Holdem ManagerIf you are going into battle you want to be equipped with the best tools to give you the highest chance of at least survival and at best a successful mission. The world of online poker is no different (unless you are playing for fun and not worried about losing the ‘entertainment money’), if you wish to become a successful poker player there is no substitute to having the best poker software tools available for analysis before, during and after play. Holdem Manager, developed by RVG Software, is the most recent addition to an already crowded poker software market and it can certainly be classified as ‘top grade equipment’ for the battle ahead and may even (with justification) be regarded as the new industry standard - forcing long established competitors to play ‘catch up‘. Holdem Manager is approved by all major poker rooms and allows you to import their hand history files and parses them into a database for future hand analysis of how you and your opponents play, split between cash games, tournaments and players. The huge number of statistics available, combined with an extensive list of filters, provides the user with enormous potential for detailed reporting, unlimited analysis and an ability to custom build your own ‘information warehouse’ of unique reports and graphs. There is a complete breakdown of hole cards, with analysis by position and situation for you and your opponents, as well as an ability to filter an almost unlimited number of options. There is also a facility to import and export player notes, allowing notes made during a game to be imported to HM and notes made during post game analysis to be exported to the poker site. There is a Heads Up Display (HUD) included for table overlay of a large selection of statistics and no restriction on the size of the database. The import speed is very fast and there are no information speed issues when multi-tabling. The HUD is very detailed and comprehensive, with the pop up window (showing key stats by position) a key feature. The ability to color code the statistics you have selected is very important in the fast moving online environment. Holdem manager hand replayer video The Hand Replayer is very clear, showing player stats and the allin % at each stage of the hand and can be played at any selected speed. The Cash Game Section shows every session with key statistics (including profit/loss) in summary and detail, by table, day or month, with additional filters to isolate and pinpoint keys hands or situations. There are 5 other tabs showing individual hands and preflop analysis, numerous reports, graphs and the ability to analyze performance against individual players. The Tournament Section has the ability to analyze results in the same way as the cash game section EXCEPT for the session and graphs tabs - which are still under development. It is impossible to analyze a MTT in total in isolation using the session tab or to isolate and identify key hands with ease. This is a major flaw in the product and (hopefully) will be remedied in the near future. The Players Section allows a detailed analysis of opponents using the numerous statistics and filters available. There is a report option to identify the players who fit certain criteria and the ‘Fish List’ report option is of particular benefit. The email support is fast and efficient, software bugs are dealt with quickly and the forum is browsed on a regular basis and queries responded to within hours. The main webpage design does need an upgrade, but that is just a personal preference.
Holdem Manager is available for $80 (Full Professional Version) or $55 (Small Stakes Version) with options to pay via Neteller, Paypal or playing a fixed number of hands on certain poker sites. If you buy the $55 version, you can upgrade to the Professional Version for $25 at a later date. If you are not sure about the product, a trial version is also available for a set time period. Ease of Use (9) Holdem Manager is very fast and easy to use, with excellent online instructions and a ‘point and click’ method making selections and Table Overlay/Report building very simple. Functionality (7) Holdem Manager functions well both for manual ‘folder’ input of session information or using the automatic import facility. There is a simple one click process between the various sections (reports, cash, tournaments, players,). The ability to filter information, reports and graphs is provided in an easy to use multiple choice ‘pick and mix’ format and the edit/delete function allows corrections to be made without any fuss. However the lack of Tournament Session and Graph functions is a serious (albeit short term) flaw in the software. Poker Relevance (10) Holdem Manager allows the user automatic access to key information before, during and after each session. There are excellent detailed and summary tables of key data, the graphs and reports are clear and the level of flexibility in the filter options is very logical and extremely powerful. It is potentially THE new industry standard in online poker software support for the individual player. Unique features (7) Holdem Manager provides many similar tables, charts and graphs to other products in the market. However the HUD overlay statistics - in particular the unique pop up positional stats - make the product an automatic buy on their own. The vast array of filters and statistics available make Holdem Manager the most comprehensive piece of kit on the market at this time. Software Compatibility (9) Holdem Manager is fully compatible with the vast majority of poker sites and the latest computers. It provides an ability to import raw session data manually or automatically at fast speeds. Data may be imported, exported and purged as required. Value for Money (10) Holdem Manager is, without question, excellent value for money. Overall (9) Holdem Manager is an excellent product and an essential requirement for any serious poker player, either as their first piece of software or in addition to other software they may already own. If the Tournament Session and Graph functions were operational, the overall rating would be a 10. | 
Holdem Manager
