Online players get hand histories automatically. Live players get nothing — unless they write it down. A quick, consistent session log is the only way to know your real results at the casino.
What live players should track
- Casino or card room and the game (for example $1/$3 NLH).
- Buy-in and every rebuy — the most commonly forgotten number.
- Cash-out and hours played, measured from sitting down to leaving.
- Tips and expenses if you want your true net.
- Notes: table quality, key hands, mood.
See the full session log checklist.
The stats that matter live
- Hourly rate in dollars and big blinds per hour. A solid live winner might make 5–10 bb/hour at low stakes.
- Results by casino: some rooms are much softer than others, and some rake more.
- Results by session length: many players lose in the final hours of long sessions.
- Bankroll in buy-ins, to know when you can move up.
Live samples are small
At about 30 hands an hour, 100 hours of live play is only 3,000 hands. Your hourly rate will bounce around a lot for the first few hundred hours. See variance.
Tracking live with PokerTracking
The free PokerTracking app is built for the casino: start a live timer when you sit down, add rebuys with one tap, and cash out when you leave. Your hourly rate, bankroll and results by venue update instantly, and it works on the web, iPhone and Android. Check numbers anytime with the hourly win rate calculator.
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