Best Poker Tracking Software — HM3, PT4, Free Tools & HUD Setup

Last updated: May 13, 2026

Poker tracking software records and analyzes your hand histories to display real-time HUD statistics on opponents and identify leaks in your own game — it is the most widely used study tool by professional and semi-professional online players.

The two dominant options are Holdem Manager 3 (HM3, ~$100) and PokerTracker 4 (PT4, ~$100); both provide VPIP, PFR, 3-bet%, AF, and fold-to-c-bet statistics in real-time HUDs with hand filtering for off-table review.

This page covers the 5 best poker tracking tools (paid and free), the 8 most useful HUD stats, how to set up a basic HUD, and how to use database filters to find and fix specific leaks.

What Is Poker Tracking Software?

Every hand you play online generates a hand history file — a plain-text record of every action, bet size, and showdown result. Tracking software imports these files into a local database, then does two things:

Real-time HUD

An overlay on your table showing opponent statistics updated live as hands are played. At a glance you can see that the player in seat 3 folds to c-bets 71% of the time.

Off-table review

A database browser that lets you filter hands by street, position, action, stack depth, and more. This is where serious leak-finding happens.

Tracking software does not play poker for you or make decisions — it gives you data. What you do with that data is the work of study and in-game application. See our guide to studying with tracking software for a structured workflow.

The 5 Best Poker Trackers — Paid and Free

The market has consolidated around two paid leaders and a handful of capable free alternatives.

Holdem Manager 3

The 8 Most Useful HUD Stats

A HUD with 40 stats is noise. These eight give you actionable reads with the lowest sample-size requirements. For a deeper breakdown, see our HUD stats explained in depth page.

VPIP — Voluntarily Put $ In Pot

How often a player puts money in pre-flop voluntarily. 20–28% is typical for a solid reg. Very high = loose; very low = nitty.

1,000+ hands

PFR — Pre-Flop Raise %

How often they raise pre-flop. Should be close to VPIP for aggressive players. A large VPIP–PFR gap signals a calling station.

1,000+ hands

3-Bet % — 3-Bet Percentage

How often they 3-bet when facing an open. 6–9% is standard. Higher = aggressive; lower = exploitable by stealing their blinds.

3,000+ hands

Fold to 3-Bet — Fold to 3-Bet %

How often they fold to a 3-bet after opening. >65% makes them very exploitable. Raise their opens relentlessly with any two cards.

3,000+ hands

AF — Aggression Factor

Ratio of aggressive actions (bets + raises) to passive actions (calls). AF > 3 is aggressive; < 1 is passive/calling station.

2,000+ hands

Fold to C-Bet — Fold to Continuation Bet

How often they fold to a flop c-bet. >55% means you should c-bet nearly every flop against them regardless of your hand strength.

3,000+ hands

WTSD — Went to Showdown %

How often they reach showdown when seeing the flop. >35% = calling station — bluff less; <25% = over-folder — bluff more.

5,000+ hands

W$SD — Won $ at Showdown %

How often they win when they reach showdown. <48% means they call too loosely; >56% means they only show up with the nuts.

5,000+ hands

Setting Up Your First HUD

Both HM3 and PT4 follow the same four-step setup process.

1. Configure hand history path

In your poker client settings, enable hand history saving and point HM3/PT4 to that folder. The tracker monitors it in real time and imports every new hand automatically.

2. Import existing hands

Run a bulk import of your existing hand history folder. This builds your initial database — the more hands you import, the better your filters will work immediately.

3. Select a HUD layout

Start with the default 4-stat HUD (VPIP / PFR / 3-Bet% / Fold-to-CBet). Resist the temptation to add 20 stats immediately. You want numbers you can actually read and act on mid-hand.

4. Open the table and verify

Launch your poker client and sit at a table. Within seconds of the first hand completing, the HUD overlay should appear above each player's seat. If it doesn't, check that the correct poker site profile is active in HM3/PT4.

Using Database Filters to Find Leaks

The HUD is the in-game layer. Database filters are the study layer — and the more powerful of the two for improving your win rate. Your win rate tracking will show which spots are costing you money; filters let you isolate exactly those spots.

Filter example:
Position = BTN | Action = Raised preflop | Villain 3-bet = Yes
→ Review: are you calling too wide? Folding too much?
→ Compare your EV in this spot to solver output

Big blind defense

Filter: Faced open raise, position = BB. Check your fold %, call %, and 3-bet %. Compare VPIP to solver recommendations for your stake. This is one of the biggest leak areas for most players.

C-bet on wet vs dry boards

Filter: You were pre-flop raiser + saw a flop. Split by board texture. If your EV is deeply negative on wet boards, you may be c-betting too often against calling stations.

3-bet pots OOP

Filter: You 3-bet pre-flop + opponent called + you were out of position. If this line shows a large negative EV, your 3-bet sizing or post-flop play in these spots needs work.

Turn and river sessions

Use the Session Review tool after each session to quickly scan all hands where you had a large EV swing. Focus study time on the highest-EV-change spots, not simply the biggest pots.

