MacPokerTools

Mac Poker Updates and Specials. New Release! Poker Tracker 3!!

jd — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:34:00 GMT

There happens to be some great news for those who have been waiting for the release of Poker Tracker 3, as they have finally released their native mac version!! There is also a new FullTilt poker mod that I have been working on. Its made especially for those who put in long hours at the virtual tables. I have been researching color theory and with this knowledge, started to develop a "Color Theory" mod. This mod is still in the early stages, so if you are interested in this please check it out and send me your thoughts.

Mac Poker Software:

Poker Tracker 3 for Mac is finally here!!
With a lot of hard work and sleepless nights the folks over at Poker Tracker have released their native mac version in time for the new year. It is a beta version with the requisite bugs and initial release snafus, but did I mention that Poker Tracker 3 is now available on the mac!! For now there is only support for Leopard and the new Snow Leopard OS. Those of you interested in helping work out the kinks head on over to PT3 and download this highly anticipated piece of mac software. I am setting it up now, and will be testing too.
PT3 Links + Download instructions

The New Color Theory FullTilt Poker Mod Pack.

For the past couple of months I have been experimenting with color theory and poker mods. There are lots of people using color theory from Advertising to Elementary schools. Using certain colors to successfully help sell products, to enhance learning/performance. It only makes sense that color theory could be helpful for online poker play as well.I am no expert in color theory but after lots of research and testing I feel like I might be on to something. If interested please check out my new Color Theory Mod page, install the new free mod, and let me know what you think. I am currently working on two other table felts, as well as a RaceTrack version, and PokerStars support. Please lend a hand with your feedback. I think you will like what you find Enjoy! MacPokerTools Color Theory Poker Mod Page.

With the Color Theory mod I created a jumbo version of my Classic Casino deck. I find it much easier to see the ranks at all table sizes and resolutions. The ranks were designed to maximize the space given, making them not only great for Holdem, but they truly excel for the Omaha and Stud games especially. Available on the Color Theory Mod Page

Auto Hotkeys for Mac, BlazingStars goes Open Source.

In an effort to continue its development, the original designer/developer Winawer has uploaded the BlazingStars code on Google Code. BlazingStars is a free auto hotkey program for PokerStars. To download/learn more or to help out, go to his blog at: fullyfunctionalsoftware.com/blog/

Mac Poker Events + Specials:

Continuing MacPokerTools Feature! Poker Pwnage!!

The current site featured in our Best of Poker Training Series, is Poker Pwnage. Its time to get down to the nitty gritty and find the best poker training sites available to mac players. There is a lot out there, and this series will find out who is the best, worst, most affordable, and best value. More and more players have been asking about, and joining poker training sites than ever before. If you have been waiting to join, now is the time. Every few months we are going to feature a new training site, to find the best site for you. If you are a member, or are familiar with the featured site, please leave some feedback as far as any Pros or Cons to the site, and why you like or dislike the particular site. This will only help the other Mac players,and get us a proper overall review of the site. I look forward to hearing your comments.

Next feature is: Poker VT (coming soon)

MacPokerTools Guide to Online Poker Table Modification i.e. Poker Mods

jd — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:07:00 GMT

Download FREE FullTilt Poker and PokerStars Mods Here!

Optimize your poker playing environment with free custom FullTilt Poker table modifications. If you are like me, most online poker rooms are way too distracting, and not set up for how I would like to play. With these graphic modifications(mods), you can customize the look of your playing environment to best suit your mood, and playing style. Creating a conducive environment for you to play your best poker comfortably, can only help increase your bankroll. Mods are especially handy when playing multiple tables. In fact, most mods were developed with this in mind. Simplify the background, install a better deck, play with Paulsen chips, use smaller pods to create more room for HUDs, switch card backs, ect, ect.. The possibilities are endless, you just need to learn how it works. With little thought/trial+error, this will come quickly to most. For those who are better audio/visual learners you will find a great 5min video below on how to install a deck (same principles apply throughout) Please feel free to ask any questions if you run into any problems. For those unable, I take requests for mods too. Maybe there is something you want in another color, or something entirely different, just let me know. While I might not be able to get to it right away, I can accommodate most requests in a relatively short time.
Enjoy!

How to Use the Free Mod Pack:
I have assembled a couple free mod packs for the quickest and easiest way to start you off customizing your FullTilt playing environment. Both packs here come ready made, and are easy to install. Just take the NewTable Folder you download, and replace it with the one in the FullTilt software, its that simple. Install the TableOptions folder, and you will be able to see the installed mods as you change them in the Table Options menu as you play. More instructions on this below.

Download the "Super Ultimate" Mod folder here:
Super Ultimate NewTable Mod Folder Here is the latest and greatest in free FullTilt Poker mods. Find everything you need to completely customize your FullTilt Poker playing experience. You will find Readme files throughout, along with .jpeg files for easy browsing.

Big thanks to the mod threads at 2+2. This is also where you can go to find even more mods, plus learn how to make some yourself if you want.

Download the "Bling" Mod folder here: MacPokerTools Bling NewTable Mod Folder Here is the mod pack that started it all. Smaller and easy to use, you will find the b+w desaturated images a lot easier on the eyes. Not to mention showing your mac pride with the bling tables.

Before you install any mods, make a copy of your current NewTable folder.

While not necessary, it is generally a good idea in case you want to revert back to what you had. Put it somewhere safe and name it something other than NewTable. I called mine Original_NewTable. This is also a good idea to do when you have all your mods situated perfectly, and you decide to start fiddling again ; )

How To Install your Mod NewTable Folder:
Open your Applications folder and locate the Full Tilt application. Then right click (laptop= fn/control "click") the FullTilt Poker app and select "show package contents". You will get a new finder window showing a "Contents" folder. Then goto: Resources>Graphics(this is where all the image folders are contained) Now simply replace the existing NewTable folder here, with the MacPokerTools mod "NewTable"folder. Its that easy.

*Optional*To get the table options menu(right) to reflect the mods you just installed, replace the original "TableOptions" folder With this Black Bling TableOptions version or the Super Ultimate TableOptions version

Now that you have downloaded and installed the NewTable Mod folder, you are now ready to start customizing your view. If you like what already comes installed, you are done. If not, the next section will show you what else is packed away in that mod folder of yours, and how to make the necessary changes. There are no worries if you forgot to save your original folder, or want any original elements, because you will find the original folders packed in the mods too ; )

How to change your Mods(Individually):

The basic premise to switching around graphic files is simple. The software displays the images as needed from its specific folder. All you are doing, is taking a modified file of your choice. Renaming it the same name as the original file, and then replacing the original with it, so the software then displays the modified image. Its that simple, you just need to know where everything belongs. Everything is contained throughout the "NewTable" folder. In case you forgot the NewTable folder is found:

Right click (laptop=fn/control "click") the FullTilt Poker application and select "show package contents" you'll get a new finder window showing a "Contents" folder. Goto: Contents>Resources>Graphics>NewTable

You will find "Extras" folders(only in Super Mod Pack) throughout the NewTable folder, that contain mods for that particular section. (i.e. additional chips will be found in the Extras folder in the chips folder) The following examples will help you get started to find what and where everything is. Before long, you will be a pro. To browse many of these files on your desktop, you will need a program that can read.svgs. Adobe Bridge and Illustrator work if you have them. There is also a free program called Inkscape that works great too. I tried to name the mod files to help explain what they are if no reader available to you. In the Super Ultimate Mod pack you will also find jpeg images of all the mods ; )

How to Change Tables: So you like that fancy racetrack table, or maybe you want just the plain black felt, you are also going to find sepia, blue, and red tables too.. To switch tables you need to find the Table.svg file. The Table.svg can be found in the Backgrounds folder in either the Classic or RaceTrack folder.

To switch RaceTrack tables Goto: NewTable> RaceTrack> Backgrounds> Extras. Duplicate the Table_You_Want.svg and drop the duplicate into the RaceTrack>Backgrounds folder. Then remove the current Table.svg, and rename Table_You_Want.svg to Table.svg. That's it, you are done. But don't forget to do the same with the Rush table too, if you play Rush games.

How to Change Pods: The glass pods to the right look sleek, and also free up some extra space for those of you using Poker trackers. Like the tables, Pods are specific to to Classic or RaceTrack view. The Pod folders are found in NewTable>Classic, or NewTable>RaceTrack folders. To switch to the glass pods on the right. Goto: NewTable>RaceTrack>Extras. Make a duplicate of the Black_Glass_Pod folder(or which ever ones you want), and place the copy in the RaceTrack folder. Then rename the Black Glass Pod copy folder > Pod. You're not done yet. To get those glass diodes
1.Goto: NewTable>Common>Pod>Extras Copy the Glass_RankDiodes.png file, and swap the original with the new file the way I showed you before.
2. Goto: NewTable>Common>Dialogs>PlayerNotes>Extras Copy the Glass_Diodes.png file and swap.
Now you have those cool glass pods in your RaceTrack view. Repeat steps in Classic to get them there too. *Note* You won't have to switch the diodes this time, as the Common folder works for both views.

Common Folder: The Common folder holds items for both Classic and RaceTrack views to show. You will find the Buttons folder in here, as well as the Chips and Cards folders too.

How to change the Chips:
Goto: NewTable>Common>Chips>Extras.
1. Select and duplicate the mod chip folder you want to install.
2. Select the Chips0.png-Chips6.png files in the Duplicate folder, and replace the same files in the NewTable>Common>Chips Folder. This will change the chips without effecting the dealerbutton, which shares the same Chips Folder.

How to Change Dealerbuttons:
Goto: NewTable>Common>Chips>Extras>dealerbuttons Duplicate the mod dealerbutton.svg you want, and place the copy in the Chips folder. Remove the existing dealerbutton.svg, then name mod file dealerbutton.svg

How to Change CardBacks:
Goto: NewTable>Common>Extra_card_backs Find the backs you want to use. Duplicate that card_backs folder and place in Cards folder. Remove existing card_backs folder, then rename copied folder "card_backs". You will then need to do the same for the lores folder too. I tried to create files with complete sets of 4 cardbacks, feel free to mix and match the cardbacks from any pack, just make sure names match the original file names.

How to Change Decks:
A new deck can be one of the best ways to help improve your poker playing experience. Mod decks can be easier to read and see what is going on, especially when playing multiple tables. You will find the cards/decks in: NewTable>Common>Cards Folder

To switch decks:
1. Find the new deck you want in NewTable>Common>Extra Decks.
2. Duplicate desired Mod folder.
3. Rename duplicate folder "Cards".
4.Place duplicate mod "Cards" folder in the NewTable>Commonfolder, replacing the old folder. Just remember to change the card_backs and card_backs_lores if you had previously made any changes there.

There are no extra decks in the Bling Black mod pack, but you will find more of my mod decks in the Super Ultimate Mod Pack.NewTable>Common>Extra Decks. Or you can just download them separately here.

Free Mod Decks:
                          MacPokerTools Classic Jumbo Deck>



^MacPokerTools New 4-color Classic Magnum_Omaha deck

MacPokerTools New 4-color Classic Magnum_Holdem deck>

<MacPokerTools New Classic Casino Deck. Includes 2 and 4 color options. Plus extra card backs and aces.

MacPokerTools Original 4-Color Magnum Omaha Deck>. Comes with cardbacks, yellow and grey spade option, plus the "T" for "10" card option too.

<MacPokerTools Original 4-Color Magnum_Holdem Deck. Comes with card backs, yellow and grey spade option, plus the "T" for "10" card option too.

Gold Sepia RaceTrack Theme: If you want the sepia theme to the right there are a few extra steps you will need to complete to make it right. By now you can change the table, pods, dealerbutton, and the cardbacks. For this to look right you will also need to switch to the Common sepia Buttons, as well as the sepia Elements and Buttons folders in the RaceTrack folder.

How to:
1. Goto: NewTable>Common>Extras. Duplicate Sepia_Buttons folder, and dropin Common folder. Rename existing Buttons folder >Black_Buttons, and rename copied Sepia_Buttons folder > Buttons.

2. Goto: NewTable>RaceTrack>Extras>Sepia Extras. Duplicate Sepia_Elements, and place in RaceTrack folder. Rename existing Elements folder > Black_Elements. Name copied Sepia Elements > Elements

3. Do the same as step 2 with the Sepia_Buttons folder in NewTable>RaceTrack>Extras>Sepia Extras.

There,you now have the Gold theme, and know how to mod most aspects of the table. Feel free to modify any of the files, I look forward to seeing any custom creations. I will add on to the existing folders, as mods come available.

