How to Choose a Poker Tracker: 8 Things to Check

There are many ways to record poker results: a notebook, a spreadsheet, a general budgeting app, a dedicated poker tracker. No single choice is right for everyone, but a few questions are worth settling before you start — because once you have six months of data, switching tools is a nuisance.

Where we stand: this article is written by SoHa, and SoHa is itself a poker tracking app. We have tried to keep the criteria neutral. At the end we say separately which of them SoHa meets and which it does not yet, so you can judge for yourself.

1. How long does one entry take?

This matters most. A record is valuable when it is complete, and it is complete only if you log every session. If an entry takes more than thirty seconds, or can only be done at a computer, you will start missing sessions sooner or later. Try it for real: from opening the tool to saving an entry, how many taps and how many fields?

2. Are the essential fields there?

At minimum you need date, total cost, prize, hours and currency (the reasons are in what to track after every session). Also check:

• Can cost include re-entries and add-ons?
• Are hours optional? Sometimes you simply did not note the time, and the tool should still let you save.
• Is there a notes field?

3. Are the statistics the ones you need?

Tools differ widely in what they emphasise. Decide which questions you want answered, then see whether the numbers are there:

• Basics: net result, ROI, ITM rate, hourly rate.
• Trends: a long-term results curve, month and year comparisons.
• Segments: filtering by format, venue and period.

Pay attention to how things are calculated too. Does hourly rate exclude sessions with no hours? Does ROI cost include the fee? A number with an opaque method is of limited use.

4. How are multiple currencies handled?

If you may ever play abroad, check that the tool records currencies separately and how it converts for statistics. Some tools simply add figures in different currencies together, which produces a meaningless total. See tracking poker abroad for the underlying ideas.

5. Can you export your data?

Many people regret not checking this. Your records are your asset and you should be able to take them with you at any time. Confirm:

• Can you export to CSV or a spreadsheet format?
• Does the export include every field?
• Is export free, or behind a paywall?

A tool you cannot export from is a tool you are locked into.

6. Where does the data live, and could it vanish?

• Sync and backup: are your records still there on a new phone? Stored locally or in the cloud?
• Account: is sign-up required? Can you delete the account and all its data?
• Privacy policy: what is collected, is anything shared with third parties, is there ad tracking? This should be stated plainly.

Your win and loss history is fairly personal information. Two minutes reading the privacy policy is time well spent.

7. Do you need multi-player features?

If you only track yourself, skip this. But if you share action with friends or play in a regular team, whether the tool can hold one shared record and settle by share automatically decides how much time you spend reconciling each month. A spreadsheet can do it too, though the upkeep grows quickly with the number of people (see staking and team profit splits).

8. Price and business model

Someone has to maintain the tool, so free usually means ads or a subscription for advanced features. Neither is wrong, but know in advance:

• What does the free tier limit — number of entries, history window, statistics?
• What does the subscription cost, and can you cancel at any time?
• If you stop subscribing, can you still see your existing data?

The checklist

Where SoHa sits on this list

Since we wrote the article, we should hold ourselves to the same list:

• Entry speed: designed around logging quickly as you leave the table. The main fields are buy-in, cash-out and duration.
• Statistics: win rate, ROI, hourly rate and a long-term results curve.
• Multi-player: teams are supported, with settlement calculated by each member's share.
• Export and deletion: you can export a CSV from within the app and clear all your records.
• Language and sync: Traditional Chinese and English, with records synced when you sign in on a new phone.
• Price: free with ads. A SoHa Plus subscription removes most ads and unlocks additional features.
• Current limits: iOS only for now, and the range of supported currencies is still limited.

Whether it suits you depends on which of the eight points you care about most. To compare with the spreadsheet route first, see spreadsheet or app.