Holdem Manager 3 is a computer software which has two main functions. It is a tracker and a H.U.D. (heads-up display). A tracker is the function of the software that records the online poker hands you play to keep track of them. These can be cash game, sit'n'gos or tournament hands. All your hands played online will be recorded on your computer hard drive so that you can keep them as an archive. Holdem Manager 3 will import them into a database for analysis. So much for the tracker function
When you play at your poker tables, Holdem Manager 3 will display information about the players who are at your table directly on the table. The statistics displayed will be from your Holdem Manager 3 database. For example, if you are in a tournament with say "Player123", all hands recorded in your tracker will be displayed in summary form on the table. The HUD is the small box in which the player's stats are stored. Here is an example
As you can see, there is a small box underneath each of the players. The information displayed can be limited or extensive, depending on your preferences. You have the possibility yourself to determine which statistics will or will not be present on the table
But before we go any further in analyzing the software, let's start at the beginning and see how to download, install and set up Holdem Manager 3. Note that other software similar to Holdem Manager 3 exists on the market (for example Poker Tracker 4 and Xeester), but Holdem Manager 3 is the most recent software released on the market. It represents the improved version of its predecessors, Holdem Manager 1 and 2
How to install and set up Hold'em Manager 3
First of all, to get the latest version of Holdem Manager 3, go to the official website by clicking here
Once there, you will see the following home page:
Click on the "Download" button to download the most up-to-date version of the software. Please note that you must have a Windows computer to run Holdem Manager 3. In the words of the developers, there are currently no plans for a Mac version of the software
Once this is done, you will get the following page displayed:
If the download doesn't start automatically, please click on "Download Free Trial" (see red box above)
Once the installation file has been downloaded, it is now time to proceed with the installation. You will see the following window appear:
You will be able to click on "Next" to go to the next step
You will now see the window concerning the "Licence Agreement". Please read the information in detail and then check the small box "I accept the terms in the Licence Agreement" (see below):
Once this is done, you can click "Next" to go to the next step
The software will be installed by default in C:\Program Files (x86)\Holdem Manager 3"
It is recommended to let it install in this directory. You can then continue the installation by pressing "Next".
The software is now ready to be installed. To launch the installation, simply press "Install".
The software installation is now in progress. You will see this window:
Once the installation has been successfully completed, you will see the following window:
Press the "Finish" button to complete the installation. Once this is done, the software will complete the installation by itself:
Once the installation is complete, the software will launch and you will see the welcome window:
Launch and configure Holdem Manager 3
The first time you start Holdem Manager 3, you will need to configure the software. Here are the steps to follow in detail. After reading the welcome window, you will be able to press "Next" to continue configuring the software
Your Holdem Manager 3 software will need to be linked to a Holdem Manager account. If you already had an account for a previous version of Holdem Manager (version 1 or 2), it will still be good. Otherwise, you will be able to create an account by clicking on the link below in the red box ("Create a free Holdem Manager account for me")
When you have the information related to your account, you will be able to enter it in the appropriate boxes. When done, press the "Login" button.
You will then have the option to use the software for free for 14 days by selecting the "Start Trial" option or the option to purchase a license by pressing the "Purshase" button. For our example, we will take the trial version option. This is a good way to get familiar with the software before purchasing it. You will then have 14 days to familiarise yourself with Holdem Manager 3 and find out if it is the right software for your needs
Once the option is selected, a confirmation window will appear. You will then be able to start your free trial by pressing "Start using HM3 Now".
