Players often use “poker tracker” to mean two very different tools: a bankroll tracker that records your results, and a HUD (heads-up display) that analyses hand histories and shows statistics about your opponents.
What a bankroll tracker does
- Logs every session: game, stakes, buy-in, cash-out and time.
- Calculates profit, hourly rate, ROI and your bankroll over time.
- Works for live and online play, cash games and tournaments.
- Needs no hand histories, so it works anywhere — in a casino, a home game or on your phone.
What a HUD does
- Imports online hand histories automatically.
- Shows stats like VPIP, PFR and 3-bet % for each opponent on your screen.
- Lets you review every hand you played and filter by spot.
- Only works online, and only on sites that allow it.
Are HUDs allowed?
Policies differ by site. Some sites allow HUDs, some ban them, and many now block hand-history access entirely. Always check a site’s rules before using third-party software. Bankroll trackers are allowed everywhere because they only record your own results.
Which one do you need?
| Player | Bankroll tracker | HUD |
|---|---|---|
| Live cash or tournament player | Yes | Not possible |
| Recreational online player | Yes | Optional |
| High-volume online grinder | Yes | Useful, where allowed |
| Staked player | Yes — backers need records | Optional |
Almost every player benefits from a bankroll tracker; a HUD is a specialist tool for online volume. Start free with the PokerTracking bankroll tracker, and read our comparison of bankroll tracker apps.
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