Poker Software and Analysis

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Poker Crusher
• Category: Poker Tracking Software
• License Pricing: From $4.95 per month, or free with Poker Room signup

About

Poker Crusher is an interesting Poker program that provides users with real time statistics on their opponents.

Unlike similar programs, it does does not track the data on the user's machine or import hand histories. Instead, it uses a vast centrally shared database that is maintained by the vendor's computer farm. This means that users immediately have a vast amount of data at their disposal, and do not need spend any time gathering and maintaining data.

Installation

The test system was a Dell Studio laptop running Windows Vista Business edition. The initial installation failed using a non-admin account, and would not work by running the installation account with "Run as Administrator". The installation was straightforward when performed via the system's Adminstrator account.

Similarly, the main application would only run on the Admin account. This may be of slight concern to more security conscious players who multi-task and surf the internet while playing. However, there are solutions to this, and at PSA we have been trying to get around the issue by running Poker Crusher on a clean Virtual PC build.

Interface and Features

Interface

Poker Crusher's interface makes efficient use of desktop space

Poker Crusher has a simple straightforward interface which is fairly intuitive and makes efficient use of valuable desktop space.

The main window is tall and narrow - perfect for placing discretely at the side of the screen, leaving the bulk of the display available for Poker tables.

Main Window

The main window contains most of the statistical data. It allows users to perform a player search, set filters, make player notes, and view more detailed statistics about individual players.

The filters are of particular use for restricting results to a specific game type or table size. This is important because many players will have different characteristics depending on what sort of game they are playing. For example, many players will have different VPIP values for short and short handed games.

The statistics area contains a separate tab for each betting round, along with a Keystats tab for more general statistics. The thing that makes Poker Crusher stand out from the competition is the large sample sizes available for so many players.

Poker Crusher can have thousands, or even tens of thousands of hands, for individual players. These large sample sizes enable users to have more confidence in Poker Crusher's results. Also, sample sizes are always shown for each statistic, allowing users to estimate their potential accuracy.

For example, "Phil Ivey" is listed as having a VPIP of 53.90%. Which is 5,213 flops from 9,671. Generating the 95% confidence bounds, we get lower and upper bounds of 52.9% and 54.9% respectively. That is a very tight range, and allows the user to more confidently asset that Phil is a loose player.

Auto Table Lookup Window

The second window is the Auto Table Lookup window. It shows a colourised summary of the players at each Poker table that the user has open.

This makes it easy to assess many tables' characteristics with a quick glance. It is also assists with seating selection, allowing users to quickly identify, and hopefully avoid, opponents with undesirable characteristics.

For example, many players prefer not to sit immediately before (i.e. to the right of) aggressive players, as it increases the chances of their bets being raised. Also, sitting immediately after (i.e. to the right of) aggressive players makes it easier to avoid them. There are many table seating strategies, and Poker Crusher's Auto Table Lookup window makes it a lot easier to implement them.

The Head Up Display

When a Poker table is openned, Poker Crusher will also overlay the table with a customisable table of statistics next to each player. These are more detailed than the brief colour codes in the Auto Table Lookup Window, thus helping users find and identify opponents' specific leaks from each betting round.

While not as detailed as the statistics area from the Main Window, it allows users to easily view key statistics for each of their opponents.

Conclusion

Poker Crusher is an excellent tool for helping players identify their opponents' playing habits. Its key feature is its large central database, which gives users large hand histories for most of their opponents. It is therefore of great use to players of all levels, especially those who have trouble reading their opponents, or those who like to use statistics to give them an extra edge.

You can try out Poker Crusher yourself by visiting them here.

Pros

• A massive database - users do not need to do any data mining or wait for their tracking software to gather data.
• The Auto Table Lookup makes table and seating selection a lot easier.
• Sample sizes and observation counts are included, allowing users to include sampling errors in their analysis.

Cons

• Poker Crusher is not permitted by certain Poker rooms. Users should check their Poker room's terms and conditions before using it.
• Users can only search for players by name. Not for players matching certain criteria.
• Users cannot view how players' stats change over time. If opponents modify their strategies, then recent changes might not have a significant impact on the long term averages, thus leading to misleading results.