HM Cloud (Newest Holdem Manager Version) Released For Alpha Users

We have a little breaking news to report. Holdem Manager officials have announced the launch of HM Cloud Alpha, which is described as "the world's first cloud-based hand database with an integrated remotely hosted heads-up display."

There is nothing to download database-wise on your computer because all of your hands are stored in the cloud. It's a bold move that will surely leave the poker world buzzing for some time to come.

If your computer lags at all when you run Holdem Manager or other software, know that the situation could rectify itself with HM Cloud Alpha. The announcement read in part, "HM Cloud Alpha doesn't rely on your computer to perform a single calculation or retrieve any statistics on you or your opponents. The HM Cloud Alpha local client you install on your computer only performs two functions: (i) it forwards new hand histories received to HM Cloud Alpha and (ii) it receives updated HUD data from HM Cloud Alpha and displays it on your tables."

The number of configurations needed to get HM Cloud Alpha off the ground is minimal, making setup of the software relatively simple. Moreover, you don't have to lug your online poker computer around anymore. Instead, because HM Cloud Alpha is accessible from any device with an internet connection, you can quite literally hop on just about any machine and still have access to all of the stats you're accustomed to viewing.

HM Cloud Alpha is a browser-based program, which makes it much more standardized to different operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux. So, no matter what kind of computer you have, or its age, HM Cloud Alpha will soon be perfectly suited for you.

The same release notes pointed out, "A Mac-compatible HM Cloud Alpha HUD is also planned for in future updates. Because all of the processing, stat calculations, and hand storage are being performed on HM Cloud Alpha servers, a minimal amount of memory or processor capacity is required of your local computer, even when playing several games at the same time during a session."

Holdem Manager is in the process of alpha testing HM Cloud Alpha, which is currently limited to PokerStars cash games and the Google Chrome browser only. As we mentioned, once it rolls out commercially, its compatibility will be much more inclusive. In terms of its recent testing, Holdem Manager officials reported, "During internal testing, we had 16 live tables running using HM Cloud Alpha and experienced no lag while leaving a very small CPU and RAM footprint, in some cases smaller than the actual PokerStars client."

Your hand databases will remain private while in the cloud, as there's no option to make them viewable to the general public. In addition, you're free to use HM Cloud Alpha on a mobile device, which could bring a whole new dimension to playing poker on the go.

No pricing has been announced for HM Cloud Alpha. On that front, Holdem Manager officials outlined, "As HM Cloud Alpha matures as a product, we will be better equipped to make such [pricing] decisions. Having said that, we would always take into consideration existing HM2 customers in such decisions."

If you want to take part in the ongoing alpha test, e-mail HMCloud@holdemmanager.com and include your HM2 e-mail address, HM forum user name, site(s) played, whether you are a cash game or tournament player, database size, and cultural settings used. The alpha testing is currently capped at databases of 50,000 hands.

We'll keep you posted on HM Cloud's rollout right here on PokerSoftware. Visit Holdem Manager's website to learn more.

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