Mac PokerStars Themes:

PokerStars Black-Bling XThemes Folder

After download, unzip XThemes folder, place in User>Library>Application Support>PokerStars. Start up PokerStars. Goto: View>TableThemes... Scroll down and select Bling-Black. It's that simple. Note, You must have the PokerStars Stars Theme installed too for this to work right.

For the latest free mods, and everything you need to know how to do it. Join me at the 2+2 forums thread, FullTilt Poker Mods Post Update. There is everything you need to know and more in this thread. Its a great community sharing info, ideas and mods. Hope to see some of you there.

For more free (and commercial mods too), you can also visit: fozzypokermods.com, Tiltbuster.com, and PSThemes.com

Have fun! I look forward to seeing your custom creations.

Other sites coming soon!! Subscribe to MacPokerTools and receive the latest info as it comes in.
How-to Install a New Deck Instructional video:

Please note* This player only works in the Safari web browser. Download for fullsize/better view.

MacPokerTools Color Theory Poker Mod Experiment

jd — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:28:00 GMT

So I've done a little research, and this is what I have come up with so far. Drawing on articles scattered across the web, I found that certain colors stimulate our minds in different ways. Using these theories I have come up with several different table/backgrounds that I feel could be conducive to playing in poker tournaments and long grinding sessions. I am not an expert at all, and am open to any and all suggestions. I tried to keep the Color Theory mod as simple and pleasing to the eye as possible, while drawing on color theory for the color palette. I also made the corner buttons semitransparent to help them blend into the background more. The background colors I chose are Blue,Green, Brown, Red, Pink, and Purple. I chose to make a blue table first, with a green, and Tan/Golden table to follow (will update the article as I go). I want to match each table as best as possible with the background, and will especially be looking for your feedback in this area. Enjoy these mods, and please follow up with any feedback you might have. If really interested in helping out, please notate when you started playing with the color theory mod if you have some sort of tracking software, that way we can track any sort of progress that may or may not be made.

Here are some color theory guidelines to help you interpret what background to use when.

Blue (Beach)
* Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful,tranquil, secure, and orderly. Seeing the color blue actually causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming.
* People tend to be more productive in a blue room because they are calm and focused on the task at hand. Some studies are showing that weight lifters can lift more weight in a blue gym - in fact, nearly all sports are enhanced in blue surroundings.
* Blue can also lower the pulse rate and body temperature.

                                                                         Green (Jungle)
* Researchers have found that green can improve reading ability. Some students may find that laying a transparent sheet of green paper over reading material increases reading speed and comprehension.
* The color of growth, nature, and money. A calming color also that's very pleasing to the senses.
* Green is thought to relieve stress and help heal. Those who have a green work environment experience fewer stomachaches.

Brown (Ski Lodge)

* This color is most associated with reliability, stability, and friendship. More are more likely to select this as their favorite color. It's the color of the earth itself "terra firma" and what could represent stability better.

                      Red (Vegas Skyline)

* Red is a bright, warm color that evokes strong emotions. Red is the color of energy. It's associated with movement and excitement. People surrounded by red find their heart beating a little faster and often report feeling a bit out of breath. It's absolute the wrong color for a baby's room but perfect to get people excited.

Pink (Outerspace)

* Pink is the most calming of all colors -- often our most dangerous criminals are housed in pink cells as studies show that color drains the energy and calms aggression. Think of pink as the color of romance, love, and gentle feelings, to be in the pink is to be soothed.

                      Purple (Final Table)

* Purple stimulates the brain activity used in problem solving.
* Purple also represents wisdom and spirituality. Use purple most carefully to lend an air of mystery, wisdom, and respect.

I was a little skeptical of the pink background at first, but it seemed to come in handy when having to calm down after a couple of bad beats. I mainly bounced between the Blue, Green, and Brown backgrounds depending on my mood. I used the red if I felt I needed to amp up the aggression, and when stack size dictated shove/fold. I used Purple for the final table, which I really like, but you will also find the regular Final Table in the folder if you want to switch back.

How To Install:

1st- Download + Unzip Color Theory Experiment Classic folder: Color Theory Classic Folder .zip

Take this Classic folder and replace it with the the Classic folder found in:

Rt. Click the FullTilt Application> Open Package Contents> Contents> Resources> Graphics> NewTable

2nd- Download + Unzip: Color Theory Common folder: Color Theory Common Folder .zip

Take this Common folder and replace it with the Common folder found in:

Mac- Rt. Click the FullTilt Application> Open Package Contents> Contents> Resources> Graphics> NewTable

Do You Have Existing Chip or Card Mods You Want To Keep? We are changing/modifying the Common folder which contains chip, and card folders. Don't forget to replace any chip or card mods you might want to keep before installing, or just replace the folders you need. You will find the jumbo classic deck, normal FullTilt Poker chips, and large b+w dealer button installed in this folder.

You will also find the "dull blue" table(left) available in the Classic/Background folder. Renaming the Dull Table.svg to Table.svg will install this one if you prefer. Enjoy! and please post feedback : )

If you want the cards only, here is the Cards folder for the Classic Jumbo Deck

Mac Poker Tracking Software Guide

jd — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:32:00 GMT

It is so nice to report that there is more than one Mac Poker Tracking software option available today. With the recent expansion in mac poker software development, gone are the days where the mac player is desperately searching for any tracking software at all. Finding whats best for you will depend on your level of involvement in online poker, and what you are trying to get out of it. Poker Trackers are absolutely invaluable when it comes to analyzing your poker play. With three different options from three solid companies, there is something for everyone. : )

What is Poker Tracking Software? In general, these programs gather your Hand History files(statistics), compile the stats, and then display them for you in an easy to read format. The stats collected are extremely handy in giving you a detailed analysis for both you and your opponents playing style, tendencies, strengths and weaknesses. Each program has different ways of displaying these stats. When finding whats right for you, be sure to explore the different display options as you will need these to probe you game properly.

Who Uses Poker Tracking Software? Anyone who is interested in probing their play, as well as the play of their opponents. Trackers are especially handy for the multi-tablers who engage many players at once, using the stats to get a better read on each of their opponents. But just about anyone can benefit by using a Poker Tracker. With the stats available in real time, you can get an idea how you and your opponents are playing at the table.Can you have your opponents stats displayed right on the table? With an "on table" HUDs. Poker trackers give you the ability to see in an instant whether your opponent is loose, tight, likely to fold to a bet, or what ever you set your HUD to display. Having this info on hand can be very helpful when its time to make the tough decisions. It is important to note that while these HUD stats are excellent gauges into how each player plays. You should not use the HUD stats solely, rather learn to incorporate them into your strategies during game play. Soon you will easily see who is the bully, the wimp, the pro, and then adjust your play accordingly. Not to mention see where you fit into that equation as well.
The Mac OS was ignored for a long time without any tracking software. There was Mac Poker Pro that filled in for a few years('05-'07), but there was no HUD and support for the software fizzled and disappeared. That is until Steve McLeod changed it all with the introduction of Poker CoPilot back in May '08. Things are still rapidly advancing at the moment, but compared to the past, times are great. There are currently three very solid options to choose from. The 800 pound gorilla (PokerTracker 3) has just entered the room, and things are looking very very promising. Enjoy! Please feel free to post any questions or comments below.

PokerTracker 3:
With much anticipation, Poker Tracker 3 has released the native Mac version of their highly regarded software. Many consider this program to be the gold standard in online poker tracking. If you are a serious online poker player, this is the best tracking program to have. This software is not for the faint of heart, as there is some serious initial setup involved. However, once installed and configured, you will then have the most powerful and adaptable tracking software available. I have installed and am currently testing and reviewing PT3. Goto the Mac Poker Tools Poker Tracker 3 article for more detailed information.

Poker CoPilot:

This is the company that brought Mac players their first on table HUD. If you are looking for a "Mac like" simple, easy to use program, Poker CoPilot is the one. (there are actually 2 versions to choose from) View up to 9 customizable stats of your current opponents, with an on table HUD. Stats to choose from are, VPIP, PFR%, AF, FS%, AGG%, Average take in BBs, BSA%, FBB%, CR%, 3B(preflop)%, F3B(pre)%, CB%, FCB%, WTSD%, Times Played, plus new stats are added regularly. Steve is still actively improving his software and encourages the use of his Get Satisfaction page to fix any issues you might have, and provide feedback/suggestions for future updates. I see it as one of the best, highly efficient and successful customers service programs you can hope to find. You can learn more about Poker CoPilot with our Poker CoPilot review.

Flop Tech:
There have been some leaps and bounds made over at Flop Tech with their new FlopZoom software. This company is really starting to move with this interesting piece of software. While not as advanced as Poker Copilot, there are a few unique features with the Flop Zoom software, that should get you to give them a look see. The HUD automatically adjusts to table views with/without avatars, tiling, cascading,resizing, and moving. Making it flexible, and easy to use. Show up to four stats at once. Stats available for display are VPIP, PFR%, AF,SD%, W$SD, UB% (Uncalled Bet %), AI% (All-in %). FlopTech is working hard on even more updates and improvements to FlopZoom. If you are in the market for a Hand History replayer and real time poker tracker you should stop by and check them out. Service is friendly and they are committed to creating top notch Mac poker software. There is a free 30 day trial, so give it a try before you buy. Learn more about this Mac software and more at FlopTech.

MacPoker Pro:

I do not recommend buying Mac Poker Pro. You will still find it available over the internet. Until support returns, and they fix known bugs in the software, this program is useless. It was at one point well supported, maybe it will return that way, or fizzle out.. Unfortunately I don't know.

Free Excel Poker Bankroll Spreadsheet. Download xls file here

The Maciest Poker Tracker Available Today, Poker Copilot!

jd — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:09:00 GMT

Poker CoPilot started development back in Spring 2008 by a lone software developer named Steve McLeod. Back then, the majority of online mac poker players were frustrated with the lack of any mac based software. So was Steve.. With what seemed to be started on a whim, and prodded on by friends and a 30 day software challenge, has morphed into one of the best mac poker trackers available today. Poker CoPilot is the first poker tracker to offer an on table HUD for the mac, and was designed with simple mac standards in mind. Clean interface, efficient, easy to set-up, use, and understand. Exactly the way a mac program is intended. He has been more than successful in this endeavor, making Poker CoPilot the maciest poker tracking software available. You will find above par customer service, with a solid designer systematically improving his software. Theseimprovements are heavily based on user requests/suggestions, and implemented in speedy fashion. With Poker Copilots Get Satisfaction area, users can vote on existing suggestions, or submit their own suggestions. The Get Satisfaction forum is also an effective and efficient place to troubleshoot and get answers to any issues that might arise.

"I released the first version with a minimal set of features. The idea was, from this I can get user feedback about what features to add. This is better than me just throwing in any feature I can think of. The more a particular feature is requested, the higher it goes on my priority list."

To learn more about this software, and its development. You can checkout Poker Copilots blog(a must read). See Steve's thought processes as he blogs to other software designers about the trials and tribulations of developing this software. Along with other entertaining and thought provoking entries, this blog makes you feel like part of a Poker CoPilot family.

Dashboard:
The Dashboard is where you will find your stats neatly arranged and ready for you to probe your game and analyze your results. I really like the way Poker CoPilot utilizes both numerical and visual references when displaying the stats. Using the line graph next to the stat shows you the trend for that particular stat. Poker CoPilot's Dashboard effectively shows you what you need to see in a very efficient manner. Using the various filters, summaries, and charts, will allow you to narrow your focus as you look into the various parts of your game. The interface is clean, and very simple to use, making the new user comfortable in the beginning and a pro in no time. While easy to use and great for beginners, the dashboard also offers plenty of options, essential stats, and filters for the more advanced user looking to delve deep into their game.

