Multiple PT DBs

[KowCiller]

Sorry if this is a dumb question or has been asked, but what's the purpose of having multiple PT databases? I could see perhaps queries could be run faster against smaller data sources but I would think there is a significant performance hit to merge the data together.

Any ideas?

KoW

[Vern]

Data Mining is the obvious answer.

If I have 150K hands at a level that don't belong to me, I don't want those hands in the database while looking at my play, but I want them available for when I am playing and want to look a player up.

Vern

[bobbyi]

With the current version of PT, there is a maximum possible db size. Once you hit that, you obviously need to start a second db. Whenever the new version comes out (which uses a different sql engine), this should no longer be the case.

[KowCiller]

Does anyone have a link to info about how to manage multiple dbs in PT?

As of now I'm just tracking my play and everyone else's in the db they set you up with after install. I've got some 300k observed hands plus my own hands.

Is there a way to move hands from one DB to another?

Thanks,
KoW

[Vern]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone have a link to info about how to manage multiple dbs in PT?

As of now I'm just tracking my play and everyone else's in the db they set you up with after install. I've got some 300k observed hands plus my own hands.

Is there a way to move hands from one DB to another?

Thanks,
KoW

[/ QUOTE ]

One of my projects is to make a db cleaner, but for right now, the way to accomplish this is a little tedious.
<ul type="square">[*]I recommend you break down your databases by level played with one database for all your hands played and one database for every level with the latter containing observed hands.[*]First you need a blank database file (This make it easier to manage db files IMHO)[*]To set this up, open PT and click on the blue cylinders, "Maintain Your Poker Tracker Names", and select Add. Type in "Blank" Under the Database File column select Create A New, Empty Database. Click OK and then OK in the pop-up.[*]Click on those cylinders again, highlight the database you just made, note the path and file name, it should be ptrack2.mdb if this is the first new database you made. Then click the remove button and click Yes on the pop-up.[*]Using Explorer now, browse to the folder where Poker Tracker is installed. Default directory is C:\Program Files\Poker Tracker V2. Find the file name you noted above, this is your blank database. Rename it something like ptrack Blank.mdb then make two copies of it and rename them ptrack All My Hands Ever.mdb and ptrack $2-$4 Full Ring (Note, for my example I am using $2-$4 full ring, you should name it for whatever flavor of game you are making a seperate database for)[*]All my Hands Ever is going to have just hands you played in it, regardless of level. $2-$4 is going to have all hands of $2-$4, that you played or observed.[*]Go back into PT and click on the blue cylinders again and click Add, name the database All My Hands Ever and under the Database File column selected Browse to an Existing database. Browse to the database file you made above named ptrack All My Hands Every.mdb and select it.[*]Repeat the process for the $2-$4 Database then click OK to close out the Maintain your databases pop-up.[*]Click on the open folder and open the $2-$4 Database and then the All My Hands Ever Database, note your original database is already open so you will have three open databases.[*]Open the utility menu and click on Export Hand History Files. Three Databases will appear in a pop-up, select your original database here. Browse to an empty folder (or make one), check the $2/$4 limit and click Start Export. This will make a set of hand history files with all the 2/4 hands you have ever played or have observed.[*]After the first export is finished, click on the lightning bolt in the menu bar to open up the auto-import function. Again you will get three databases to chose from, select the $2/$4 one this time. From the drop down, select Look for a file(or files) on my PC, set the time to 99 minutes, check the option for All Text Files in Folder (sub folders included) and click the Configure button. Add the directory you saved all those hand history files above and click OK/OK. When the Auto-Import Hand Histories/Tournament Summaries window opens, immediately click the Stop Timer button, you just want one import. Make sure that Auto-Rate is unchecked or the import will take forever re-rating everyone after each file is loaded. Check the Move Processed Files to the following folder when I close this window and browse so it targets a different directory than the import one. This will avoid accidently importing all these observed hands when we load the next database. Click Force Import and wait[*]Depending on the total number of hands to import you may be waiting a very long time here.[*]After the import is done. close the Auto-Import window and click on the Ring to open a ring player window. On the pop-up select your original database. One it is open, go to the preferences tab, make sure no limits or sites are checked (so you get them all) and the date is set to all dates. Make sure your username is selected and then click on the Games Note tab and click the export button. This will export just hands you have actually played in. Browse to an empty folder and click start export. When it is done, close the ring player window.[*]Get a copy of the empty HHDB.mdb from the poker tracker web site Empty HHDB.MDB. Rename the old hhdb.mdb file in the PT directory and put this downloaded empty database in place. You may need to exit PT to replace the file, I don't remember.[*]Click on the lightning bolt again, this time select the All My Hands Every database. Follow the instructions like for the 2/4 database and import all these hands. Again, this can take a very long time. After it is done, close the auto-import window.[*]Click the Utilities menu option and Auto-Rate the players in the $2-$4 database now.[/list]
Now when you play, you import hands, played and oberved into the $2-$4 database and then evey so often, I do it about once a week, I export the last weeks worth of played hands, the second export above, from the $2-$4 database and import it into my All Hands Ever database. This keeps my all hands ever, just hands I have played in and the hhdb.mdb file just has text of games I played in. When importing observed hands, make sure you chose Do not store the actual hand history text for these hands (saves disk space). since you will only really ever need the hand history files for your own play.

Use at your own risk.

Vern

[KowCiller]

Wow , thanks a heap for this informative post! You rock Vern!

Best Regards,

KoW

[goodguy_1]

another awesome post by Vern -he really knows his PokerTracker stuff -I need to spend some time with this to see If it makes sense for me-thnx for the info!

[Vern]

If you are going to run multiple computes, wait on splitting your database because of the conversion to PostGRE SQL. With that, DB size and query load will not be near the factor they are now unless you are doing it all one one machine.

[LuvDemNutz]

[ QUOTE ]
With the current version of PT, there is a maximum possible db size. Once you hit that, you obviously need to start a second db. Whenever the new version comes out (which uses a different sql engine), this should no longer be the case.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know what this is?

I think my current DB is over 2 GB - should I be thinking about starting a second DB?

[sthief09]

cause I have having to wait 2 minutes to see how many hands I played in February