Now it's time to configure the software. Click "Next" to start the configuration
You have two types of possible installations: Express or advanced. For the majority of users, express installation is recommended. Unless you are an advanced user who knows exactly what you want, choose the "Express" option. Then click on "Next" to continue
The software will then ask you if you want HM3 to detect and import your hand history. Click "Yes" if you have any online poker hands saved on your computer
The software will then ask you if you want to send error reports anonymously. The goal is to continuously improve the software. When error reports are sent, the Holdem Manager technical team will ensure that the reported problems are corrected. Once you have read the box, you will be able to complete the configuration by clicking on "Finish"
Configuration of online poker sites
The next step is to configure the different online poker sites you play at. For our example, we will set up only one poker site (PokerStars), but the principle is the same for all sites. First, please select the sites you play on:
We have selected PokerStars for our example and then click "Next"
By default, hands played on PokerStars will be saved in the following folder:
To accept and continue the setting, press "Next"
Now it's time to set up your seat in Holdem Manager 3. You will have three options; choose a specific seat (the one you selected on your gaming platform), let the software automatically detect the seat, or "none" to use the seat from the hand history. To make things easier, we'll let Holdem Manager automatically detect the seat. Once we have chosen this option, we will press the "Finish" button
That's it, the configuration of the software is now complete and you can start using and exploring it
Presentation of the software
When you open Holdem Manager 3, you will see the following welcome screen:
The main functions of Holdem Manager 3
We will divide the home screen into several sections to discuss them in more detail. As you will see, we will not cover 100% of the functions of the software, but we will quickly explain some of the functions most often used by Holdem Manager 3 users
We have divided the interface into 7 parts, each bounded by a coloured rectangle. Here is a rough outline of how these different parts work
White rectangle : This is the part we could call "menu". In this game, you will be able to import a database, export a database, import player notes, export player notes, import a HUD, export a HUD and access the editing tool to build or modify a HUD. It is also in this section that you will get help in case of problems
Yellow rectangle : Holdem Manager records both your cash game hands and your tournament and sit'n'gos hands. This button allows you to toggle between the two displays. Here we are at "Money" to indicate that the statistics that are displayed are for cash games. Click this button once to switch to the "Tournaments" option
Purple Rectangle : Here you see the name of the hero in question, i.e. the name of the hero for whom the statistics are shown. If you play on multiple poker platforms, this is useful information to see. We have the player's name (SampleHero) as well as the PokerStars room logo to tell us where the hands were played. If I click on this button, I can change the name of the hero for which I want information
Rectangle orange : This is a Start-Stop button for starting or stopping automatic hand grabbing at poker tables. When playing at your live poker tables, for each hand you play, a text file will be saved on your computer with the hand history. Holdem Manager 3 will need to import it to update your opponent's statistics. Clicking "Start" will allow the software to import these hands in real time
Pink rectangle (salmon) : Here you have the type of display. For example, on the screenshot you see, this is the "Reports" display which allows us to have a quick overview of our gains or losses. You will have other display options at the bottom of the rectangle to see your performance according to the sessions played or your position for example. You will also be able to use the "Opponents" tab to analyse your opponents' performance
Green Rectangle : A graph of your total wins or losses. The X-axis (horizontal) gives us the evolution of the number of hands played and the Y-axis (vertical) gives us the total money that has been won or lost
Blue Rectangle : The blue rectangle allows us to analyse our results. We can see our results by position, by session and by day. We can also quickly access the marked hands. Marked hands are the hands that you have identified after playing them. If you are playing several tables simultaneously and you have a difficult hand that you want to review later, mark it when you are finished and it will fall into this category. You can then return to it with peace of mind after your session for future analysis
The main panel of Holdem Manager 3 obviously contains other options, but for the sake of brevity we have decided to cover the most commonly used options. The other options are also quite intuitive
The replayer
One of the very interesting features of Holdem Manager 3 is that it has a replayer. A replayer is a tool that allows us to review a hand that we have already played with the same information from the HUD as when we were playing in real time. For example, let's say we want to review a hand we have played (AA). See which hand it is below:
So we're going to double-click with our mouse on that hand to start the replay
So this is the window that will appear:
Under each player, a HUD will appear with each player's stats. You can then review the hand at your own pace using the arrows below. You can also move from one street to another using the Flop, Turn and River shortcut buttons. Just like in a live game, you can click on the black square of a player's HUD to access their additional information. When this is done, you will have a square similar to this
As we are currently in preflop action, we will have preflop stats. You will be able to access the information of your choice using the tabs above (Preflop, Raised Preflop, Called Preflop, etc). The information is often entered as a shortcut, so please get used to it. Here is a short lexicon as an introduction:
EP : Early position (early position such as UTG)
MP : Middle Position (middle position)
CO : Cutoff
BN : Bouton
SB: Small Blind
RFI: Raise First In (an initial raise, i.e. without limping before the raise)
What is the price of a Holdem Manager 3 license?
The price of a Holdem Manager 3 license varies according to several variables. If you want a license for Hold'em only and you play cash games on tables of NL50 and under and/or tournaments or sit'n'gos at $22 and under, you will want a "Small Stakes" license at $60USD. If you don't want any limitations in the limit coverage, you will want to select the regular license at $100USD. Note that there are also combination licenses available if you also play Omaha. Here is the price list:
In conclusion, Holdem Manager 3 is a very interesting choice if you are looking for a professional tracker/HUD. With PokerTracker 4 and Xeester, it is a reliable and powerful tool that lives up to its reputation. Holdem Manager 3's technical support is also very responsive. If you have a question for them, they will be very quick to answer you. The team is also very present on the various poker forums and social media