HUD:
Poker CoPilot was the first mac tracker to offer an on table HUD. With the stats displayed right on the table, you can easily answer questions such as. Is my opponent a calling station? Ultra-tight? Overly-aggressive with the raises or re-raises? Am I the tightest or loosest player on the table? Plus a lot more depending which stats you use. The on table HUD places small windows of stats by the correlating player. These windows are completely customizable allowing you to tweak to your hearts content. Choose up to 9 different stats and the order in which you would like them displayed. Some stats to choose from are: % Aggression, %Flops Seen, Aggression Factor, Average take in Big Blinds, % Blind Steal Attempts, % Check Raised, % Three Bet, Times Played, plus many more, with new features and stats added frequently. Stats are color coded for reliability. When playing an opponent for the first time, stats are first displayed as light gray. As you gather more hands and info on your opponent. The stats gradually turn brighter, until white, as they become more "reliable." After about 50 hands (or whatever you set via the Magic HUD Threshold) the stats switch from white to yellow. When you move or resize the table the HUD automatically repositions itself. You can also view the full statistical range on anyone by clicking on their stat window. Doing so presents a chart displaying all the stats collected on that certain player.

If you are interested in getting any kind of tracking program, I would recommend checking out Poker Copilot. I eagerly look forward to seeing how this program develops over the near future and will do my best to record all the changes as they happen. For the most recent information, or to download the software you can visit Poker Copilot and try it FREE for 30 days before you buy. I hope you enjoy this new piece of Mac software.

Poker Tracker 3 for Mac Beta is Now Available!!!

jd — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:50:00 GMT

PokerTracker 3 Mac Beta Ready to Download!!

Poker Tracker 3 has finally released its long awaited Mac beta version. I am still testing, and learning the finer points of this impressive piece of software, but am truly amazed with what I have seen so far. The sheer power, efficiency, and flexibility of this massive program is rather amazing. Its kind of surprising how smooth the beta is running as well. Given the delayed release and problems on the PC side. Seems like the folks over at Poker Tracker really did their homework and released a sure winner.
You will quickly see why this is the pros tool of choice. Besides having a massive library of available stats to choose from, you can also create almost any stat you want. You can color one displayed stat with that of another (i.e. Voluntarily Put Money In Pot Colored by Limp & Fold to Raise). You can then display these in the most flexible and comprehensive Dashboard and HUDs available. If you are not sure what to do at first, there are already some custom HUD layouts, reports and stats made by experienced players that you can download and install (http://www.pokertracker.com/repository/statistics.php). While this software can seem a little overwhelming to most at first, with a little patience and time in the forums, you can usually sort most issues out.

Dashboard:
With Poker Tracker 3's comprehensive dashboard, there is an infinite number of ways to review your poker play, and find all the hidden secrets this information holds. With completely customizable Tabs you can chose what stats to display, and in the order you prefer. Thus completely customizing the output to your taste and the games you play. With 10 different tabs: General, Details, Hands, Tournaments, Positions, vs Player, Winnings, Reports, Graphs, and Summaries. Your hand history information is neatly organized and readily accessible. The reports tab is especially handy for pinpointing certain aspects of your play, while the Details tab gives you a great overall report. Visiting the Get More (http://www.pokertracker.com/repository/) link on the PT3 site also gives access and allows you to share custom reports made by experienced users. As always these reports are completely customizable, but using/sharing other peoples work is a very helpful start.

HUD:

Display your own stats plus your opponents statistics directly on your poker tables for quick in game analysis. Make better decisions while you play based on your opponents past history. The HUD is easily customizable for your own needs. You can view any statistic imaginable directly on the table via this HUD. Place the stats in whatever order or position that you prefer by simply right-click and dragging to a new location. You can use the default HUD provided, design your own from scratch, or even use one designed by experienced users sharing their work. Visiting the Layouts link (http://www.pokertracker.com/repository/layouts.php) on the Poker Tracker 3 site has several different custom HUD's to choose from, and should not be missed.

Summary:
While it might take a little time to get the hang of this impressive program, it is certainly worth any time put in for the quality of information you will get back. With solid support from the developers, efficient forums, and the strong helpful community of users, you will get the hang of it in no time. Poker Tracker 3 has certainly set the bar for mac poker tracking software. Visit www.pokertracker.com/ for the latest info and to download this great new piece of mac software.

Guide to Reading Poker Tracking Stats. Improve your Game, plus Learn to Read your Opponents.

jd — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:55:00 GMT

This guide is designed to help teach the beginning holdem player how to use poker tracking software to its fullest potential. Using tracking software allows you to pinpoint areas of strengths and weakness in your own game, plus find exploitable weaknesses/strengths in your opponents. Being able to understand and read the stats is a crucial step towards improving your overall performance. Learn how to use the stats displayed on your HUD to get a good idea on how your opponents play. Do you know who is playing too tight, or too loose at your table? Who is weak or strong? Seeing the relevant statistics in real time makes it much easier for you to make these determinations, allowing you to adjust your game accordingly. Using the same techniques you will be able to dive into your own play, plug the leaks, and improve your game.

This guide is meant to be a starting point for beginners, and is subject to your own interpretation. There are no hard and fast rules when using tracking software(or Poker in general), as this is just a tool. When analyzing your opponents, tracking software works best in conjunction with your own live reads and observations. Don't stop paying attention! It must be noted that the more hands you have recorded, the more accurate your stats will be. It is generally accepted that 10,000 hands recorded is the starting point for accurate statistical analysis. So please don't read too far into the stats while they are building, as short term variances will have a higher than normal effect. Please feel free to submit your comments and ideas to improve this guide for all. Enjoy!

Important Statistics to Know and Learn:

Lets start with the basics by knowing whether you are a winning or a losing player. With the Big blinds won/100 hands, $ won/100 hands and Total winnings stats. Do you know where you stand overall? While basic, this is one of the most important things for you to know. The easiest indicator to read is the Total Winnings amount. Its not hard to miss whether you are winning or losing. Take it a step further and use the $ Won/100 Hands Chart to see your average rate.

Flops Seen is one of those numbers that is relative to the game structure, table size, and the style you are playing. A larger number generally equals looser play. While this can be acceptable for micro/fixed limits, small tables, and those comfortable in an aggressive playing style. For beginning purposes, players looking to start to improve basic performance should be around 20-30% Flops Seen. Tournament players generally should be on the tighter end, even down to 15% is acceptable. While Ring players are allowed to be a little looser and can go as high as 40%+ safely.

% Voluntarily Put Money in Pot (VP$IP): This statistic is how often you put money into the pot when you have nothing in the pot so far. In general, you only want to be playing hands when they'll make you money in the long term. Only some of the possible starting hands are profitable, so you'll be folding much more often than calling or raising. In general, a VP$IP% of 16-24% is considered reasonable, with 16% being tight, and 24% being somewhat loose. Once you reach 50-75 hands on an opponent, you can start to make determinations as to how tight/loose they are playing. You want to seek out players that have VPIP's above

40%. One weakness/leak we can track/fix using this stat is if you are playing aggressively enough pre-flop. First divide the PFR% (Pre-Flop Raise %) by the VP$IP. If you get a number smaller than 0.5, you're not playing aggressive enough. A general guideline is that you should raise at least half the hands you play, from every position on the table.

Using VP$IP can also be helpful in trying to put starting hand ranges on your opponents. With a lower VP$IP you can imagine your opponent only playing their premium hands, where a player with a higher VP$IP can be in with a much looser range. Using the chart on the right will help you visualize hand ranges based on VPIP percentages.

Pre-flop raise% This is the % of times a player raises pre-flop. Raising pre-flop gives you a few advantages. First, it gets opponents to fold. No matter what cards they fold, your odds of winning the hand increase. It may even force a better hand to fold, in which case you've made a major upset. Raising can also clear out opponents in front of you, giving you better position for the rest of the hand. In general, raising between 9% and 13% of the time is reasonable. A percentage below that is too weak, and a percentage above that is too reckless. When reading the Pre-flop raise% on your opponents during game play, you will want to respect the Pre-Flop raises more from the tight, passive players and less from the more aggressive.

Post-flop aggression % ("Aggression frequency")This indicates how aggressive you or your opponents are, post-flop. It is calculated by counting the number of hands in which you've either bet or raised, and dividing this by the number of hands in which you've either bet, raised, called, or folded, and multiplying by 100. The higher this number, the more aggressively you are playing. A good number to be around would be at least 40%. If it’s not, you’re probably giving up too soon on your good hands, and that will cost you money in the long run. Note that this measure must be interpreted in combination with Flops Seen. Players who see very few flops will naturally tend to have a higher aggression % because they are only playing top-quality hole cards.

Blind stealing attempts% This indicates how often you attempt to steal the blinds when you had the opportunity to do so. (Poker Copilot considers that you have a blind-stealing opportunity when you are "on the button" (last before the blinds to make an action), and every player so far has folded) An attempt to steal the blinds is when you raised when given a blind-stealing opportunity. A good player attempts to steal the blinds often, but not always. A good number to shoot for should be around 30%, with a minimum of 20% and a max of 38%.

Check raise% This percentage measures the number of times you have check raised in a hand. A general percentage to shoot for is 0.70%. You should be above 0.50% and under 2%.

Fold BB% / Fold CB%(% player Folds Blind/% player Folds to C-Bet) This is a measure of how often your opponent fold to a bet. This is a very handy stat. The higher the number, the more likely it is they will fold to your bet.The lower the number, the more likely they will call your bet. Trying to steal a pot against a player with a very low fold % is not very smart. You will see that players under 35% will call a lot of bets. They chase plain and simple, they are known as calling stations. You will also see opponents that have fold to bet% of 65% and higher. You can steal many pots from this type of player with next to nothing. Pay attention to each fold%. You will be in many situations where you have position on a player that has a very low fold% on both the flop and the turn, but a dramatically higher fold% on the river. These players will also generally have a high win % when they bet on the river. If they check to you on the river, you can bet and chances are they will fold. Pay attention to fold% and how that relates to SD%. If a player has a high fold% combined with a low SD%, that is a green light to try and steal pots from them.

Went to showdown% This is a measure of how often you were still in the action when the hand went to showdown. Showdown occurs when the final round of betting is complete and at least two players are still in. WTSD% should be around 25-30% range for Full Ring Tables, and around 33-40% for 6max games, but will vary depending on your table. Tournament numbers should be a little tighter.

A player with higher than normal WTSD% generally makes them a calling station. These are the players which you should always value bet, as they are most likely going to pay you off. If you fall into this category, you need to look at what hands you are showing down and why. You are most likely giving too much value to your marginal holdings, and not showing enough respect to some of your opponents raises.

Players with real low WTSD% stats are the weak-tight opponents. These players fold way too much and basically play fit or fold poker. There are two general categories which these players fit in. The first are the players that see many flops, but give-up on the turn frequently. Against a player like this, you should be more prone to fire that extra barrel or value bet smaller holdings with the intent of it being the last money you put into the pot. The other type of player is the one that just gives up or folds too much in general. These often fit into the sub 15 VPIP category, but not always. You should be opening up your steal ranges and continuation betting almost all the time against them. When these players get to the river though, you should be careful as these players tend to showdown solid hands.

Won at showdown% This stat indicates how often you won a hand in a showdown. It is calculated as a percentage of all hands in which you went to showdown. A good range for W$SD is usually 50-55%. If your W$SD is much higher than 55%, you are probably folding to much. Likewise, you are probably calling down too much if this number is much lower than 50%.

Won Without Showdown% This indicates how often you won a hand without going to showdown because all other players folded. It is calculated as a percentage of all hands played. A good percentage to have is around 35%. If you are not reaching 35% there are three possible leaks you need to examine. 1)You are playing too many marginal hands. It is one thing to speculate here and there but too much is no good. 2) You are getting blown off too many hands by aggression. Remember, most flops miss most players. 3) You are not winning pots based on position and are not continuation betting enough.

The information found in the Hands Summary can also help you find hand weaknesses in your poker game. You want to find the starting hands where you are losing the most, evaluate your play, and figure the best way to approach that particular situation. Being aware of these weak hands will help you as you encounter them during game play. Being ready to act correctly will turn those numbers right around. Using hand history replayers, and drilling programs (Poker Academy Pro) can be very handy in helping you evaluate, and attack these weaknesses more efficiently.

The Position summary is another great way to gauge your play. As we all know poker is a game of position. First thing to look at here is your VP$IP in each position. Your VP$IP should rise as you move up towards the button. Simply put, you should be playing more hands in position. Your Preflop raise% should be following the same trend.

Using an on table HUD

When using a HUD, you get an on table numerical look into the players you are up against. What stats should you have displayed on your HUD? This is a personal decision, but most suggest having VPIP/PFR/Agg, and Times Played as a minimum. I personally include FCB, and WtS. You should feel free to change the stats on the fly as you probe your opponents statistically. Using the guidelines we went over before will now help you to determine the best way to play each player according to any holes or weaknesses you might find in their game. Don't forget that these are just stats and the best information you can have are your reads and observations during play.

