What's in Your HUD: Interview with wackyJaxon

Continuing with our exclusive PokerSoftware.com series on how high-profile online poker players make use of their Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), we sat down with wackyJaxon of Lithuania, who is a big name in the industry and a Head Moderator for PocketFives.com. Also, be sure to check out our interview with Alexander "RedIceRap" Gerlach.

PokerSoftware.com: How useful/important is your HUD in daily game play? Which HUD do you use?

wackyJaxon: An HUD is extremely important with my play. In cash games, you can put people on ranges once you have a good sample size to go with. For SNGs, I find them useful, but only if I filter it down to the number of players on each table.

For MTTs, I hardly rely on the information from the HUDs because even if I have a good sample size, it could be from previous tournaments where the situations might be different than the situations we are currently in. I do find it useful if I’m multi-tabling on a table for a long period of time.

PokerSoftware.com: Which HUD stats do you believe should be displayed by default?

wackyJaxon: The number of hands played is an important stat, just because the more hands you have played with your opponent, the more likely the HUD stats are meaningful. For pre-flop decisions, I look at how often people voluntarily put money into the pot, how often they raise from any position pre-flop, how often they raise the blinds, how often they 3bet, and how often they fold to a 3bet. Each of these is helpful for taking down a pot pre-flop, staying out of someone's way, and being able to range someone's hands a little easier.

For post-flop decisions, I like to see how often someone is C-betting or folding to a C-bet. For a cash player, its not a must, but I always like to see how much a player has won or lost overall against me and how much they have won or lost in the last 15 minutes.

PokerSoftware.com: Which HUD stats do you believe are undervalued and overvalued?

wackyJaxon: The most overrated stat that comes as a default is Aggression Factor. It may be overrated for me because I don't ever use it and instead want to know where the aggression comes from. Also, folding to a 3bet and 3bet % can be overvalued if your sample size is low. The most underrated stat is PFR since even at a small sample size, it can show someone’s tendencies.

PokerSoftware.com: Do you have any specific setup preferences when it comes to your HUD like color schemes, skins, and stat locations?

wackyJaxon: I do not use color schemes or skins for my HUD, but use both for the online poker sites themselves. Almost every site allows you to use colors, and I tend to use those. Also, instead of taking notes in the HUD note area, I take notes directly on the site itself.

PokerSoftware.com: Are there any improvements you think would be useful for HUDs overall?

wackyJaxon: The major thing for me would be to offer a HUD and tracking database that would track all forms of poker. I play Mixed Games and it’s frustrating that I can't have all of my information in one database. I would pay good money to have a reliable HUD and database that allows me to track Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, and Draw games all in one place.

PokerSoftware.com: Please add anything you’d like.

wackyJaxon: I feel that if you are not using a HUD, especially when multi-tabling, you are throwing away money. I believe this is true whether you play cash, SNGs, or tournaments. Even when sample sizes are low, you can take it for what it’s worth and use them more often for decision-making where you have more meaningful sample sizes. There are many players who brag about successfully multi-tabling without the use of a HUD, but I feel in most cases, these players would even do better if they had a HUD and were able to understand how to use the stats to their advantage.