Picking Your Poker Tracking Software: Part 2

For the first part of our look at poker tracking programs, please click here. If you play on a Mac, you have three main choices for a HUD with Poker Copilot 4, PokerTracker 4, and iHoldem Indicator.
 
Poker Copilot 4 is a well-recognized brand that has been around for years and is primarily designed for players that are looking for a simple & smooth running HUD and database. I personally love this software and would recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to mess around with a super advanced product, but still have a ton of data in their HUD and resources to examine their play.

PokerTracker also has had a Mac version of their software for many years.  PokerTracker 4 provides the most advanced HUD, database, and resources compared to any other poker tracking program available for the Mac.  Their small stakes version costs $59.99 which is also cheaper than their competitors as well.  I fully recommend this software for anyone looking for the most powerful poker tracking software available on the OSX operating system.

Another alternative for those looking for a tracking program for post-game review is Pokeit. This software works with 19 different poker games and is available for Macs and PCs. While the software does not have a HUD, it is capable of storing all of your poker data in one database, making it easier to track trends, find leaks, and provide accurate reporting regardless of the games you play. The software provides easy-to-use graphs and filters and tracks 22 different statistics about your play. It is also easy to find specific hands to review in its hand replayer and share them with friends on social media.

More recently, the same company that developed Holdem Indicator released iHoldem Indicator for Mac users. This software combines the functionality of Holdem Indicator and Tournament Indicator to bring to you an odds calculator and HUD all in one regardless of whether you play tournaments, sit and gos, or cash games.  This software is designed primarily for the beginning player, but the software also is useful as a player becomes more advanced.

For those who play other poker games outside of Holdem and Omaha, there isn't really a lot out there. The main reason is that there isn't a ton of demand. FreePokerDB is an open source program that is free to use for any game. The huge downside is that it isn't really supported and you need to spend a lot of time getting it to work properly. Most poker players do not want to spend time working on software and just want products that will assist them while playing.

Since I play a lot of Stud, Stud Eight or Better, and Razz cash games, I decided to give Stud Indicator a shot. Although I decided to use it because it was the only reliable HUD available that I am aware of, I also received an excellent benefit of refreshing myself on hand strengths and poker odds via its in-game calculator. Another benefit is that this software now allows me to multi-table Stud games more effectively since I can see the exposed cards from hands that were previously mucked. Previously, I would have to pay close attention to make sure I knew which cards were already released from the deck.

The one downside with Stud Indicator is that the database does not allow you to review your stats after your game in order to see your trends. That being said, I am extremely thankful that this software does exist since, without it, I would be playing blindly and purely on observation.

Check out our other Mac poker software.