Poker Tracker question

Exactly how useful is poker tracker? I haven't posted much, but I've been killing time at work going through posts, and it seems like many posters are very dependent on it. Do you use it as the sole source of your reads - as many, especially multi-tablers, seem to do? Or, do you use it to supplement your reads?

[Link774]

I have found it to be indispensable for seeing how I play, as well as for table selection. I also was using it as the sole source of my reads when I was 4 tabling .5/1, though this is probably not a good idea. It is an extremely valuable tool and well worth the money.

[davelin]

Poker tracker is invaluable but not as a only source of reads.

[britspin]

I was actually very resistant to getting pokertracker.

This was for two reasons. First, I started at a non-PT site, and felt that this somehow kept the playing field level - without costing me $50. (I didn't say they were *good* reasons - but in my defence, $50 is $6 more than I've ever put into my bankroll)

The second was that i wanted to "learn the game" and to a certain extent I felt that if I used a tool like pokertracker too early, I'd be dependent on the info it provided, rather than learning how to make good decisions myself. For example, It might be easy to get used to playing loose preflop players one way, without ever trying to watch them or learn their style, simply because all the info is right there in front of you.

So it took me more than 18 months of online play, moving all the way up from 0.02/0.04 to $1/2 and the occ $2/4 before I made the decision to buy. At that stage I was reasonably comfortable with my basic game, but knew it needed significant refinement, change and adaptation as I moved up.

I wanted a tool that would allow me to easily review hands, spot leaks on starting hands, track performance at different limits and against different players and also give me a read against my opponents.

So far, less than a month in, and with a mere 3k hands in, I can say without doubt it has paid for itself and helped me improve my game.

Having said all that, unlike a virgin on her Wedding night, I'm glad I waited. I feel that the initial learning period forced me to begin my poker education thinking about my game, not about my VPiP or W@SD. I had to learn the basics for myself and think hard about them, and as a result I think my game is more grounded now it comes to refining it.

I've still got a heck of a lot to learn, but i feel that the basics are imprinted very heavily- and this frees up my learning time to go onto what for me are more difficult questions.

However, I might feel differently if I'd dropped my inital $44 down the drain!

[Saint_D]

Bottom line, if you play .5/1 or above, get it.

In the beggining with PT and the forum FAQ you can find a lot of your leaks. Once you get over those your stats become less interesting. However being able to replay your hands round by round is great.

PT isn't just about being a DB to back up the HUD's. That's just a bonus.

-D