This guide should give you a good starting point and solid foundation in evaluating your own and your opponents statistics. As you develop more you will find that these numbers will vary depending on your playing style, and the actual game you play. As you read and study more about poker, you will find these stats mentioned constantly, hopefully now you have a better understanding of what they mean and get more from those lessons/study. I would highly recommend "Kill Everyone" by Lee Nelson, Tysen Streib, and Kim Lee for a more advanced statistical look into No Limit Holdem.

Top Mac Poker Sites Review

jd — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:18:00 GMT

Finding a place you like to play, with a comfortable environment, is important to your overall enjoyment and success you will find in playing online poker. There are several poker rooms available to the Mac poker player, each with their own nuances. This article will help you sort through what is available and help find out what is right for you.

I am a US mac player so most of my expertise will be on the US sites. The sites will be broken down into two categories, download and non-download software sites.

1. Download Version- You download software that allows you to play using an installable client. These sites are typically the best to play at in terms of stability and connectivity.

2. Non-Download Version- A version of their software typically runs with Java, but can also be Flash. Mac and Linux users can simply open up the poker room in their internet browser (Fire Fox, Safari, etc.) and play.

I will keep this entry updated as more and more sites are adding Mac availability somewhat regularly. Subscribe to MacPokerTools and receive the info as it comes in.

Download Sites:

Full Tilt Poker:

FullTilt Poker was the first main poker site to offer a native, installed, mac client. Since their inception, FullTilt Poker has been the main site for most US mac poker players. They also have one of the better online poker sites available online too. FullTilt has always had a solid software interface, smooth graphics, and plenty of players (not to mention the pros). FullTilt has a full range of stake levels. There are plenty of higher stake games as well as a multitude of smaller stakes for any Mac player. There is a wide variety of poker games to play here, that are mostly unmatched elsewhere. There are many sit n go and multi table tournaments with all ranges of buy ins, large guarantee tournaments, and satellites. Sit and gos fill at a decent pace, so there isn't much time wasted waiting to play. Their NL games reach up to $50/$100 blinds regularly. There is always somewhere to play on FullTilt. Player ability varies at FullTilt Poker. You will run into your fair share of solid, recreational, and beginning players.There really isn't anything bad to say about Full Tilt. I play here all the time. I like using the customizable table graphics to get the look I am comfortable with. There are always tourneys going off and seats available, even if I want to play some Omaha. Game play is smooth, and they have everything you really need in an online poker room.They also have some of the better bonuses too.

Use the bonus code: MACPOKERTOOLS to receive a 100% Deposit bonus up to $600 Have fun and Good Luck!

Pokerstars:

The Worlds largest poker site is finally available for mac players. Pokerstars has completed the last phase of its Mac beta test and has announce the release of the full Mac version!! Our wait is finally over to be included in the largest online poker site available. If you are looking for the biggest tournaments at all buy-ins, this is the place to be. This is also a great site for the cash game player too. There are tons of tables available at whatever game and buy-in you wish, at any time of day/night. Given the volume of players, you are going to find your fair share of beginning to advanced players. If you are a smaller stakes player looking to build your bankroll. There are these great $2.20 satellites to the Guaranteed Sunday $200,000 tournament. They go off every hour on the XX:25. Payout is an $11.00 buy-in to the top 20%!!! Those are some great odds, and not that hard to accomplish. Tourneys go fast as you just play to the bubble. There is loads of action to be seen at the ring tables too. You will find everything you need and more at PokerStars.

Download and play Pokerstars on your mac here: Play Pokerstars on Mac Be sure to use these codes to get your sign-up bonus: Marketing/Referral code: MacPokerTools.com Bonus code: Stars600. For 100% Bonus up to $600!

Non-Download Sites:

Absolute Poker:

Completing the merger with Ultimate Bet, creating the Cereus Poker Network, Absolute Poker has quickly become one of the larger poker sites in the world. Absolute Poker runs on a mac by using a java based application runoff your internet browser. Play poker anywhere on any computer without having to download any poker software. Traffic at Absolute Poker is above average and rapidly growing, making this a good place to play.Player skill is about average with a good number of beginning players with lots of loose action. Absolute offers frequent bonuses, and has several game types to choose from. Overall Absolute poker is a decent and improving site. There was a scandal awhile back where someone in management was caught cheating. It turned out to be an isolated incident, but none the less has hurt them a bit. With the new owners and management, and this new merger with Ultimate Bet. All is set for the future, and you will see Absolute climb back to the site it should be. To entice more players to play, you will find nice new bonuses and incentives often.

If you have not signed up yet, click here for a150% deposit bonus up to $500!

Beginners Guide to Playing Poker on a Mac

jd — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:59:00 GMT

So, you have a Mac computer and you want to play online Poker. This should be an easy thing, just install the software and play, right?? Well, unfortunately, it's a little more difficult than that.. Mac online poker is tricky because the main online poker infrastructure is almost entirely based on the PC. As you play more and more online poker you will find that the majority of sites, support, and software are restricted to the PC platform. Don't let this discourage you, as things have been improving over the past few years. As the Macbase widens, the online poker industry is getting savvy to us, but there is still plenty of growth and opportunity here to come. With this guide you have the information you need to find the best online poker sites and games to get a solid and enjoyable start to playing poker online. Finding the right place to play is important, especially when it comes to getting proper enjoyment from your online poker experience. Different sites will be better for different player types. If you are looking for a real money site, I would recommend playing their play money site to see if the graphics and interface is comfortable to you. While the play will be very loose and erratic, you will be able to get a good feel for the site, to decide whether you would like to deposit there or not.

Mac Poker Sites

Play Money
If you are just looking for a place to play online poker with play money there are many places available to get your fix. All of the major poker rooms have play money tables, and there are sites like Live 3D Poker, and Poker Academy Pro who offer great play money experiences. Live 3D poker has the first 3D interface which is pretty amazing, you can even customize how your player looks. With Poker Academy Pro, you need to buy their training software, but then you get access to some of the most realistic play money experience available. Not to mention top notch training software, and the best bots. For a complete list of Play money sites available see our MacPokerTools Software and Games List.

Real Money
When you are looking for a site to play with real money, it is important to do your research. You want to start at the site you think suits you the best and stick with it for two main reasons. 1) It can cost money to load funds into your poker account and you don't want to keep paying fees.(especially US players), will have to pay their fees. 2) Go after the sign in bonus while you can. Most sites give to a set time period to clear these bonuses. This is free money for you, collect your bonus.

One of the main factors to determine which sites are available to you, is where you live. With the passing of the UIGEA in 2006, many poker sites stopped US based poker players from playing at their sites. For now, if you are based in the US, there will be certain limitations where you can play. Playing online poker is not illegal in most states.(Visit the PPA (http://pokerplayersalliance.org/) to learn more about US Poker Legislation) This organization is working very hard to bring the change needed in US poker legislation. Sign petition here: (http://www.onlinepokerpetition.org) If you live outside of the US, you will have access to all of the mac compatible sites. What site is best for your playing style is solely determined on what you want to get out of this experience. Whether you a regular person looking to play a fun game here and there, and just looking to learn, to the seasoned casino player looking for the best action the internet can bring, each site has its strengths and weaknesses according to each player. For this guide I will try and point out the main general features for each site, it is up to you to dig a little deeper to find the best match. Each sites play money feature is a great way to test each site.

The main poker sites compatible with the Macintosh are: FullTilt Poker(Good for all levels, play generally is solid), PokerStars(Good for all levels, most players online, play varies but can be very loose), Absolute Poker, (Good for all levels for different reasons. Beginners: Slow tournament structures, and soft play. Advanced: Slow tournament structures, and soft play. No download software) Pitbull Poker(Decent growing site, no download software, lots of freerolls), Party Poker(No US), bwin(No US), Pacific Poker(No US), Hollywood Poker(No US), and Poker Room(No US) For the beginning online player I would suggest either FullTilt Poker, or Poker Stars to start. You will find everything you need at either site, and as you clear your bonuses you can branch out from there. FullTilt Poker is a little smaller and I feel offers better play at the lower buy-in events and tables. PokerStars can be a little more hectic, but the volume cant be beat for large tournaments and constant action. PokerRoom, bwin poker, Absolute Poker, and Party Poker are excellent sites for the newer online poker player as well. PokerRoom has been around forever and are very reliable, offering loads to the beginning players. bwin also part of the OnGame network is a newer site and gaining in popularity. I would recommend sticking to one of the larger sites first, and then branching out from there as you find out what you like. Most players belong to a few sites making it easier to find what you want, when you want it. To see a full review of each site visit our Mac Poker Site Reviews and Bonus Page. Good Luck, and please feel free to post any questions.

Poker Odds Calculators for the Mac

jd — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:52:00 GMT

Here are a few great poker NLHE odds calculators for the Mac. Enjoy!

Poker Ghost: Speak your cards to your Mac! (http://www.candywriter.com/pokerghost.html#download)

Poker Ghost 2 becomes the first Texas Hold 'em poker assistant to utilize speech recognition! Just sit and play your online game and speak the cards to your Mac.When you're ready, say "Calculate", and watch Poker Ghost come up with its analysis without clicking a thing. To make Poker Ghost 2, they took the best poker hand assessment software and implemented a speech interface to make Poker Ghost a Mac online poker assistant.

Screenshot:

Poker Ghost is an application that quantifies the value of your poker hand for you. Every decision you make when playing Texas Hold 'Em -whether to call, raise, or fold - is based on how strong you think your hand is relative to the amount of players you are up against. Poker Ghost will do the work for you and do it more accurately. Use the control panel or your voice to enter your hand and Poker Ghost will tell you the one statistic you need to know, the percentage chance that your hand is the strongest hand out of the players remaining. Its that simple. You've seen the odds displayed on TV next to a player's hand. Now see those same odds for you, on demand. Download a fully functional free Poker Ghost trial that gives you your first 25 odds for free. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Poker Odds Calculator - Google Desktop Gadget: Made by Poker Academy

Keeping with Poker Academy's mission to provide new and innovative ways to improve everyone's poker experience, the Poker Calculator, for Google Desktop, provides a way to quickly and easily calculate poker odds. Simply select your hand and up to 9 opponent starting hands, optional board cards and click "Calculate" to view how each hand stacks up. Results can be viewed through the main view, as shown below, or in a table view to quickly compare all hands.

Download The Poker Calculator Gadget Here                                                        (http://desktop.google.com/plugins/i/pokercalc.html?hl=en)


              Main View                                                  Card Viewer                                        Choose Results

*Note: Google Desktop is required to run the Poker Odds Calculator*

FlopCruncher 1.4: ($9)   (http://www.floptech.com/flopcruncher/index.html)

An advanced Texas Hold'em odds calculator Dashboard widget available from FlopTech. Flop Cruncher Calculates preflop, flop, turn, and river odds for up to 10 players Allows semi-random and fully random cards ("any ace," "any club," etc.) "Any pair" and "Any two suited" can be selected Hands can be folded on any street Burn cards can be specified and removed from play on any street 10 thousand,100 thousand, or 1 million deals per calculation Keyboard shortcuts fully integrated with mouse gestures.

Playback mode
Players' names, hands, and actions on each street are presented Twenty hands are included with FlopCruncher 1.4 New hands can be downloaded directly into FlopCruncher

Statistics mode
Displays the number and types of all hands made by any player Percentages less than 0.1 are shown to two decimal points Works with hands in normal mode and playback mode

Try Flop Cruncher free, risk free, for 30 days before buying.

FlopCruncher Lite 1.3: (http://www.floptech.com/flopcruncherlite/index.html)

A FREE basic Texas Hold'em odds calculator Dashboard widget by the same makers of Flop Cruncher. Flop Cruncher Lite calculates odds for two players' hole cards, allows semi-random and fully random cards ("any ace," "any club," etc.), 0 to 8 other players holding random hands can be added, 10 thousand, 100 thousand, or 1 million deals per calculation, and Keyboard shortcuts

Online Poker Player Ranking and Hand History Database Tools

jd — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:05:00 GMT

There are several sites available to Mac poker players that collect and store ring game and tournament results. They then analyze and display the data for you to search and use. Whether you are interested in seeing where you rank among the other players, or are interested in learning a little more about your opponents past play. Information from these sites can be very helpful to your game and bankroll. In this article we will be looking at the different types of sites that are available for you to use.

