PokerHub Interview with PokerSoftware.com

PokerHub.org is a one-stop shop to upload hand histories from some of the world’s largest online poker sites to share them with friends or save for later review. The web-based software is compatible with PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker, with more sites set to debut in the future. PokerSoftware.com sat down with PokerHub’s Jonathan Twomley to get the 4-1-1 on this new service.

PokerSoftware.com: In your own words, describe what PokerHub.org is and how it can help players.

Jonathan Twomley: PokerHub started as a hand posting site, but it will be much more than that as time goes on. I created PokerHub for the sole reason of making life easier for players who play online. There are a lot of times when you need to post a hand on a forum for other people to analyze. With PokerHub, you can post your hand history and apply different settings to it such as  "Hide Results," "Hide My User Name," and "Allow Comments." With these options, PokerHub gives you the ability to let others see only what you want them to see about your hand. PokerHub also takes it a step further by offering software that works hand-in-hand with the site.

PokerSoftware.com: Talk about the challenges of collecting hand data and how that process works.

Jonathan Twomley: Currently, we only support Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker, but that list is growing with demand. Our data collection is completely driven by our users and the hands they post. Each hand submitted is stored in a database and available for display. We also run odds calculations and provide a means that users can easily decipher how the hand was played and relevant statistics. One thing that sets us apart from the rest is the fact that we offer a bulk upload of hand histories.

PokerSoftware.com: Talk about Auto Post. What went into its development and what does it do?

Jonathan Twomley: First, let me give a simple example of how AutoPost works. By pressing Ctrl+Q over any Full Tilt or PokerStars window, the last hand will automatically be posted to PokerHub.org and the link will appear in your clipboard. I created Auto Post primarily for people who stake others or want to be able to save a hand for later review quickly. Since this process is no longer cumbersome (not to mention distracting), it encourages users to post more hands and can help build confidence in those who are staking players.

In order for Auto Post to work, I find information about the table that the user is on when they hit the hotkey. That information is then used to find the correct hand in the hand history file and then send it to PokerHub.org, which processes the hand and returns a link.

PokerSoftware.com: What feedback have you received from users? Have you adjusted the site accordingly?

Jonathan Twomley: The feedback we have received has been great! Not only have users loved the site, but they have also been giving a lot of suggestions of what they want to see added. We have fixed any issues that have come up and any idea that is given to us has been seriously considered. I personally make it a point to be available to help through Skype or AIM for any user on the site. I have found that the personal help makes the bond between the site and its users a lot better.

PokerSoftware.com: What future developments and features are in the works?

Jonathan Twomley: A hand replayer and the ability to post trimmed down version of a hand history to a forum rather just a link are both in the works. We also want to launch display outs and other stats so that users can see what they had in the hand and what their opponent had. Player profiles will be expanded to show actual stats and charts on players based on all hands they have uploaded.

PokerSoftware.com: Talk about how the site has grown over time.

Jonathan Twomley: Our growth has been steady and we are just starting to let people know about the site. We see the usage of the site grow as more and more people find us and each time we expand our site or offer a new application.

PokerSoftware.com: What went into launching PokerHub in the first place?

Jonathan Twomley: The biggest part about launching the site was being sure that we could handle the load of hand histories in the database. It was very important that we were able to handle a large load rather than try to deal with that once the number of hands in the database started to grow.