Anybody else get information overload w/ Pokertracker GTW?

[beachbum]

I realize gathering information is immensely important playing holdem. I've recently really started using Pokertracker and only in the last couple weeks have stumbled across bisonbison's autorate icons and use of the game time window (GTW).

I never used the GTW until a couple weeks ago and I think my play is worse since. Before I would concentrate intensely and try to see every shown down hand, especially when there was a preflop raise and/or cold call(s). This info along with a general idea of how often certain players played hands, raised preflop, and open-limped from the button or CO, etc. seemed to be the meat of the important info to obtain.

Using the GTW and auto-import and update features, I tend to find myself more lazy in making reads trying to let PT do the work. I also spend more time seeing why the little fish turned into a dice and admiring how player X has a VPIP of 80%. Basically I think I'm suffering from information overload.

My question really is to all the successful players out there: Do you guys use the GTW during play? Anybody else feel like this too while multitabling, or will it become more routine the more I use it like this? Just curious how you guys use PT while playing.


Chris

[emonrad87]

I do not use the game time window. I tried it and found it to be way too much work to keep updating it as players left. I use Bison's autorate rules to categorize the players, and regularly export notes i gather from play and datamining. I use these notes to get a general idea of how a person will play (mostly to tell if they're good, maniac, or passive) and rely mostly on reads from there. I try to avoid using stats as a crutch. You may very well be correct in your guess that your play is worse since beginning to rely on stats too much.

[uuDevil]

If you play at Party/skins, this is a good reason to look into the heads-up displays that have recently been introduced. For instance: PlayerView (http://home.comcast.net/~amirpc/)

[laja]

why do you guys auto rate players? if you are exporting notes on someone you will be able to see their aggrofactor/pfr/vpip and can decide what kind of player they are anyway

[beachbum]

Autorating would help for dynamically updating ratings while you play. This would help for new players you've never seen, or players you've played very little against before (not enough hands to export stats). But like I mentioned above, it becomes distracting.

[stigmata]

"I do not use the game time window. I tried it and found it to be way too much work to keep updating it as players left."


You can autopopulate the GTW if you hit the preferences button, and on the scroll down list you should see your current table. Make sure PT has done an import on a hand you have played at that table.

A better option is to use PlayerView (linked earlier) or the alternative GameTime+ (i think), which you can find on the books/software forum.

This saves alot of time/effort.