Ring Game Ranking Sites:

TableRatings.Com is a Free collection of useful tools designed to help pokerplayers maximize their online profits. The current suite of toolsincludes a real time Table Selector, Player Research Tool, Buddy List, and a Player vs. Opponent Tracker. Each of these tools utilize massive databases of compiled player results to provide accurate up to the minute data. For the Mac Poker player the current rooms covered are FullTilt Poker(full support), Absolute Poker(full support), Party Poker(table selector), and PokerRoom(table selector). For the player research tools they are tracking 95+ % of the hands thatget played on FullTilt (since 4/1/2008), andAbsolute Poker (since 4/1/2008) at $.5/$1 NL and higher, and $2/4 FixedLimit and higher. This is a great free resource to help you find the best conditions for you to win more money, and to keep track of your wins and losses. Enjoy, and good luck at the tables!

MultiTable Tournaments(MTTs), and Sit-n-go Tournament(STTs) Ranking Sites:

Official Poker Rankings: (http://www.officialpokerrankings.com/)

The Official Poker Rankings (OPR) is a free online poker ratings site fortournament poker results, poker players statistics, and poker ratings for online poker players. *Update* OPR no longer includes STT's for Fulltilt Poker Sit and Gos!! : (

The Official Poker Rankings creates its database from multi tablepoker tournaments(MTTs), selected satellite tourneys and larger multitable Sit-n-go tournaments. Data is gathered daily, and presented for your use in an easy to use and efficient manner. OPR covers FullTilt Poker, PokerStars, OnGame Sites, and Party Poker. Coverage varies room by room, so check the home page at OPR, as it lists up to date coverage. You can see where you rank among other players, while using the data to gauge your performance. You can also look up your opponents to see how well they are playing, allowing you to adjustyour game accordingly. With just a quick search, you can see a players current results, ratings, standings, summaries and pokerstatistics. Information on player prizes, profit, ROI(Return on Investment), ITM (In the Money) andexact finishes are all included. This is done in an easy to use format with many filters to easily customize your search. The stats gathered will be most useful to the MTT poker player. Collecting and notating information on your opponents is simple and a great thing to do while waiting between hands. Knowing whether the player next to you is a fish or a shark is easy to see. If you are not familiar with the Official Poker Rankings, I suggest giving them a look. I think you will like what you see. The best part is, this information is free, and your own stats can be hidden from other players on your request.

thepokerdb: (http://www.bluffmagazine.com/thepokerdb/)

The pokerdb is a service run by Bluff magazine and is accessible via their website (www.bluffmagazine.com) Use its database to track tournaments and players on PokerStars(2/2004-pres), FullTilt Poker (6/2006-pres), Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker sites. It's similar to the Official Poker Rankings in that the pokerdb collects players MTT results and lays out the info for you in a fairly easy manner, but differs in a few ways as well too. With this software you can copy and paste hand histories of yourcurrent poker game into the site, and the pokerdb will generateclickable links for everyone at your table. This saves lotsof time and hassle typing and searching players individually. There isalso a personal dashboard that you can use to track friends, as well as a customizable tournament directory. Please note however that the pokerdb only tracks when a player cashes in a tournament, it doesn’t provide any information about how many tournaments a givenplayer has bought in to, or does it provide a cumulativeprofit report, only a report of total winnings. Additional statisticsare only available to subscribers ($12 for 1 month, $30 for 3, $100 for12).

Shark Scope: (http://www.sharkscope.com/index.html#statistics)

SharkScope is the most complete database of online poker sit-n-go tournament results available. As of this writing they have gathered the stats on over 42 million sit-n-go tournaments!! Mac coverage includes: PokerStars, FullTilt Poker, OnGame, Party Poker, and iPoker networks. I would say SharkScope is quickly becoming the leader in its field. From what I can tell, and from what I have heard, Shark Scope is fairly accurate in its coverage of the players and stats. They started out as a free site, but have now switched to a fee based service. You are allowed 5 free searches per day and greater access can begained through purchasing one their subscription packages. The 5 freesearches are great for basic checks of your own stats but subscribersget many more searches, which you will need to find easy rooms, and accessto extra features such as search filters and head to head statisticsbetween players. Using SharkScope will enable you to analyze a players results in greatdetail, showing you their average profit, average ROI (return oninvestment) and which stakes that they play at. You can also get avariety of graphs showing things such as how their total profit hasvaried over time and how they perform at different stake levels. There are a couple of great features that helps separate SharkScope from the competition. First is the Tournament Selector(free searches for tournaments less than $10). Enter the buy-in you wish to play at, and SharkScope does the rest. Get a complete list of the tournaments available along with how the competition is looking! Find the best tournament to join with the most fish(weakest competition). Shark Scope makes it real easy. This is done by having the players tagged as 'sharks' and 'fish'. Generally speaking,the top 15% of players are tagged as sharks (marked by a shark fin) and thebottom 15% marked as fish (with a corresponding fish bowl). Theseparameters can be changed in the settings if you want to as well too. This is a great tool for any sit-n-go player. Why go mess with some tough competition whenthere's money to be made at a table full of fish? It only gets better too. So now you found your tournament and enter. This brings up the nextfeature: The Search Database. This allows users to enter the tournamentnumber (along with the corresponding site or network it's being playedon) and, once 'search' is clicked, SharkScope brings up the stats of all theplayers at the table. No more typing in all the usernames : ) The results table from this search will tell you how many tournamentseach player has played, their average stake, profit and return oninvestment (ROI), their total profit and their current form. Formestablishes whether a player is on Tilt (4 losses in a row), Super Tilt(6 losses in a row), Hot (4 wins in a row) or Super Hot (6 wins in a row). ROI tells us whether a player is any good or not. As always, each player ID will be accompanied with a shark or fish symbolwhen necessary. Like a few of the other sites, SharkScope will remove your stats on request. Go and see where you stand over at SharkScope. I think you might like what you find.

Poker Prophecy: (http://www.pokerprophecy.com/?affid=3343)

Poker Prophecytracks the winning(in the money) percentages of players playing in Sitand go tournaments at most of the major sites including, Full TiltPoker, Poker Stars, Ultimate Bet and Party Poker. This software allows you to see right away who is solidand who is not. How well does each player play? Poker Prophecylets you know by the percentage of wins(place in the money) that eachplayer has. If someone is in the money over 40% of the time you shouldconsider him/her a good player, and proceed with caution.Onthe other hand, when he/she is in the money less than 20% of the
time,you now know you are dealing with a fish, and can adjust accordingly.Using the detailed statistics you can see which game you or youropponents are strongest, and/or the weakest. Plus, find out how wellthey have been playing lately by their recent performance. Type in yourown user name and see what Poker Prophecysays about you. Access to the Poker Prophecy database is a fee basedservice charged monthly. All readers of MacPokerTools will receive a 5 dollar discount off the service fee.This will show up automatically when using the above link.You can also try them out for 5 free searches to see if this is the kind of software you can use.

The Ultimate Mac Poker Software and Games List

jd — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:55:00 GMT

Introducing, The Ultimate Mac poker software list. This list is packed with all the software titles I could find relating/compatible to the Mac. If something is missing, please send me a link. Enjoy!

Free/Share Software

Games/Poker Rooms:

*DagNammit Casino Games, free mac video poker Trainer : (http://www.dagnammit.com)
*Friday Night Poker, Play 36 different variations of poker: (http://www.anubisweb.com/poker/poker_index.html)
*Live Poker, Play live Mac online poker in realistic 3-D poker environment: (http://www.livepoker.com)
*Pogo.com: High Stakes Poker, Lost Temple Poker, No Limit Texas Holdem Poker, Panda Pai Gow Poker, Texas Holdem Poker, 6th Street Omaha Poker
*PokerPages.com: Play live poker online free.

Timers/Tools/Home Tournament:

*Darwine: Run Wine on Intel Macs. (http://www.kronenberg.org/darwine)
* Dr. Neau's Tournament Manager, (http://drneau.com/TournamentManager.htm) A great site for home tournament needs and info.
*Stats Genie.com: Tool to manage your poker league(s) and statistics.
*Free Tournament Poker Blinds Timer: (http://www.tabberer.com/sandyknoll/more/pokertimer/)
*Twisted Theory tournament Timer: (http://www.twistedtheorysoftware.com/timer/) Free Mac Tournament Timer. Lots of good reviews

Stats Management/Odds Calculators:

*Excel Poker Bankroll Spreadsheet. Download xls file
*Excel Tournament Patience Factor Calculator. Download xls file (Arnold Snyders Poker Tournament Formula)
*Excel Tournament Patience Factor Calculator2. Download xls file (Alternate file by Math Boy from PTF)
*FlopCruncher Lite: A basic 2 player Texas Holdem Odds Calculator widget. (http://www.floptech.com)
*Hespy Poker: Poker Bankroll Manager. (http://www.hespy.com/default.aspx)
*Poker Dominator.com:Free internet based poker analysis software including session tracking with detailed statistical analysis, custom charts, and bankroll management.
*Poker-Tracking.com: Free web-based poker tracking software. Track your poker performance statistics online.
*Popopop's Universal Hand History Replayer: One of the best and free! (http://www.universal-replayer.net/) *ProPokerTools.com: Free web poker tools for Hold'em, Omaha, and Razz.
*Stats Genie.com: Tool to manage your poker league(s) and statistics.

Video Poker:

Cocoa Poker 1.6.1: (http://www.schartworks.com/games/cocoapoker/) Lucky Deuces Poker: (http://www.macpoker.com/ld/luckydeuces.php) Lucky Jacks Poker: (http://www.macpoker.com/lj/luckyjacks.php) Poker Solitaire: (http://www.macpoker.com/pks/pokersolitaire.php) Ugly Poker: (http://www.macgamesandmore.com/free/videopoker.html) Solitarus 1.4: (http://www.danlabgames.com/index.php?rub=poker&computer=mac) Flashbits Poker 1.24: (http://www.freemacware.com/flashbits-poker-124/) Double Deuce Poker: (http://casino-games.pogo.com/games/double-deuce-poker) Jacks or Better: (http://casino-games.pogo.com/games/jacks-or-better-poker) Jokers Wild Poker: (http://casino-games.pogo.com/games/jokers-wild-poker)

Commercial Software
While most have a free demo option, you will have to pay to keep these software titles.In most cases you get what you pay for.

Games/Poker Rooms:

*DD Poker 2.5: Popular Poker simulator/evaluator (http://www.ddpoker.com)
*Friday Night Poker: Play 36 different variations of poker game. (http://anubisweb.com)
*Imagine Poker: Fun poker simulator. (http://www.candywriter.com/imaginepoker.html) **
*iPoker: Poker simulator (http://scenario.com/index.htm?page=iPoker/index.htm)
*Masque World Series of Poker Deluxe Casino Pack: Masque World Series of Poker Delux Casino Pack: 16 games including strategies and tips from David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth and Bob Ciaffone. Also Included are two exclusive casino titles - Caribbean Stud and Let It Ride!
*Paragon Poker Suite 3.1.2: Suite of popular poker games such as 5 Card Draw, Hold 'Em, and 7 Card Stud.
*Poker Academy Pro: Poker training software. (http://www.poker-academy.com) **
*Poker Superstars 2: Poker simulator with the pros.
*Real Girls Strip Poker: Name should say it all. (http://www.pokai.com)
*Scenerio Poker: iPhone version too!! (http://scenario.com/index.htm?page=iPoker/index.htm)
*World Class Poker with T.J. Cloutier: A great simulator and an excellent way to start learning classic poker games from an expert. Including Omaha

Timers/Home Tournament:

Home Game Hero: Tournament Poker Blinds Timer. (http://www.tabberer.com/sandyknoll/more/pokertimer)

Stats Management/Odds Calculators:

*FlopCruncher: Texas Holdem Odds Calculator Widget (http://www.floptech.com)
*FlopZoom: Mac Texas Holdem Hand History Analyzer, and live poker tracker w/HUD. (http://www.floptech.com)
*Poker Copilot: Live online poker tracking software w/HUD (http://www.pokercopilot.com)
*Poker Academy Pro: Poker Odds Calculator** (http://www.poker-academy.com)
*Poker Ghost: Great calculator for the mac. (www.candywriter.com/pokerghost.html#download) **
*Poker Odds Calculator: Basic hand calculator. (http://homepage.mac.com/whiteman/POC.html)

Video Poker:

Deuces Wild: (http://www.glennsgames.com/dw/ad.html) Quick Draw Poker: (http://www.glennsgames.com/qd/ad.html) Mac Video Poker: (http://www.glennsgames.com/vp/ad.html) Anubis Video Poker: (http://www.anubisweb.com/video_poker/video_poker_index.html) SIERRA Hoyle Slots and Video Poker

Other Games/Titles:

*Paragon Sudoku: (http://www.sudoku.qed-online.com)
*Anubis Casino: A simulation of 15 popular casino table games. (http://www.anubisweb.com/casino/casino_index.html)

**Find review in MacPokerTools

Mac Poker Tools Poker Training and Coaching Sites Guide

jd — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:56:00 GMT

When you are looking to improve your play, there is no better way than having someone with the proper experience and knowledge base to teach you how to play better. The only question is how much you want to pay for such assistance. This article will highlight various Poker training sites available to the Mac poker player. I have not had a chance to test all of these sites yet, but will update the article as I do. So for right now I have compiled a list. I tried to weed out the good from the bad, and legit sites from scams, nobody is perfect, so please help out by sending any info or comments you feel are relevant to the mac community on any of these sites. And by all means let me know if one is missing, or you are looking to start a new site. Most of the sites offer a free trial, so I would recommend searching around, and finding the best match for you. Any feedback regarding any of these sites will be greatly appreciated by all. Have fun! There is loads of free stuff just for looking.

