So You're a Beginning Online Poker Player

If you’re a beginning online poker player, we have two pieces of software that are sure to improve your game. Online poker newbies, say hello to Calculatem Pro and Holdem Genius. These are two of the slickest online poker odds calculators money can buy, but the best part is that they’re also extremely easy to use. You don’t have to be a whiz to understand the interface and the outputs are painfully easy to understand.

If you’re still trying to master the game or win your way into a prestigious live tournament like the annual World Series of Poker Main Event, then Calculatem Pro is for you. Calculatem Pro was one of the first members of our Recommended Software program and attaches itself easily to your favorite online poker site. In fact, over 100 rooms are supported.

Calculatem Pro provides a wealth of knowledge in a heartbeat. Even if you fold, your cards are still displayed so you can follow along and learn. You’ll see your pot odds if faced with a bet, odds you’ll draw out to win, and the total number of outs. You can even look at the odds you’ll have the best hand on a future street, broken down by hand strength relative to the rest of the table.

If you’re more of a visual person, be sure to reference Calculatem Pro’s thermometer illustrating your recommended action in a hand. A little arrow will show whether you should raise or re-raise, raise or call one raise, raise or call one small raise, call or fold if raised, or fold in a hand. Toggling above the thermometer allows you to loosen or tighten the level of pre-flop and post-flop advice.

Calculatem Pro runs about $100 per year, but you can get it free through our Free Software program. Just sign up for a major online poker site, deposit, and complete the requirements and you’ll be on your way to firing up Calculatem Pro in no time. I’ve used the program on UB.com and it quickly becomes painfully easy to decide what your optimal strategy is in each and every hand of online poker.

Holdem Genius is very similar to Calculatem Pro. However, I don’t find the interface nearly as straightforward as its counterpart. That said, Holdem Genius is compatible with nearly every online poker room you can name and attaches to your table automatically. It’s also cheaper than Calculatem Pro, so if you’re not taking advantage of our Free Software program and instead paying out of pocket, Holdem Genius might be right up your alley.

Holdem Genius’ interface wraps around your table and employs a simple red, yellow, and green color scheme to give advice in much the same fashion as a stoplight. Your outs are displayed as actual cards in the window, with the hand rank and position at the table also given for easy reference. Also shown are the likely hands by opponents (and yourself) at the river, allowing you to decide if making a hero call is worth it or whether your time and money are best spent in another hand.

You can get Holdem Genius through our Free Poker Software program, which encompasses more than 30 of the pieces of software we have reviewed here on the site. Calculatem Pro and Holdem Genius are perfect tools for beginning online poker players. Don’t come armed to the virtual felts without them!