New to Sky Poker

HiuKhao

I have watched Sky poker for years on channel 865/861 but have been living in Thailand for the last few years and the site is blocked there and you can't even access the forums. I arrived home for a few months holiday last night and was really looking forward to playing.
    I sat down at a few tables and when I worked out how to turn on my table sounds (which was easy enough) I started looking for the 'auto top up' option. Couldn't find it anywhere so asked someone at my table and was a little surprised to hear that this feature is not available yet. Nevermind, I thought.
      Then I opened up HEM and started running my HUD. Quickly realised it wasn't supported and was told that it is never likely to. As a grinder who likes to put in at least 40k hands a month this makes Sky poker basically useless to me. I would be interested to hear the opinions of other semi pro and even pro grinders on this issue.
      I carried on playing as I was enjoying the game and as decisions got more complicated I was looking around for the timebank button. I was simply stunned when I discovered that even a basic tool such as this was not a feature of the software.
     As I said I have only been able to watch the tv show for the last few years but from watching you get no inkling of how limited the software is. Come on Sky, you are the most awesome sports broadcaster I have ever come across anywhere in the world. Unfortuantely it seems your Poker doesn't live up to its sister. I'm sorry to write such a negative post but I am just so disappointed after having to wait so long to play. Thanks for reading, regards, Ryan
        

VespaPX

In Response to New to Sky Poker:

I have watched Sky poker for years on channel 865/861 but have been living in Thailand for the last few years and the site is blocked there and you can't even access the forums. I arrived home for a few months holiday last night and was really looking forward to playing.     I sat down at a few tables and when I worked out how to turn on my table sounds (which was easy enough) I started looking for the 'auto top up' option. Couldn't find it anywhere so asked someone at my table and was a little surprised to hear that this feature is not available yet. Nevermind, I thought.       Then I opened up HEM and started running my HUD. Quickly realised it wasn't supported and was told that it is never likely to. As a grinder who likes to put in at least 40k hands a month this makes Sky poker basically useless to me. I would be interested to hear the opinions of other semi pro and even pro grinders on this issue.       I carried on playing as I was enjoying the game and as decisions got more complicated I was looking around for the timebank button. I was simply stunned when I discovered that even a basic tool such as this was not a feature of the software.      As I said I have only been able to watch the tv show for the last few years but from watching you get no inkling of how limited the software is. Come on Sky, you are the most awesome sports broadcaster I have ever come across anywhere in the world. Unfortuantely it seems your Poker doesn't live up to its sister. I'm sorry to write such a negative post but I am just so disappointed after having to wait so long to play. Thanks for reading, regards, Ryan         
Posted by HiuKhao

Welcome to the level playing field
100% natural
No added sugar (apart from Anna & Sarah)
No added preservatives (apart from Tikays)

Sky_Poker

Hi there

Welcome to Sky Poker.

We don't support HUDs and have no plans to at the moment. However, the features you mention are currently being developed and will be released in the near future.

Thanks
Sky Poker

HiuKhao

I understand if Sky poker only wants to appeal to recreational players then that is their perogative. Although if you want to improve as a player it helps tremendously to be able to review your play which is impossible with the limited options available in the 'hand histories' tab. For instance if I want to review only the hands I have played from utg I would have to look through and select them individually as opposed to be able to use filters to quickly get the information I need. So 'level playing field' indeed. Condusive to improving your game? Certainly not.

VespaPX

So are you saying you just want to use your HUD for reviewing your hands?
Or do you want to have it running whilst you're playing to help you make decisions easier for you?

thefa1lacy

In Response to Re: New to Sky Poker:

Hi there Welcome to Sky Poker. We don't support HUDs and have no plans to at the moment. However, the features you mention are currently being developed and will be released in the near future. Thanks Sky Poker
Posted by Sky_Poker

How about someone explaining 'HUD's' for the non initiated. Thanks in advance. I'm guessing a Head's Up Display that shows when a table has dealt you a premium hand, and you ignore all the tables you have open until you've got something worth playing??

Lambert180

In Response to Re: New to Sky Poker:

In Response to Re: New to Sky Poker : How about someone explaining 'HUD's' for the non initiated. Thanks in advance. I'm guessing a Head's Up Display that shows when a table has dealt you a premium hand, and you ignore all the tables you have open until you've got something worth playing??
Posted by thefa1lacy

Would take a VERY long time to explain everything because it's endless but on a basic level a HUD can automatically tell you pretty much every stat possible about all the opponents on the table (based on what it's seen obv).

So you can see what % of hands are they playing (are they loose/nitty)
What % of the time do they 3bet
What % of the time do they 3bet and fold to a 4bet
What % of the time do they 4bet
What % of the time do they c-bet
What % of the time do they c-bet and fold to a raise

You get the picture. Basically means you can play a bucket load of tables and be lazzy and not have to pay too much attention to how someone has been playing cos you got all their stats there in front of you. (A little display appears next each opponent which you can modify to show whatever stats you feel are important).