Cardrunners: (http://www.cardrunners.com/index.php?promotion_code=sLJuTgmKqb1214331ojYZSIuqwt)

Cardrunners is the gold standard in poker training sites today. If you are a cash game ring player this is definitely the site for you. While you will find many videos covering a variety of games and limits, a large majority of Cardrunners content is NLHE ring based. The site was developed by online poker pro Taylor “Green Plastic” Caby, and backed by some of the biggest cash game pros online today. There are over 800 videos available on Cardrunners. They also have a free poker Hand replayer,and Hand History viewer tools. These tools are great for analyzing,viewing and reviewing past hands/tournaments. The replayer even calculates all relevant stats as you go. These tools are available for all to use free.

Stoxpoker.com: (http://www.stoxpoker.com/?refer=MacPokerTools)

Stoxpoker has dedicated itself to teaching new players how to take their game to the next level and dominate the online poker world. This passion comes from teachers who have combined to win over $5,000,000 online in 2007.The teachers passion spills over into their videos which make them one of the strongest points for the site. Not only is there diversity, but they do a great job at presenting and explaining the material in an efficient to the point manner. Stoxpoker features interactive quizzes, classroom format videos, and world class training videos. Stoxpoker has a diverse selection of poker training videos covering all levels of play and game types. It also hasthe reputation to be one of the best sites for beginners. With the merger with CardRunners, stoxpoker makes the perfect launching pad to the highest stakes. While they are one of the pricier sites, you do get what you pay for here. They offer a 7 day money back guarantee as well as free registration to let you sample their demo items. Please send your feedback.

PokerXFactor.com: (http://www.pokerxfactor.com/)

Advanced Poker Instruction and Community-Based Learning. The PokerXFactor Training Center is an advanced poker instruction facility, with hundreds of poker videos by top pros, the free PXF Hand History Replayer (now with audio commentary and "hand search" features), Pro Blogs, Quizzes, and in-depth articles. PokerXFactor subscribers also have access to the PXF community forum as well as the PXF Leagues(both tournament and SNG). PokerXFactor training videos take you step-by-step through huge online poker tournaments and Sit-N-Go's. Along with the founding pros Johnny Bax and Sheets you will also find these top player/instructors: Eric "Rizen" Lynch (Cash/MTT), Chris "Fox" Wallace(Cash/Bankroll Building), Adam "hatfield13" Stemple (Cash/Mixed Games), Chris "Beanmo" Mozingo (SNG), Kevin "BeL0WaB0Ve" Saul, Jon"PearlJammer" Turner (MTT), Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet (MTT), and many more. I look forward to checking out PXF as they have a good reputation in the forums. Before I can check them out, please send in your comments on this site. Thank You!

Poker Pwnage: (http://www.pokerpwnage.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=116)

Poker Pwnage has recently launched their website with UHBigTex, USCPhildo, Assassinato, Agame18, Fu_15, HerschelW, Watchthesea and Ghettofabolous to name a few of their instructors. Poker Pwnage certainly has come on to the scene with a bang. While the site is relatively new, there already is a lot of solid content available, especially for the MTT player. The instructors at Poker Pwnage are, by far, the greatest asset to this new site. Having a roster that boasts several of the top ranked players in the world, is something worth mentioning. Most importantly, they are also great coaches, and not just a "name". At Poker Pwnage you will be taught a variety of strategies and thought processes, giving you the opportunity to decide which ways of thinking works the best with your style of play. Poker Pwnage also has a great weekly member tournament where the top finishers receive a one-on-one lesson with one of the Poker Pwnage pros. This is a unique tournament only offered for members. This site, while new, is a great value at the moment, and should be seriously considered as they will certainly make a name for themselves.

DeucesCracked: (http://www.deucescracked.com/)

Deuces Cracked is an online training site that really relies a community or group based training aspect. It is pretty much an extension of the 2+2 forums. A collection of well named and respected coaches, Deuces Cracked combines all of their collective thoughts into a single resource location. Although there may be plans to add some more SNG or MTT videos in the future, Deuces Cracked is mainly a cash game learning site. Videos are fully downloadable and can be played on your iPod. There also is a free trial available to try before you buy.

Real Poker Training: (http://www.realpokertraining.com/?263)

Real Poker Training is one of the original online training sites. Based off the cash game instructions of gotskillz? and one of the original top online tournament players in NSXT2, their goals are to elevate players to the next level. The focus of Real Poker Training is tournament play, with videos created to teach all aspects including rebuys, special scenarios, and final table play. With successful MTT pros such as NSXT2, lilholdem954, Bodog Ari, and now David Williams. There is certainly a strong teaching force behind these videos. There are also non playing video lessons such as Poker Tracker training, ICM calculations, note taking, and also beginner lessons for those just starting out. They offer more specials than any other site, so if you are interested in the site, sign-up and wait for the specials to come.

PokerSavvyPlus+: (http://www.pokersavvy.com/?trackid12892)

PokerSavvyPlus+is a relatively new training site, but one that is rising fast. Ranging from beginner limits to high stakes, PokerSavvyPlus+ provides a wide range of instructional videos. PokerSavvyPlus+ has also introduced downloadable video files (.mov files and no DRM), which are iPod compatible! Take advantage of their Free Trial Offer and try the first week free. This poker training site has a nice mix of videos for the all-around pokerplayer. Other than sit-n-gos, (not much here) there is a nice selection for each game type. The skill level ranges from low stakes to high stakes, though there are more high stakes videos than most sites. PokerSavvyPlus+ also features one of the most popular poker players,Mike "The Mouth" Matusow. This is great for those Omaha and mixed game players. Visitors can take advantage of the PokerSavvyPlus+ free 7 day trial.

TestYourPoker: (http://www.testyourpoker.com/poker/go.php?r=5614&i=l0)

Test Your Poker is not a training site in the traditional sense of the word. The site is designed to analyze your games strengths and weaknesses by offering a comprehensive "Poker IQ" test. The test has you run through 50 poker hands in a ring game scenario. Your poker skills are then tested and analyzed in over 30 categories. Such as: Correct hand selection, Correct actions (bet/raise/check/fold), Correct bet/raise size, Play from the Blinds, Play from different positions, Pot odds, Aggressiveness/Passive Play, Blind stealing, Adjusting for previous action in the hand, Adjusting for previous action at the table, Using your play on prior streets to your advantage, Playing in raised pots, Slow playing, Check-raising, Bluffing, Defending against aggressive play, Knowing when to push All-in, Understanding opponent's tendencies, Understanding opponent's stack size, Pot control, Playing too "fancy", Pre-flop play, Flop play, Turn play, River play, plus many other subcategories of the above skills. You have to be a paying member to receive the Domination Poker Analysis and Training Program, which lays out your results in a 30 page help manual. The analysis explains your strengths and weaknesses in relation to the test you took online with a detailed plan assessing your game in 12 main skill areas. They will also provide you with detailed training documents about three more specific areas where you could improve your game the most. I have not seen my analysis yet, but I think I might give it a go soon. Going to keep digging deeper for now, but if anyone has any info on this site and its analysis, we would love to hear it.

PokerZion.com: (http://pokerzion.com?af=MPTs&bn=1)

PokerZion boasts a unique hands-on approach where members are assigned to their very own professional poker player. These professional poker players will mentor and guide members through the Iron Lion training. Members will be initially assessed through a questionnaire where their holes will be assessed and taken into account in their training. Members are then provided learning modules and will be tested on theory and practice. It doesn’t just stop with reading as members will also be exposed to various learning videos where they will be placed right in the middle of the action, applying all the theory and concepts they’ve learned. PokerZion is great for the beginning to intermediate NLHE poker player. While the site is still relatively new, they are expanding rapidly. This site will be a good fit for the right player.The price is right with some excellent quality and more on the way. Go check them out.

The Ultimate Mac Poker Tool: Poker Academy Pro 2.5

jd — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:31:00 GMT

Here is the best in Mac Poker training software. Poker Academy Pro is a MacPokerTools "Must Have" program for any player, novice to pro, looking to improve their poker game. With poker training software like this, you can probe your game like never before, gauge your progress, plus find and fix your weaknesses. Poker Academy Pro is fun to use, but is no game. This is a powerful tool that can help you earn money at the tables. There is no other piece of Mac software out there that has the power to be able to improve your game like this one. In an industry dominated by the PC, where all Macs seem to get are hand-me-downs. Its so refreshing to have a product that works seamlessly and is on par with what is available in poker today. Not only is Poker Academy Pro on par but, it's truly a first class program at the top of its game. Lucky for us, its game is teaching you to be at the top of yours. If you are not familiar with this program, I suggest you keep reading. I have used this software for a few years now, and don't know where I would be with out it. I have all the tournaments I play regularly "programmed" in, and drill on them constantly. All the while, I'm tweaking the settings to get the simulation as close as possible to those real tables I play at. The more you practice the more you will get out of this program. As you play you have the Sidebar feeding you stats like, hand strength, potential, and pot odds. The more and more you play the more these stats embed themselves into your mind and play. There are also pop up advisers to warn you and correct any mistake you are thinking of making. Not to mention the programmable Hand Adviser on the Sidebar too. Poker Academy Pro is installed on your hard drive so you can play about anywhere. I travel a lot, and use it constantly in the air, and while waiting in terminals, its perfect. When I am feeling weak in certain areas I use the custom functions to keep repeating whatever situation I am feeling weak on at the time. Then I drill on it till I'm comfortable. Trust me, this is a tool everyone should not be without.
Where this poker software really excels is in its Bots artificial intelligence. I cannot stress the abilities of these bots enough. If the bots were playing a static set of rules, there would be ways to manipulate and take advantage of them. Not these bots. Poker Academy Pro features the best poker bots developed in any poker software. They will adapt to your play and learn from your moves. This means if you like to bluff too much, they will know this. If you fold too often to a big bet on the turn they will exploit that too. There are several kinds of bots. There are bots specifically used for Limit, and No-Limit poker. Some of theses bots are programmed to use theories on poker espoused by David Sklansky, T. J. Cloutier, Darse Billings and other game theorists. Not to mention bots based on pros like Gus Hanson, Daniel Negreanu, and Doyle Brunson to name a few. What makes these bots so special besides AI, is you can also adjust the settings of the Bots as well. This is tremendously helpful in making your poker simulation as real as possible. The AI in this software was developed by the University of Alberta's world renown Computer Poker Research Group. Their latest bot Polaris, nearly beat the pros Phil Laak and Ali Eslami. This all happened at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. You can see the Man vs. Machine challenge below.

