It is fair to say that more and more online poker rooms are focusing on casual players nowadays and therefore have forbidden HUDs and other poker tracking software in order to make the game of online poker more simple and appealing to them. But, as we all know, most regular players and grinders are fans of HUDs and can’t imagine playing without them. With that in mind, we have decided to gather all of the most crucial information regarding poker HUDs and tracking software. We will also give you a list of the best HUD-friendly poker sites. You will also benefit from our exclusive rakeback deals on the poker rooms mentioned in the article. Therefore, without any further ado, we invite you to read on further and find out which poker room suits you best.
The Best HUD-Friendly Poker Rooms
Betsafe Poker
Betsafe Poker is a European skin of the iPoker Network launched in 2006. Betsafe Poker focuses specifically on Norway and Denmark, however, it has also managed to expand to the United Kingdom, Easter, and Central Europe. Moreover, it has also started its marketing in Canada. Their rakeback program is quite traditional. You can get a traditional welcome bonus and get some extra rakeback from the loyalty program (up to 30%). However, there are also random promotions that make the game more entertaining for casual players.
1.000€ Bonus/30% Flat+Rake Chase
Betsson Poker
Betsson is a staple of the gambling industry. The company’s history spans an incredible 5 decades and traces all the way back to 1963 when it provided slot machines for Swedish restaurants. Currently, Betsson Poker is a part of the iPoker Network. It joined this network after the closure of Microgaming. This move has resulted in a significant traffic boost for Betsson, which has made it one of the largest online poker rooms in Europe. It has an excellent reputation and is known for its reliability and trustworthiness. Betsson Poker offers an impressive welcome bonus and good rakeback.
2.000€ Bonus/30% Flat+Rake Chase
What is Poker HUD?
HUD stands for Heads-Up Display. HUDs are add-ons of poker tracking software such as PokerTracker or Holdem Manager. The main purpose of the HUD is to make it possible to display the statists from the database of the poker tracking software directly on the poker table. It is able to do so by reading the hand histories in real-time and creating multiple HUD states based on this data. Usually, you can access this information directly on the poker table, either above or right next to the avatar of your opponent.
Does HUD Give an Advantage?
Every day online poker is getting tougher and more complex. Therefore, if you have an opportunity to use a HUD, you should do so. HUD will be very beneficial for you as it will provide you with very accurate information and reads directly at your poker table in real-time. It is quite literally impossible for a human brain to gather and analyze this much data. By using HUD, you will be able to see exactly how a certain opponent played in the past in this exact spot. This software will give you their tendencies and betting patterns. HUDs are also a must-have for players that enjoy multi-tabling. When you are multi-tabling, there is just too much information to analyze on your own. HUDs will make this job easier for you, so you can multi-table without any problems. However, using a HUD is something that requires some learning. At the end of the day, all HUD does is show you numbers, but it is up to you to interpret them and make an educated decision.
Some people will also try to argue that using HUDs in online poker is cheating. However, when you are using a HUD in a poker game, all you’re doing is just making your analysis and thought process faster. The HUD takes the data only from the hands you have already played. All it does is analyze the data more quickly than it would have been done manually. No matter how much data HUD collects, it will not be able to “tell the future” and win you games all by itself.
The Most Important HUD Stats
As mentioned before, it is crucial to know how to interpret data presented by HUD. Here are the most basic stats used by HUDs and what they mean.
- VPIP – Voluntary Put Money In Pot. Tells you the percentage of hands this opponent plays. Probably the most important part of the HUD, as it can give a good picture of the player’s style.
- PFR – Pre-flop raise. Gives you a percentage of the time the player raised during pre-flop. Helps you determine whether your opponent is tight-aggressive, tight-passive, loose-aggressive, or loose-passive.
Final Thoughts
HUDs have become a crucial part of online poker nowadays. Almost all regular players and grinders use HUDs or have used them at one point. If you have an opportunity to use a HUD, then you should definitely do so. Otherwise, you are putting yourself at an unfair disadvantage to other players. However, using HUDs is also a skill that needs to be learned. You will have to learn how to interpret data presented by the software and make your own decisions. If you are interested in playing with a HUD, then you should choose from the list of the best online poker rooms that allow HUDs at the beginning of the article.
