In today’s digital age, it’s not surprising that many programs exist to assist with online gaming. There are some amazing applications like Hold Em’ Manager, PokerStove , HoldemResources, and Poker Tracker that create customizable displays that show odds and track your opponent’s hands in real time. Many poker sites have a hand history tool but these tools often lack many of the functions you find with the other programs. These tools are not always free but the information you get from them is invaluable to any player. Many ‘poker purists’ considered these tools to be an unfair advantage, but I promise you that so many people use these apps that you’re at a disadvantage if you don’t.
Hold’em Manager and Universal Replayer have great hand history re-play features that poker novices can really benefit from. The ability to replay a cash session or entire tournament away from the table is an invaluable study tool for any player unsure if they made the right decision or not. Sit ‘n Go Wizard is also a must for anyone just starting out. It is an amazing program that analyzes poker hands using independent chip models and expected values. It’s a great tool for improving your understanding of calling and shoving ranges.
While most software is designed to assist novice players to improve their poker playing, there is also software with features that aims to assist the more experienced player with multi-table play. Programs such as Table Ninja and Auto Hot Keys help a player act in ways to maximize efficiency. The increasingly experienced players will eventually make this transition to playing multiple hands simultaneously and this type of software can be very useful down the road.
For a player used to live play only, the transition to playing online can seem daunting. But utilizing a few pieces of software will aid in the transition to online Hold Em’ and make the player’s journey towards becoming a better online poker player more enjoyable and less costly. Just experiment with some of the above mentioned software and see what works and doesn’t work for you individually, you will be glad you did.