The bots AI, along with the custom features of Poker Academy Pro enables you to accurately simulate any type of opponent, table type, game structure, scenario, and drill. The ring game setup has a wide array of variations available to test your skills. There are eighteen separate limit and no limit options available, including shorthanded play and heads up. The tournament area is just as thorough. There are setups available in limit and no-limit multi and single table simulations. Any of the tournament setups can be set to any specification, from number of players to buy-in. With the Zip button you can practice at over 200 hands per hour, enabling the game to be played lightning fast so you can get to your next hand. By playing over 200 hands an hour, you can skip over the dead time waiting for a playable hand, and instead work on all aspects of your game. The in-game adviser states action frequencies to help you hone your game. You can customize the adviser to teach you different styles of play, allowing you to experiment with the different poker images. Poker Academy Pro also features tools such as the Showdown Calculator, Hand Evaluator Tool, and a Poker Tutorial, all designed to aid in your Hold'em development. Poker Academy Pro is one of those computer simulators that can add that extra edge to your game, as well as get you heading in the right direction.

Poker Academy Online:
So you are ready to mix things up a little and play some real players? This is also the place to pit yourself against the latest bot, Polaris. Poker Academy's expansive and helpful online community deserves a whole section in itself. Poker Academy Online is by far the best place to learn online and is completely Mac compatible. First off, all the formats that you play are there, both Ring games and Tournaments. What makes Poker Academy Online so unique is the introduction of their exclusive online currency called PAX. You start at zero and slowly work to build up your bankroll, as you would with real cash. This hard work gives value to the PAX, and makes you and your opponents play harder. Thus simulating real money play better than any other play money site can. Once you get around 200PAX Play tightens up significantly, making for top notch analysis and play. You will also be rated, so play right and watch your ratings go up. Its not easy, yet can be extremely addictive. The best part of Poker Academy Online is the community of players there. Players take pride in the community, and are focused on learning, and keeping play top notch. All this without having to spend a dime, you can't beat that. Players log onto the Poker Academy Forums to share everything of interest from general poker chat and ongoing poker news to customizing Poker Academy and product suggestions. Overall, Poker Academy Pro is well worth the investment, and will have long term beneficial effects on your game. But, don't take it from me, you can see yourself. Click on any of the links above. You will find Poker Academy's site user friendly, along with a wealth of information and reviews. There is also a free trial available to download, so you may try before you buy. Give it a shot, you will thank me for it. Keep checking back as I am writing an article on how to use this program and all its stats to the fullest. Subscribe to MacPokerTools and receive the info as it arrives. You will not want to miss it. Enjoy!

                                    Download Poker Academy Pro Today and Try it for Free
                                                     (http://www.poker-academy.com)

Polaris Man vs. Machine Competition:

On July 3-6 a lineup of elite players from Stoxpoker.com, an internet poker training site, went head to head with the latest version of Polaris, a poker AI designed by the University of Alberta’s Computer Poker Research Group (http://poker.cs.ualberta.ca/). The match was held at the 2008 Gaming Life Expo, just next door to this year’s World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The format for the tournament was 6 matches of one on one limit hold’em. Each match consisted of two humans playing against the computer in separate locations, and the contest used a “duplicate” format wherein the set of cards dealt during the match would be the same at both teammates’ tables. At one location a human would play one side of the cards, and in the other location his teammate would play the opposite side of the cards. After 500 hands the winner was determined by whether the humans or the AI had the highest net score. This duplicate format greatly helped to reduce the short-term element of luck and make the matches a much truer contest of skill.

After the first five matches the tournament was tied at 2 wins for the humans, 2 for Polaris, and 1 tie (according to the rules of the tournament a win of less than 25 “small bets,” the betting unit on the early streets in limit hold’em, would be declared as a tie). That meant that the last match of the tournament would also be the tie-breaker, and to add to the dramatic element Polaris’ last set of opponents was arguably the strongest. Polaris won the match in convincing fashion, winning both sides of the duplicate match for a net win of 90 small bets. This gave Polaris a final record of 3-2-1, and provided the CPRG with their first win over human opponents. The CPRG had created a similar event last year against professionals Phil Laak and Ali Eslami where Polaris finished with a final record of 1 win, 2 losses, and 1 tie.

Mac Poker Game: Imagine Poker 3

jd — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:31:00 GMT

If you are looking for a fun yet challenging offline Mac poker game, look no further, because here it is. Imagine Poker 3 is the latest version of Candywriter's popular Imagine poker series. If you are familiar with Imagine poker 2.2, you will find many upgrades in Imagine Poker 3. First and foremost are the enhanced 3D graphics. These guys did a great job improving the overall look and feel of the game. They also added 6 lavish new venues for which to play in, along with 4 new opponents to play against. With these improved graphics, the characters are able to take on a life of their own. Reacting to game play as you go along, they will keep you guessing whether their reaction was a bluff or genuine. For me, this greatly improves the experience, and even had me trash talking to a few opponents as well.. The improved liveliness of the characters would not mean as much if there was not a strong AI(Artificial Intelligence) foundation from which they are generated. Each of the characters enjoy varying degrees of skill in topics like: mathematics, aggressiveness, tightness, deception, analysis of others, poker understanding, etc. With this advanced AI, the developers were able to create a diverse, realistic, and challenging set of opponents for you to play against. This game truly has something for everyone, and can be appreciated by players at any level. I have to admit I enjoy the different characters, and the trivial facts presented throughout the game. Poker Ghost is also available to click and find your mathematical odds at any time too. With a $19.95 lifetime registration key, you will be hard pressed to find a better simulation at that price. You don't have to take it from me, you can try it for FREE. Download it now, and have some fun!

Features:
*20 iconic computer opponents with unique playing styles.
*Play Limit, Pot Limit, or No Limit Hold 'Em.
*Choose your dealer between Charlotte and Chae Rin.
*6 different rooms to play in.
*Create your own custom game!
*Build your own character from any country in the world.
*Save your game and continue later!
*Learn more about the real characters in the game with historical trivia.
*Change the style of deck as you like.
*Turn on speech commentary and listen to your favorite Mac voice dictate your game (Mac version only).
*Turn on or off poker table sound effects.
*Watch out for Dracula. You may face "stiffer" opposition when
you play Imagine Poker late at night.
*Click on Poker Ghost to find out your mathematical odds at any time.
*Turn on a feature to always show the hand of the winning computer player after you have folded.
*Keyboard shortcuts to speed up play.
*Fast forward option to jump to the next hand after you fold.

Download and Play Imagine Poker 3:
(http://www.candywriter.com/imaginepoker.html)

Software available to run Windows on your Mac

jd — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 01:09:00 GMT

So you want to play at another site, or use software that is not mac compatible, eh? While I'm too stubborn at the moment to make the switch. Here is some of the latest info regarding running windows on your mac.

There are a number of options available for Mac players at the moment:

Crossover for Macs by CodeWeavers: (http://www.codeweavers.com/products/) A lot of people are using this to get Poker Tracker 3 running on their Macs see this thread for help on that (http://www.pokertracker.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=729)

Bootcamp by Apple:
(http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/)

Parallels Desktop for Mac ($79, with a free trial version available)
(http://www.parallels.com/)

VMware Fusion ($79, with a free trial version available)
(http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/)

Here is a great thread for playing poker via VMware Fusion: (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/48/computer-technical-help/some-tips-playing-poker-mac-vmware-474204/)

Please feel free to post your experiences with any of this software.

A way to stop the Freezes in some PowerBooks

jd — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:49:00 GMT

My wifes Powerbook (1.67 GHz Power PC G4) has been freezing intermittently for the past year. We performed the standard fixes/tests, to varying degrees of success, or lack thereof.. I came across this thread at mac.com, which has totally sorted us out. Thought I would pass this along. (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=436503&tstart=165) All you have to do is install CHUD tools, they should be available on your computer. Go To: Applications> Installers> Xcode Tools> Packages> CHUD.pkg Install this, and restart. Now when you go to your system preferences you will see a Processors button on the bottom. You click this and disable "Allow Nap". This has solved our problems. If you shutdown or restart your computer you will need to disable "allow Nap" in your preferences. There are some people who have written scripts that does this automatically and can be found in this thread as well. Hope this helps.

EZ method to learn how to Calculate your odds

jd — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:31:00 GMT

I know this site is dedicated to mac software, but sometimes you need to start with the basics to build a solid foundation. I am going to write a few articles on poker strategy to help keep you guys on your toes, and on the right track. I even made a few easy to follow charts to help you on your way. With my version of Mac Poker Pro unusable at the moment, I have had to rely more on my old skills of calculating the odds. If you don't know how to calculate your odds, now is a great time to start. This is need to know information, and the quickest and best way to improve your poker game online or in the casino, bar none. Learning how to properly count your outs and calculate poker odds is a fundamental requirement of Texas Hold'em.(Period!) While the math used to calculate odds might seem difficult at first, it really isn't as hard as it looks. You don't have to implement everything at once either, take it a step at a time and really watch your play improve. I have it broken down in the easiest possible way to get the beginners started. This can be an extremely complex task with many nuances. Please read one of the many books on the subject to really hone your skills after you pick up the basics. The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky and Harrington on Hold'em Vol. 1 by Dan Harrington are great places to start. Start Now, you will be amazed how quickly you will pick this up with a little practice.

The first thing you need to learn is counting your number of outs.

Calculating Outs:
Learning to calculate outs is a simple concept, and with a little practice it will become second nature. An "out" is a term used to describe how many cards are left in the deck that can improve your hand. For example, let’s say you hold two hearts in your hand, and the board also contains two hearts. At this point you have four cards to a flush. Assuming you have no pair and your opponent does, you will need to make your flush on the turn or the river to win the hand. All the remaining spades in the deck will give you a flush and will win the hand for you. Thus, those spades are considered your "outs". There are 13 hearts in the deck, 2 of which are in your hand, and 2 of which are on the board. Therefore, there are 9 hearts left in the deck, leaving you with 9 outs. Or... let's say you're holding Q-J and the board reads K-10-5. Leaving you with an open-ended straight draw. Either an Ace or a nine will complete your straight. Since there are four nines and four Aces in the deck, you have 8 outs. Now that you understand this, practice as you play, and you will see how quickly you pick this up. You are now ready for the next step.

Calculating Hand Odds:
Now that you know your number of outs, we can now determine the odds of improving your hand. The simplest way to start doing this is using the rule of 4.
1. After the flop determine the number of outs you have.
2. Multiply that number by 4
3. This is your percentage of catching one of your outs.
4. After the turn you multiply your outs by 2.

Calculating Pot Odds:
Most players can figure out their odds of winning fairly easily. It won't take long to figure out the odds to drawing for a flush, hitting trips with your pocket pair, or even the odds that your pair will hold up. But, does this mean that you should always bet when you’re in the lead or fold when you’re behind? Absolutely not. This is where Pot odds begin to have an affect on how you should be playing your cards. Pot odds will help you determine when you should go for the draw, and when you should just fold your hand, i.e. telling you whether there is enough money in the pot to justify chasing the big hand or not. So here we go. Pot odds are simply the ratio of the amount of money in the pot to how much money it costs to call. If there is $100 in the pot and it takes $10 to call, your pot odds are 100:10, or 10:1. If there is $50 in the pot and it takes $10 to call, then your pot odds are 50:10 or 5:1. The higher the ratio, the better your pot odds are. The relationship of your hands odds and pot odds becomes very apparent when you start comparing the two. As we now know, in a flush draw, your odds for making your flush are 1.9 to 1. Let's say you're in a hand with a nut flush draw and it's $5 to you on the flop to call. Do you call? Your answer should be: What are my pot odds? If there is $15 in the pot plus a $5 bet from an opponent, then you are getting 20:5 or 4:1 pot odds. This means that, in order to break even, you must win 1 out of every 5 times. However, with your flush draw, your odds of winning are 1 out of every 3 times! You should quickly realize that not only are you breaking even, but you're making a nice profit on this in the long run. Your ability to memorize or calculate your hand odds and pot odds will lead you to make many of the right decisions in the future, just be sure to remember that fundamental principle of profitably playing drawing hands requires that your pot odds are greater than your hand odds. I'm going to leave it here for now, as this is a lot to take in. Don't stop now, keep practicing. I promise the more you practice the better and faster you will become. I've made a couple of EZ charts to reference as you play. Enjoy!

