One of the big differences between online poker and traditional poker is the amount of information we can get about our opponents and the game itself.
While in a traditional poker game you can play a single hand and the calculations you make depend on you and your abilities, in an online game you can play several hands at the same time and use support software to help you make decisions.
More information means more winnings, so here’s what you need to know about them.
Advantages of support software
Depending on the type of poker support software you use, they can be very useful when playing a poker game.
Not using this type of software can put you at a distinct disadvantage against many of your opponents at the online gaming tables. The main advantages of these programmes are:
- They help in the process of reading the other players.
- They offer the option of simulating hands against opponents of different categories.
- They allow the calculation of probabilities of our cards in different moments of the game.
- They monitor the game and help in the decision making process.
- Find out how to win at online poker.
How did we select the list of the best online poker support software?
Choosing an online poker support software is not an easy task. With so many options, you may feel a little lost when it comes to choosing. But don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for!
To help you make the task easier as a player navigating the world of online poker support software we have selected a few that we think might be the best for you.
What do we mean by this? Simply put, we make sure that the types of online poker support software are clearly displayed on our site.
In this article you will find a selection of what we consider to be the best online poker support software. Please note that this list has been created by us at our own discretion and we hope that it may help you when considering one or the other. In the end, it’s up to you to decide which tournament to choose!
The list
There are many different software packages out there, so here at Kelbet we’ve made a selection of the ones you should check out.
Hold’em Manager
This software is for many poker professionals one of the most complete and useful on the market. The software has two main functions:
- The HUD (Heads-Up Display). The importance of these HUDs is basic as they help the player at the same time as the poker game is taking place. When playing at one table, it can be easy to study the behaviour of a certain player, but when playing at several tables at the same time, this can be a more complicated task. HUDs calculate statistics about the players at the table, so that we can analyse the information and draw conclusions more quickly.
- Reports are important once the game is over. They allow us to analyse the hands already played as well as the general strategy of the game we have followed. Based on different criteria such as number of players at the table or positions played, we can even replay the game in its entirety.
PokerStove
It is an equity calculator for Texas Hold’em that can be used on the preflop, the flop and the turn. In a simple and fast way, this software is able to calculate the chances of winning that we can have before all the community cards are shown.
The calculator loses all its value during the course of the game, the time to use it is before all the cards have been revealed.
Flopzilla
Flopzilla is a statistical software that calculates the frequency of a given range in different situations.
This programme is very easy to use. Just point out the starting hands as well as the table and the statistics to get the frequency with which a certain range can occur.
Tournament Shark
Tournament Shark has a huge database about the other players at the table. How they tend to act in certain situations, in which phase they have finished their previous tournaments, losses or wins in which they have finished…
Once you open the program, it provides all the information you have about your opponents and is very easy to use. However, it may not be entirely reliable as the data collected by this support software is relatively recent.
Wilson Poker
In addition to analysing your own game and that of your opponents, it is important that you train yourself if you want to become one of the best.
Wilson Poker is a training program that allows you to practice and play poker games against a machine. Without the need to bet real money, Wilson Poker gives you access to different tables as if you were playing real poker games.
Are help programs allowed?
As we have just shown, there are different support software for online poker. Not all of them are allowed and not all of them are forbidden.
As the name implies, they are just that, helpers, not cheats.
– For the most part, all those that provide help in calculating the chances of winning when receiving the starting hand are allowed.
– In general, all those that allow collusion with other players at the table, as well as the use of bots, will be prohibited.
Each operator contains within its website a list of permitted helper programs and not all lists are the same. Furthermore, these lists are subject to change and may be modified frequently.
Free or paid software
Information in poker, as in most cases, is a very important tool that can be a determining factor in winning.
In our opinion, if you want to play poker like a real pro you should consider the purchase of these poker support programs as an investment rather than an expense.
The Hold’em Manager, for example, is free, but if you want access to its extras you will have to pay. The price for this one starts at $50. However, you can also download the Free Poker Data Base, a lesser quality programme but completely free.
The same goes for Tournament Shark. If you don’t mind lower quality, you can download Poker Score, which is similar.
On the other hand, Pokerkstove is completely free, so you shouldn’t hesitate to get it.
Conclusions
Although there are a number of supported softwares allowed, each operator’s list of games is subject to change. Be sure to check these on a regular basis before putting the software into practice as you may be in for more than one scare.
Remember that these programmes are just a tool and it is up to you how you use them. Using them does not guarantee you to be the champion, but it will make things a lot easier for you.
There is no best or ideal poker help program, it all depends on what functions you want it to perform.
