Okay, so how else do we maximize edge? Lots of ways, really. By selecting the tables and stakes we play at, and the time we play (e.g., I find that the lunch-time RUSH tables are twice as hard to beat as the late afternoon games). Heck, just selecting the right seat at a single table can have a big effect on our win rate for a session. Being prepared, not tilting, understanding the math... all of these things translate into edge. We also maximize edge by studying, reading, watching videos, discussing hands, blogging, etc.
On the table, we can improve our edge by paying attention and taking notes. Every little scrap of information we have on our opponents gives us an advantage when it comes to making a tough call or 3bet. Which brings me to the topic of Heads Up Displays (HUDs). I've been playing around a bit lately w/ the setup of my PT3 HUD, and I'm struggling to have the right balance of "too much versus too little information" displayed on the screen. Whether I'm single-tabling a $100NL Rush game, or playing 16 games of $10NL full-ring cash, having instantaneous, accurate information on the villains at my tables is paramount to making good decisions... but having a table filled with jumbled numbers that overlap each other and the action is actually detrimental to playing perfect poker. In other words, maximizing my HUD edge seems to boil down to finding just the right amount of information to make the most profitable decisions without getting overloaded with data.
I'm still experimenting with different layouts and displays, so don't assume that I've got all this figured out perfectly yet. That said, however, I do feel that I'm narrowing in on a reasonable solution, which involves minimizing both my on-screen data, and the pop-up data that is displayed.
For the on-screen player displays, I'm currently only displaying 6 items, which are arranged in three short rows. On the top row, I show the opp's VPIP and PFR, along with the number of hands of data I have. Each of these is color-coded in a way that makes sense to me in the heat of the battle. VPIPs greater than 30, for instance, get a "green for good" code. Similarly, a number of hands stat smaller than 20 gets a "red for danger" tag. I also have changed the font sizes for each of these stats; the VPIP and PFR numbers are displayed at a larger than average font size, while the #Hands stat is smaller than the default.
On the second line of the display are just two numbers: Attempt to Steal, and Fold to Steal. Again, I've color coded these for quick reference. For example, an FTS greater than 65% is green, which means I should attack the opp's blinds every chance I can. I've also tweaked the font size of these two numbers, too; the ATS is slightly smaller than normal (because I only look at it when I'm attacked in the blinds), while the FTS is slightly larger than the default (because I tend to steal a lot; i.e., I use this to stop me from stealing, rather than allowing me to in the first place).
On the third and final line of the HUD, I only show the villains name in a very small font size. Why this seemingly useless piece of data? Answer: because PT3 occasionally glitches and puts the wrong HUD stat on top of the player. PT3 also sometimes has trouble keeping up with 4 tables of Rush or 12+ tables of normal ring games, so this allows me to ensure I'm using the right data for the right villain. HUD information is only as good as its accuracy.
Oh, another thing I've changed is the transparency of the HUD displays. I.e., I've made the individual opp HUD stats more transparent than the default, so that I place them on and around the table without obscuring the opponents' stack and bet sizes. Knowing the amount of money left behind, stack-to-pot ratios, and commitment level of the opp is vital to making solid decisions; hiding this information behind HUD numbers is a recipe for disaster.
Also in the center of the table is displayed the overall table averages for VPIP and PFR, as well as the average stack size for the table. The first two give me a quick read on how TAGgy or LAGgy I should be playing (e.g., should I open my suited connectors in MP or not). The average stack size is only applicable at normal ring games (i.e., non-Rush), because it tells me at a glance whether the table is thinning out or not, and whether I should consider closing it down and opening another, fatter table to replace it. Said another way: playing against short stacks sucks. Worse, is when you're playing ten tables of ring games and you don't even realize that the average stack size at your tables has become too small by player change-outs to be profitable.
The final piece of the PT3 HUD puzzle is the pop-up data. Unfortunately, I haven't made any decent progress in this area yet.... but it's high on my priority list this week. I can tell you this much, however: the default pop-up display is WAY too complicated for this bug's little brain to digest at multi-tabling speed. There are five tabs in the default, and each has something like ten or twelve rows and five columns of data. Now, I like the idea of displaying positional stats, but this amount of data is simply too much to be useful. Don't know what I'll end up with exactly, but I'm thinking along the lines of a single pop-up table, with 7-10 key stats displayed in positional format. Things like 3Bets, CBets, Check-Raising, Fold to-type numbers, and so on.
Once I get this figured out, I'll report back here with my setup.
Oops, gotta run. Been on vacation for two weeks and I'm heading back to work this morning. Ugh. I'm gonna be buried with stuff, too. Too bad there isn't a HUD for engineering management that would help me quickly sort through the wheat from the chaff. Now that would be a real edge...
All-in for now....
-Bug
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