Guide To Reading Poker Copilot Stats. Improve Your Game, Plus Learn More About Your Opponents

jd — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:31:00 GMT

This guide is here to help teach the beginning mac holdem player learn how to use Poker CoPilot to its fullest potential. Tracking software like this allows you to pinpoint areas of weakness in your own game, and find exploitable weaknesses in your opponents. Being able to understand what the stats mean is a crucial step towards improving your overall performance. Learn how to use the real time stats against your opponents. Who is playing too tight or too loose at your table? Who is weak or strong? Poker CoPilot tracks all the relevant statistics allowing you to adjust your game accordingly. This makes it much easier for you to make better decisions based on accurate information.

This guide is meant to be a starting point for beginners, and is subject to your own interpretation. There are no hard and fast rules when using tracking software, as this is just a tool. When analyzing your opponents, tracking software works best in conjunction with your own live reads and observations. Don't stop paying attention! It must be noted that the more hands you have recorded,the more accurate your stats will be. It is generally accepted that 10,000 hands recorded is the starting point for accurate statistical analysis. So please don't read too far into the stats while they are building, as short term variances will have a higher than normal effect.Please feel free to submit your comments and ideas to improve this guide for all. Enjoy!

Lets start with the basics by knowing whether you are a winning or a losing player. With the Big blinds won/100 hands, $ won/100 hands and Total winnings stats. Do you know where you stand overall? While basic, this is one of the most important things for you to know. Poker Copilot displays this for you in three ways, the easiest indicator to read is the Total Winnings amount. Its not hard to miss whether you are winning or losing. Take it a step further and use the $ Won/100 Hands Chart to see if there are any trends to more profitable days and times than others. Playing at these times can only help you in the long run.

Flops Seen is one of those numbers that is relative to the game structure, table size, and the style you are playing. A larger number generally equals looser play. While this can be acceptable for micro/fixed limits, small tables, and those comfortable in an aggressive playing style. For beginning purposes, players looking to start to improve basic performance should be around 20-30% Flops Seen. Tournament players generally should be on the tighter end, even down to 15% is acceptable. While Ring players are allowed to be a little looser and can go as high as40%+ safely.

% Voluntarily Put Money in Pot(VP$IP): This statistic is how often you put money into the pot when you have nothing in the pot so far. In general, you only want to be playing hands when they'll make you money in the long term. Only some of the possible starting hands are profitable, so you'll be folding much more often than calling or raising. In general, a VP$IP% of 16-24% is considered reasonable, with 16% being tight, and 24% being somewhat loose. Once you reach 50-75 hands on an opponent, you can start to make determinations as to how tight/loose they are playing. You want to seek out players that have VPIP's above 40%. One weakness/leak we can track/fix using this stat is if you are playing aggressively enough pre-flop. First divide the PFR% (Pre-Flop Raise %) by the VP$IP. If you get a number smaller than 0.5, you're not playing aggressive enough. A general guideline is that you should raise at least half the hands you play, from every position on the table.

Using VP$IP can also be helpful in trying to put starting hand ranges on your opponents. With a lower VP$IP you can imagine your opponent only playing their premium hands, where a player with a higher VP$IP can be in with a much looser range.

Pre-flop raise% This is the % of times a player raises pre-flop. Raising pre-flop gives you a few advantages. First, it gets opponents to fold. No matter what cards they fold, your odds of winning the hand increase. It may even force a better hand to fold, in which case you've made a major upset. Raising can also clear out opponents in front of you, giving you better position for the rest of the hand. In general, raising between 9% and 13% of the time is reasonable. A percentage below that is too weak, and a percentage above that is too reckless. When reading the Pre-flop raise% on your opponents during game play, you will want to respect the Pre-Flop raises more from the tight, passive players and less from the more aggressive.

Post-flop aggression % ("Aggression frequency")This indicates how aggressive you or your opponents are, post-flop. It is calculated by counting the number of hands in which you've either bet or raised, and dividing this by the number of hands in which you've either bet,raised, called, or folded, and multiplying by 100. The higher this number, the more aggressively you are playing. A good number to be around would be at least 40%. If it’s not,you’re probably giving up too soon on your good hands, and that will cost you money in the long run. Note that this measure must be interpreted in combination with Flops Seen. Players who see very few flops will naturally tend to have a higher aggression %because they are only playing top-quality hole cards.

Blind stealing attempts% This indicates how often you attempt to steal the blinds when you had the opportunity to do so. Poker Copilot considers that you have a blind-stealing opportunity when you are "on the button" (last before the blinds to make an action), and every player so far has folded. An attempt to steal the blinds is when you raised when given a blind-stealing opportunity. A good player attempts to steal the blinds often, but not always.A good number to shoot for should be around 30%, with a minimum of 20% and a max of 38%.

Check raise% This percentage measures the number of times you have check raised in a hand. A general percentage to shoot for is 0.70%. You should be above 0.50% and under 2%.

Went to showdown% This is a measure of how often you were still in the action when the hand went to showdown. Showdown occurs when the final round of betting is complete and at least two players are still in. WTSD% should be around 25-30% range for Full Ring Tables, and around 33-40% for 6maxgames, but will vary depending on your table. Tournament numbers should be a little tighter.

A player with higher than normal WTSD% generally makes them a calling station. These are the players which you should be RELENTLESSLY VALUE BETTING! If you fall into this category, you need to look at what hands you are showing down and why. You are most likely giving too much value to your marginal holdings, and not showing enough respect to some of your opponents raises.

Players with real low WTSD% stats are the weak-tight opponents. These players fold way too much and basically play fit or fold poker. There are two general categories which these players fit in.The first are the players that see many flops, but give-up on the turn frequently. Against a player like this, you should be more prone to fire that extra barrel or value bet smaller holdings with the intent of it being the last money you put into the pot. The other type of player is the one that just gives up or folds too much in general. These often fit into the sub 15 VPIP category, but not always. You should be opening up your steal ranges and continuation betting almost all the time against them. When these players get to the river though, you should be careful as these players tend to showdown solid hands.

Won at showdown% This stat indicates how often you won a hand in a showdown. It is calculated as a percentage of all hands in which you went to showdown. A good range for W$SD is usually 50-55%. If your W$SD is much higher than 55%, you are probably folding to much. Likewise, you are probably calling down too much ifthis number is much lower than 50%.

Won Without Showdown% This indicates how often you won a hand without going to showdown because all other players folded. It is calculated as a percentage of all hands played. A good percentage to have is around 35%. If you are not reaching 35% there are three possible leaks you need to examine. 1) You are playing too many marginal hands. It is one thing to speculate here and there but too much is no good. 2) You are getting blown off too many hands by aggression. Remember, most flops miss most players. 3) You are not winning pots based on position and are not continuation betting enough.

The information found in the Hands Summary tab can also help you find hand weaknesses in your poker game. You want to find the starting hands where you are losing the most, evaluate your play, and figure the best way to approach that particular situation. Being aware of these weak hands will help you as you encounter them during game play. Being ready to act correctly will turn those numbers right around. Using hand replayers like Flop Zoom, and drilling programs like Poker Academy Pro can be very handy in helping you find, evaluate, and attack these weaknesses more efficiently.

The Position summary is another great way to gauge your play. As we all know poker is a game of position. First thing to look at here is your VP$IP in each position. Your VP$IP should rise as you move up towards the button. Simply put, you should be playing more hands in position. Your Preflop raise% should be following the same trend.

Using the on table HUD

When using a HUD, you get an on table numerical look into the players we are up against. Poker CoPilot allows up to 6 customizable stats displayed.
What stats should you have displayed on your HUD? This is a personal decision, but I would suggest at minimum having VPIP/PFR/Agg, as well as TP. I personally include FBB, and WtS. You should feel free to change the stats on the fly as you probe your opponents statistically. Using the guidelines we went over before will now help you to determine the best way to play each player according to any holes or weaknesses you might find in their game. Don't forget that these are just stats and the best information you can have are your reads and observations during play.

This guide should give you a good starting point and solid foundation in evaluating your own and your opponents statistics. As you develop more you will find that these numbers will vary depending on your playing style, and the actual game you play. As you read and learn more and more about poker you will find these stats mentioned everywhere, and then will understand and be prepared to adjust accordingly.

Good Luck!

MacPokerTools Poker Tips

jd — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:34:00 GMT

When things seem to be constantly going bad, and you are on tilt from some crazy beat. You need to step back, focus, and remember what playing poker is all about. This list is here to remind you what truely matters, and not all the fancy stuff you see on tv. I have received loads of tips completely running the gamut, and printed the best ones below. Please keep them coming as we can make this a great resource. When you get a chance watch the first video below, its a really good one.

MacPokerTools Poker Tips:

Poker is a mind game. Play only when you are fresh and alert. Keeping the proper frame of mind will be the best thing you can do for your game.

You cannot win every game you play. Poker is a game that is measured over the long haul. Don't let a few bad days ruin you. Remember it happens to all of us. It only takes a few hours to wipe out months of patience and hard work.

Practice at, and play the various other poker games. Don't just play one type of game. Go ahead and try some 7 card stud or Omaha. This will help round out your overall knowledge of the games, while keeping things fresh and interesting. Experience will teach you more than anything, get out there and play.

Don't play in games that are above your skill level. If you are in over your head, just leave.

Take notes on the other players, especially pay attention to and notate the weaker players. Add them to your buddy list, it makes finding them much easier. It is a good idea to notate how each player plays as well. Come up with a system of notes or use the sites note option. Keep track if you notice someone playing Tight and Passive or Loose and Aggressive, or whatever trend you detect. If you notice a player who tends to fold to a reraise, or the aggressive player who likes to push when someone flat calls or checks. Write it down, it will only help in the future.

Turn on your sound. This sounds strange, but the psychological ramifications of being able to hear the bets cannot be overlooked.

Play with a four color deck if possible. It will be much harder to mistake your opponents flush draw when you are getting tired.

Spend time just watching games. Try to guess what every player has. Practicing this can do wonders for your game.

Know how to calculate your pot odds! This will help you online as well as in the casino. Every poker player who wants to win over the long haul needs to know this.

Table selection is extremely important in being a winning player. Most online poker rooms display table statistics in their lobby. These stats will show the average size of the pot, as well as the percentage of players seeing the flop. This free information is invaluable in selecting a profitable table. At low to mid limit poker tables you should look for tables with the highest average pot and the most players per flop. Thats usually is a good sign there are some wild players and some good action. With the higher limits, bad players are harder to come by. Open up a few tables at your limit and really scope out the action. See if you can find a player on tilt, or some below average players who are just looking to pay someone off. When joining ring games, wait for the Big Blind to come around to you. Be patient and watch the other players play before putting your money in.

Don't Bluff the short stacked players. Short stacks have little to lose and are eager to double up. They cant wait for premium hands like the larger stacks, forcing them to gamble more often with marginal hands. You can use this to your advantage by raising somewhat marginal hands preflop, but only when you feel comfortable calling an all in.

Read Poker books. If you are playing in tournaments, the Harrington on Hold’em series has to be part of your poker book collection. Each book contains easy to read and well diagrammed concepts helping you to understand his excellent strategy on winning No-Limit tournaments. All the Sklansky and Malmuth books from 2+2 are sure winners. For playing in your home game or at the local casino, Joe Navarro's book Read 'em and Reap, is a fun read with lots of great pointers on reading and deciphering your opponents tells.

Join a Poker Forum. There is tons of information, and people willing to help you with whatever you might need. Here is a list of some of the better sites mentioned.

2+2 Forum
Part Time Poker This site used to be know as Neverbeg.
Internet Texas Hold'em Forum
Card Player.com Forum

YouTube:
Here are a few tips I found on YouTube. Hope you like them.

Welcome to Mac Poker Tools!!

jd — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:37:00 GMT

Welcome to Mac Poker tools! Please kickback and relax, as you have found the latest offerings, tricks, tips, and tools available to Mac poker players. I created this site mainly because I was tired of scrounging around and searching just to find little bits and pieces of Mac related information and software across this vast internet. This site is here to alleviate all of that, making it a virtual depot of Mac related stuff and information. I will try offer and create as much free stuff and discounts as I can. Please see the free iCal Tournament Tracker, and Mods page for my latest offerings. Let me know if there is anything else you might like to see. All I ask, is if you like what I have, please use my bonus codes if you decide to try another site. It will give you the latest promotion at the site, and help me do the things I would like to do to improve MacPokerTools. I urge you to use the comments in the articles like a thread from a web forum. Please feel free to leave any feedback and pass on any information I might have missed. Also send in your comments and suggestions to help make this site a better place for you. Thank you, and good luck at the tables.

jon
info@macpokertools.com