In Between Drinks and Under the HUD with Smurfehits

It's Friday night and we caught up with successful Norwegian grinder Smurfehits in between a few beers to find out what poker software he is using.  Smurfehits is one of the top online MTT players in the world, currently ranked #49 on PocketFives with over $1.5 million in online tournament cashes.  He plays on most major poker sites, with most of his earnings coming on PokerStars under the screen name fullhouseiii and on Full Tilt Poker under Smurfehits.
 
PokerSoftware:  What poker software are you currently using?
 
Smurfehits:  I use Holdem Manager 2, Table Ninja, CardRunners EV, and Flopzilla.  I am a relatively new user to the last two.
 
PokerSoftware:  Which version of Table Ninja are you using, what functions are you using, and what are your thoughts on the software?
 
Smurfehits:  I use Table Ninja 2 and set the pre-flop betting up, so it is automatic whenever there is action on a table regardless of whether it's a raise first in or a 3bet.  Also, the software automatically moves my mouse to the table where there is action and tiles my tables.
 
It saves me a ton of time since when I register for tournaments and does all of the clicking for me.  Also, the auto-click time bank feature is absolutely lovely and definitely helps me play more tables.  Although I never used Table Ninja I, now that I am using Table Ninja 2, I can't imagine grinding without it.
 
PokerSoftware:  Can you share how your HUD is set up line by line?
 
Smurfehits:  My MTT HUD goes like this:
 
Name / Hands / BB / Donkbet
VPIP /PFR / RFI / Steal / Fold to steal
3bet / Fold to 3bet / Call 3bet / 4bet
Cbet / Fold to cb / Raise cb /Stab ip / Stab oop
 
I also have more useful information in the pop-ups for just about anything this doesn't cover.
 
PokerSoftware:  Wow, that is a lot of stats. What stats do you feel are the most useful and how much do you rely on your HUD in general for decision-making?
 
Smurfehits:  I use pretty much all of them and found a HUD setup that I really like.  In general, I get the most out of my HUD when it is late in the game and I have gotten some hands on my opponents so I can try to exploit their tendencies.
 
I feel RFI is really important if you are down to fewer than 20 big blinds and are trying to decide between shoving and folding versus an EP opening bet.  I know the push / fold charts very well, but it's really important to adjust to your opponents.  I also use Cbet Flop / Turn / River stats a lot to figure out if I should float a lot or tighten up post-flop.
 
PokerSoftware:  What sample size do you think is appropriate?
 
Smurfehits:  In MTTs, it is a little harder to get a decent sample size on everyone, so using my HUD isn't always that important for decision-making.  If I play with people I have never seen before, I just use my default ranges and try to make as many adjustments as I can.  However, I usually do not rely on my HUD too much until I have 100+ hands on someone, which is probably still too little of a sample size.  However, I start to see some tendencies then.  In extreme cases, I can get some opponent information out of just a 10-hand sample size (like if someone is always limping).
 
PokerSoftware:  Do you use Holdem Manager 2 for any post-game review?
 
Smurfehits:  I use the hand history replayer to review my own play as well as the play of my horses.  It is really great to see people's stats and know why a certain play was made.  I also use the Reports section to check my stats from time to time.
 
PokerSoftware:  We know you just started using Flopzilla and CardRunners EV.  What are your initial thoughts on both programs, when are you using them, and what do you expect to get out of them in the long-run?
 
Smurfehits:  I bought them to try to balance my ranges as effectively as possible. Flopzilla counts combos for you and tells you how often you hit top pair, sets, flush draws, middle pairs, backdoor flush draws etc. with certain ranges.  So, I am using that software to try to build game trees on certain hands and spots I feel I can do better at.
 
I must admit I am really green on CardRunners EV, but I look forward to getting it figured out so I can hopefully get more balanced and know exactly what to do in different spots.  This will be important, primarily against regs I see often on the tables.

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