For a structured workflow, see our session review guide with tracking data.

Which Sites Allow Tracking Software?

Site policy is the single most important factor before choosing a tracker. HUDs are only available online — and only where the site permits them.

PokerStars

Allowed

Full HUD and hand history export permitted. Largest player pool, most HH data.

888poker

Allowed

HUDs permitted. Hand histories exportable. Popular HM3/PT4 site.

ACR (Americas Cardroom)

Allowed

HUDs allowed. Strong US-facing player pool.

GGPoker

Restricted

Hand history export allowed but real-time HUD overlay is against ToS. HH review only.

PartyPoker

Banned

Tracking software and HUDs explicitly banned as of 2019.

Unibet

Banned

Anonymous tables — hand histories are not saved, making tracking impossible by design.

Tracking Software vs GTO Trainers — Which Do You Need?

These are complementary tools, not substitutes. They answer different questions:

Tracking Software (HM3 / PT4)

·Answers: What am I actually doing?
·Shows leaks in your real game data
·Opponent reads via HUD
·Volume-based statistical analysis
·Best for: fixing exploitable tendencies

GTO Trainers (GTO Wizard, Solver)

·Answers: What should I do?
·Provides optimal strategy baselines
·Range construction and frequencies
·Spot-specific analysis without hands data
·Best for: learning theoretically correct lines

Recommended workflow

Use tracking software to find which spots are costing you money (e.g., "I'm losing 12bb/100 in BTN vs BB 3-bet pots"), then take that spot into a GTO trainer to understand the theoretically correct approach. This loop — find the leak, study the fix — is how serious online players improve. See our poker study guide for the full framework.

Definitions

HUD (Heads-Up Display)

An overlay displayed directly on the poker table in your browser or client that shows real-time statistics for each opponent, pulled from your hand history database. Statistics update as new hands are played.

VPIP (Voluntarily Put $ In Pot)

The percentage of hands in which a player voluntarily puts money in pre-flop — by calling, raising, or completing the small blind. Excludes posting blinds. The most fundamental indicator of a player's looseness.

PFR (Pre-Flop Raise %)

The percentage of hands in which a player raises pre-flop. When compared to VPIP, the gap between them reveals how passive or aggressive a player is before the flop.

Hand History

A text file generated by an online poker site after each hand, recording every action, bet size, pot size, and player card at showdown. Tracking software imports these files into a database for analysis.

Database Filter

A query applied to your hand history database to isolate specific situations — for example, all hands where you 3-bet from the button, or all spots where you faced a river raise. Filters are the primary tool for finding leaks.

Leak Finder

A built-in feature in HM3 and PT4 that compares your stats to population benchmarks and flags situations where your win rate deviates significantly from expected — indicating a strategic weakness or 'leak'.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is poker tracking software?

Poker tracking software imports hand histories from online poker sites, stores them in a local database, and analyzes them to display opponent statistics (HUD) in real time at the table and to help you review your own play off the table. The leading tools are Holdem Manager 3 and PokerTracker 4.

What is the best poker HUD software?

Holdem Manager 3 (HM3) and PokerTracker 4 (PT4) are the two industry standards, both priced around $100 as a one-time purchase. HM3 is generally preferred by cash game players for its flexible HUD; PT4 has a slight edge for tournament players due to its MTT-specific filters. Hand2Note is a strong free alternative with advanced range HUD features.

Is poker tracking software allowed on all sites?

No. PokerStars and 888poker officially allow HUD software. GGPoker allows basic hand history export but has restrictions on real-time HUDs. Many recreational-focused sites such as PartyPoker and Unibet ban tracking software entirely. Always check a site's terms before using a HUD.

What HUD stats should beginners display?

Start with four stats: VPIP, PFR, 3-Bet%, and Fold to C-Bet. These four numbers alone let you classify most opponents as tight/loose and aggressive/passive, which is enough to make better decisions at low and mid stakes. Avoid cluttering your HUD with 20+ stats early — you won't have time to process them in-game.

How many hands do you need for reliable HUD stats?

VPIP and PFR are reliable after roughly 1,000 hands. 3-Bet% and Fold to 3-Bet% need 3,000+ hands. AF and Fold to C-Bet need 2,000–3,000 hands. Later-street stats like WTSD and W$SD require 5,000–10,000+ hands before you can act on them confidently. With fewer hands, treat each stat as a directional hint, not a certainty.

Can you use tracking software for live poker?

No — tracking software requires digital hand histories that only online poker sites generate. Live poker hands are not recorded in any machine-readable format. The closest live equivalent is manually taking notes on opponents and using a HUD during online sessions to build pattern recognition you can apply by memory at live tables.

Best Poker Tracking Software — HM3, PT4, Free Tools & HUD Setup

What Is Poker Tracking Software?

The 5 Best Poker Trackers — Paid and Free

The 8 Most Useful HUD Stats

Setting Up Your First HUD

Using Database Filters to Find Leaks

Which Sites Allow Tracking Software?

Tracking Software vs GTO Trainers — Which Do You Need?

Definitions

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Topics