Cloud Storage Pros and Cons for Online Poker Players

If you're a serious online poker player, or even if you've never played before, chances are you've utilized cloud storage. Cloud storage enables you to store online poker hand histories and other information on web-based applications instead of maintaining the files locally on your own PC.

For example, if you have an e-mail account with Yahoo, Hotmail, or Google, then you are familiar with how cloud storage works. Basically, your e-mails are stored "in the cloud" and can be accessed from anywhere in the world provided you have an internet connection along with a username and password.

Cloud storage is also prevalent in the poker software world. Holdem Manager 2 and PokerTableStats store your information on their servers, which means you don't have to store the files locally on your own computer, worry about running out of disk space or losing access to your information because of an issue with your own equipment.

The benefits of cloud storage are many: for one, you can access your hand histories and database information from anywhere in the world on any computer as long as you have an internet connection. All you have to do is log into the service you've contracted with, enter your password, and the information will be conveniently displayed with organizational features to make browsing a cinch.

Another advantage is that you won't have to worry about capacity when using cloud storage programs such as Holdem Manager 2 and PokerTableStats because data storage is taken care of automatically by those programs. Regardless of whether you're a casual player with just a few hand histories or a serious grinder who plays thousands of hands per day, the information will be there waiting for you 24 hours per day without the risk of running out of space.

Even outside the online poker industry, cloud storage is extremely cheap (if not free), and "upgrading" your storage capacity is often very affordable, as is the case with web-based email storage. Many people who work online also find cloud storage extremely useful for group activities such as sharing spreadsheets, presentations, and projects because several parties can collaborate on a single document at the same time while ensuring the information is updated in real-time.

So what are the disadvantages of using cloud storage? For one, you won't be able to access your information without an internet connection. This can be extremely frustrating for someone who can't find a wireless hotspot or has internet connectivity issues, but online poker players are quite familiar with this issue and most serious players have taken steps to ensure they have a backup internet connection.

Another potential issue with cloud storage is security. When using cloud storage, your information is stored on another website, meaning you should always trust and research the service before making the decision to use the program. Online poker players should also look into how easy or difficult it would be to migrate the hand history data in case of cancellation of services.

Likewise, if you become unhappy with a particular program that is storing your information in the cloud, will you be able to retrieve your files with relative ease upon terminating your relationship? This can be extremely important for serious online poker players who could have hundreds of thousands of online poker hand histories stored.

Overall, cloud storage has a variety of benefits that are convenient for online poker players. You have the ability to access your information in real-time from anywhere in the world with an internet connection with only a username and password. You won't have to worry about running out of storage space nor will you need to fret over the possibility of losing your files due to issues with your own equipment.

For online poker players who are interested in becoming familiar with cloud storage, we recommend PokerTableStats and Holdem Manager 2.