I don't hate HUDs, but I'm happy to play most of my poker on a site that doesn't allow them.

It's not quite as simple as that, you have to know what you're doing with a HUD, but if you do know what you're doing then you have a big advantage over someone that doesn't have one

HiuKhao

@Vespa, Of course were it supported I would use the HUD while I was playing as well. Obviously you couldn't rely on the integrity of players to only use it to review sessions. I am purely stating the other advantages they offer to people who want to improve their game. Like I said the site has every right to do whatever it likes but after watching the tv channel for so long and the constant 'we want to offer our players the chance to improve their game' mantra that all of the presenters seem to run with I feel that this directly opposes that policy.

@thefa1lacy HUDs never tell you what hand you are holding. They simply log every hand you play along with every hand that is played at a table you are sat at. Therefore you also compile the stats on your opponents play too. They don't reveal any information that wouldn't be available should you decide to take the time to calculate it. They just do all the calculations for you.
 
Thanks to both of you to contributing to this discussion as well

rancid

It would be a good idea if you could use tracker software to record your performance and use it for anyalisis without using a HUD.

surely HUD's are just another level if playing verus players with HUD's

he know's that I use a HUD and he know that I am aware of his stats but he is also aware of me using a HUD and maybe max exploiting me by adjusting to me playing according to his stats

anyways......HUD's are good if playing in a massive player pool where you hardly play against the same players and 95% of the player pool are unknown to you.

The_Don90

I have used a hud on other sites, but mainly play on sky. 

If no huds prevented grinders then why do sky have several grinders, who all consistantly make money. 

I agree huds help with other things but if you have an issue sky does a very detailed hand history function. 

HiuKhao

@Rancid Yes I would have no problems with your 'in a perfect world' scenario. Not being a cpu buff I don't know if this would be possible but by using basic knowledge I very much doubt it. Like you say its still a level playing field whether you allow HUDs or not. Its still someones choice if they wish to use one. I am sympathetic with the fact they are not free but it is only a one off payment (something like $60 up to 25 or 50nl and $100 for all stakes) but it will more than pay for itself if you are interested in improving and learn how to use it. Which in itself can be a bit of a challenge! Its definitely a matter of opnion, Lambert says he is happy to play without one. Myself, I like to use every tool I have at my disposal and I feel a HUD allows me to improve at a much faster rate and means I don't have to create a load of spreadsheets myself.
     Concerning the other points in my OP, Sky poker ha been around for years now as far as I know and are yet to incorporate 'auto top up' and 'timebank' features. What has been going on all this time?

VespaPX

Hi Hi :-)

Points taken on board and wish u run good on the tables.
Good luck

thefa1lacy

Thanks Lambert180 for the very detailed explanation. And no problem HiuKHao. Definitely something to start thinking about. I do have a fairly big roll I could take elsewhere. I started off several years ago on Ladbrokes, and don't remember anything like that available at the time, although maybe it was. I also see you have to pay for the pleasure of using one. I also used to play on BWIN but mainly on iPad/iPhone, so nothing like HUD's in use there.
What site would you guys recommend to play using a HUD on then? Thanks again.

Lambert180

Tbh, it's up to you fa1lacy, pretty much every site in the world (except Sky) allow HUDs, in fact I don't know a single site that doesn't.

I don't have anything against HUDs, as Rancid said, I'd obv love to be able to use one for my own performance*

If Sky start allowing them one day, although they show no signs of ever wanting to, then I'll get one, until then I think I do a good enough job of keeping track of opponent tendancies in my head, and the player base is small enough that if you play a lot, you can see an alias and instantly know a good deal about their game.

*Really it's just so I can show my EV line and show how bad I run lol.

thefa1lacy

In Response to Re: New to Sky Poker:

Tbh, it's up to you fa1lacy, pretty much every site in the world (except Sky) allow HUDs, in fact I don't know a single site that doesn't. I don't have anything against HUDs, as Rancid said, I'd obv love to be able to use one for my own performance* If Sky start allowing them one day, although they show no signs of ever wanting to, then I'll get one, until then I think I do a good enough job of keeping track of opponent tendancies in my head, and the player base is small enough that if you play a lot, you can see an alias and instantly know a good deal about their game. *Really it's just so I can show my EV line and show how bad I run lol.
Posted by Lambert180

OK thanks for the advice. Certainly seems a sound argument for not using one and relying on your own grey matter, instead of getting lazy and letting technology do all the thinking for you. Plus of course they are only telling you how a player has been acting previously, so without one you are relying on your gut instinct in a hand to tell you what your opponent might do. 

HiuKhao

Interesting discussion and Lamberts point about a small player pool is is very relevant here I think. Just as a caveat this is a tweet from Dan 'jungleman' Cates from May 30th "The age of the Feel Player of Online Poker is over... Time to buckle down and learn those facts or lose your stacks!"