Data mining

people always seem to have these vpip, etc. stats on their villains, and i know that this isn't from calculating it themselves. do you need a poker office program to get this information on opponents or is it a standard option at poker rooms? (i primarily use bodog but also have a full tilt account)

most people who post with xx/xx/xx type stats on villains use either poker tracker 3 or holdem manager. Both programs use a database that saves every hand you play so when you play with someone you've played against before you have stats on them.

google search poker tracker 3 or holdem manager and read their sites.

that is all.

Most use Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker.
I prefer Holdem Manager.
There are also some standalone programs that do nothing but stats, but I have no experience with those.

"data mining" refers to opening tables that you're not playing at to gather stats to use while you're playing. I think that's not allowed anywhere anymore. But getting stats while you're playing is perfectly legal, and I think has become a part of online poker that's not going to disappear, and at some point in stakes you put yourself at a significant disadvantage if you don't use them.

thanks a lot, guys! the only programs i've seen like this cost money, so i've been missing out on precious precious information (which equates to money in NLHE). I feel like this should be mandatory information for FTRers

Originally Posted by surviva316

thanks a lot, guys! the only programs i've seen like this cost money, so i've been missing out on precious precious information (which equates to money in NLHE). I feel like this should be mandatory information for FTRers

I should be clear-- it is possible to play online poker without this sort of software. BUT-- you need to play just like the best live players, i.e., keep records of what you do, take notes on other players' tendencies, and watch the game carefully to improve your reads on your opponents over the course of the game. You can't multitable and you definitely can't be doing anything else other than concentrating on the poker table.

The edge that is conferred by the software is that the information is more detailed and accurate, and you don't have to compile it yourself, which makes profitable multitabling possible. But the software tells you a lot, it doesn't tell you everything, and there's still a space for old-fashioned tells and reads and observation in online poker. (For instance, if a player engages in a particular betting pattern only when he has a monster hand, the software may not tell you that, but your observations will.)

Indeed, I think all players, even those who rely on the software and who profitably multitable, would benefit from some single-table sessions without the software where they rely on their own observations and reads.

Originally Posted by surviva316

thanks a lot, guys! the only programs i've seen like this cost money, so i've been missing out on precious precious information (which equates to money in NLHE). I feel like this should be mandatory information for FTRers

FYI, both PT3 (http://www.pokertracker.com/ )and HEM (http://www.holdemmanager.net/ ) have free trial offers. PT3 is for like 30 or 60 days and I know when I used a trial from them they put out an upgrade and it extended my trial for a long time. HEM is only good for 14 days but is a superior product IMHO. HEM also has a micro stakes version which you can use upto I think 50nl. Either is a good investment and you will make your money back with the use of them.
GL

I only got HEM when I moved to 50NL... But I rarely played more than 4 tables. You can gain a lot of information by observing hands that you are not in... There are arguments for both - getting it as early as possible and waiting until you can beat the game without one and pay for it with your profits.

PT3 lets you have a trial for like 60 days. thats a very long amount of time so you should really make good use of it

HEM is only like a week or something. shady developers

i don't think the PT3 free trial works with bodog and i just cashouted in my full tilt account (straight-flush beat my ace-high flush

that is enough of these ridiculous threads and the obv post-whoring that goes on in them.

If anyone posts a thread that obviously has been discussed 50+ times before your thread will be locked.

There is a search function, stickies in every forum, and more than likely, the same exact thread on the front page of each forum. Failure to use these tools will result in your thread being locked.