Before you play better, know your numbers.
SoHa guides: how ROI, hourly rate, ITM, variance, bankroll management and team profit splits actually work — one idea per article, with formulas and worked examples.
All guides
Poker Tournament Bankroll Management: How Many Buy-ins Do You Need?
Bankroll management isn't about playing scared — it's what keeps you in the game through the swings. Here's how to size your tournament bankroll, when to move down, and when taking a shot makes sense.
Read the guide →StatsHow to Calculate Poker ROI: Formula, Worked Example and Common Mistakes
ROI is the standard measure of tournament results, but many players get the cost side wrong or read too much into too few events. Here is the formula, how re-entries change it, and how to interpret the result.
Read the guide →StatsHow to Calculate Your Poker Hourly Rate (and Why You Should Log Hours)
The same profit over 100 hours and over 400 hours are very different results. Here is how hourly rate works, what to count as playing time, and how to use it to pick the events that suit you.
Read the guide →StatsITM vs ROI: Why Cashing Often Doesn't Mean You're Winning
A high ITM rate is not the same as a profit. Using two players side by side, this guide shows how ITM rate, average cash size and ROI fit together, and how to read the three numbers as a set.
Read the guide →StatsPoker Variance and Sample Size: How Many Events Before the Numbers Mean Something?
A 40% ROI over 50 events — does that make you a strong player? This guide uses simple statistics to show how large tournament variance is, how many events you need before trusting a figure, and how to think about losing streaks.
Read the guide →TrackingWhat to Track After Every Poker Session: Required and Optional Fields
Good records are not about tracking more — they are about tracking the same things every time. Here are the 5 fields you must log, 6 optional ones worth adding, and the habits that keep a log going.
Read the guide →Team splitsPoker Staking and Team Profit Splits: Shares, Markup and Settlement Examples
When several people fund tournament entries together, the hard part is rarely the cards — it is the accounting. This guide explains shares and markup, with full examples of who gets what on a win and on a loss.
Read the guide →TrackingThe True Cost of a Poker Tournament: Fees, Re-entries and Expenses
A $100 tournament can easily cost you $260. This guide breaks down every cost in an event, shows how the fee sets your break-even point, and explains how to record it so you do not overstate your results.
Read the guide →TrackingSpreadsheet or App for Tracking Poker Results? Column Layout and Formulas
A spreadsheet is free and flexible. An app is faster and harder to forget. This guide gives you a column layout and formulas you can copy, and explains which approach suits which kind of player.
Read the guide →MindsetPoker Tilt Control: Warning Signs and Stop-Loss Rules That Work
Most big losses are not about skill — they come from continuing to play in the wrong state. This guide covers the common signs of tilt, four stop-loss rules you can set in advance, and how to use your records to spot your own danger signals.
Read the guide →TrackingTracking Poker Abroad: Multiple Currencies, Exchange Rates and Travel Expenses
Buy-ins in dollars, hotels in local currency, a bankroll in your home currency — poker trips are where records fall apart. Here is a consistent method: which rate to use, how to handle expenses, and how to work out the result of a whole trip.
Read the guide →ReviewHow to Run a Monthly Poker Review: A 30-Minute Routine
Tracking is only step one — the value comes from looking back regularly. This guide gives you a 30-minute monthly routine: which numbers to check, which questions to ask, and what to take away.
Read the guide →TrackingHow to Choose a Poker Tracker: 8 Things to Check
The best tracker is not the one with the most features — it is the one you will use after every session. Here are 8 things to confirm when choosing a poker tracking app or spreadsheet, with a checklist at the end.
Read the guide →Running eventsHow to Design a Poker Tournament Blind Structure: Stacks, Levels and Timing
A tournament's structure decides how it plays and what time it ends. This guide covers starting stack depth, level length, blind increases and antes, and shows a simple way to estimate how long an event will run.
Read the guide →BasicsPoker Tournament Glossary: 40 Terms for Tracking and Events
What do re-entry, ITM, ICM and overlay actually mean? This glossary covers the 40 terms you meet most often in tournaments and results tracking, each with a plain-English explanation.
Read the guide →Just want the answer? Free calculators
Poker ROI, ITM Rate and Hourly Rate Calculator
Enter your entries, total cost and total prizes to get net profit, ROI, ITM rate, hourly rate and average cost per entry instantly. Free, no sign-up — handy for checking your tournament records.
Open the tool →Team splitsTeam Profit Split Calculator: Work Out Each Member's Amount by Share
Enter the team's total cost, total prizes and each member's share to see instantly what everyone receives or owes. Shares can be percentages or any ratio — the tool converts them for you.
Open the tool →BankrollPoker Tournament Bankroll Calculator: Which Level Can You Afford?
Enter your bankroll and cost per event to see how many buy-ins you have, the level that fits under aggressive, standard and conservative guidelines, plus your move-down line and shot cap.
Open the tool →Running eventsBlind Structure Generator: Estimate How Long Your Tournament Will Run
Enter the number of players, starting stack, level 1 big blind and level length to generate a smooth blind schedule and an estimate of the level and time at which the event will finish. Useful for clubs and venues planning a schedule.
Open the tool →