that convenient for me at this point, just need to reflect myself and then maybe use a pool of hands to study them as examples rather than keeping track of all my progress. Perhaps later on during my poker games I might use it if I think it's necessary for my personal growth at poker games.

If you do not use a HUD, and your opponents use it, you give them an advantage.

For me, using a HUD takes away from the charm of poker. The beauty of the game lies in the mental duel between players. If one player, or even all of them, use a HUD, it's not a clash of individual skill...

I think it can be helpful to get an honest look at your game... 👍

If you don't use, someone will...

Think this is a way of "self-protection" and use it even if you don't agree/like it...

I think it really depends on what you want from the game. HUDs and tracking tools can definitely help you spot patterns in opponents and analyze your own play, which can improve your win rate over time. On the other hand, some people feel it makes the game less “human” and a bit mechanical, because you start relying on stats instead of reading players intuitively. Personally, I use tracking tools mainly for post-session review, during live play I try to balance stats with actual reads to keep the game interesting.

Poker is a game of information, so having more information is always better, as long as you know how to use it properly. If you use information improperly, this can lead to overadjustments, that are worse than no adjustments at all.

Example 1
You have made a note 8 month ago on someone saying "small bet was a weak hand". They make a small bet, you raise, and now they come back over the top with a 3-bet. You get it in, and they have the nuts. The mistake here was assuming, that just because a small bet was a weak hand one time 8 month ago, then this is always the case, and more importantly ignoring the further information, that this time they also 3-bet after initially making a small bet.

Example 2
Your HUD tells you, that the opponent folds to C-bets 80% of the time. For this reason you decide to C-bet a complete airball on a very connected board, you get raised, and you have to fold. The mistake here was not noticing, that the 80% was 4 out of 5 opportunities, so the sample was still to small to draw any conclusions, and then also ignore the other and more important information, which was the board texture.

Should poker players use HUDs? Certainly those that profit from selling HUDs would think so.
For me, its a distraction. Its just probability & stats anyway. If it can't be used in live poker, then its not for me.