Equilab or Flopzilla: which calculator is better for beginners?

Working independently in the software is an effective way to learn poker. Experienced players consider hand analysis a turning point on the way from amateur to professional. At the beginning of your career, poker calculators are the most useful. In this article we will discuss Equilab and Flopzilla.

Why do we need Equity Calculators?

Poker calculators (also known as equity calculators) are used in hand analysis. You simulate a played hand in the software and look for mistakes. It is more convenient to analyze in a calculator than in a poker tracker. It has a wider set of tools, and there is more clarity. In the calculator, you can:

• specify your hand or range;
• indicate opponent's range;
• estimate your own and someone else's equity of the preflop, flop, turn, or river;
• narrow opponent's hand set after each action or street;
• see the entire combinatorics of the hand;
• analyze the strength of each individual hand of the range;
• see how the equity of a hand changes depending on the cards on the turn or river.

An additional argument in favor of calculators is the ability to save the range. It allows you to create charts for any situation. It's more convenient to learn the ranges in Flopzilla or Equilab than to write them down in a text document or print them out on an A4 sheet. The scales let you know that the same hands are played differently by your opponents.

All work in Flopzilla is built in one field. In Equilab you have to switch between windows

Constant work in the calculator will teach you poker combinatorics. You'll know in a second how many draws or top pairs your opponent has on any board structure. When you make a decision, you won't be thinking of isolated hands, but a full-fledged matrix.

What are the benefits of Flopzilla?

The first version of Flopzilla was released in 2009. For 14 years, the calculator has been developed and regularly updated, which is why FZ is considered the best software for beginners.

With the advent of Flopzilla Pro, players have the ability to analyze multipots

The program provides unique analysis tools:

• The "hit - not hit" chart. It shows how many combinations of the range hit the board and make up a ready hand.
• Equity Graph. Visually shows the distribution of equity, depending on the particular hand of the range.
• Equity Matrix. Displays the equity of specific hands directly on the matrix.
• Hotness. Demonstrates, in percentage terms, the effect of runouts (cards on the turn and river) on range equity. Working with Hotness will teach you how to choose the right cards to bluff.

The dark theme comes in handy in the evening

Many have criticized Flopzilla for its lack of interface. The lack of scaling and small fonts got the most hits. Analyze the game on modern monitors was inconvenient. The problems were solved with the release of Flopzilla Pro. The new version of the software increased fonts and made the program window elastic. Support for three languages were added: Russian, Chinese, Spanish. Earlier only English was available. A nice addition is the dark theme. The developer sells Flopzilla Pro along with the old version for $25. Users of the regular Flopzilla can get a free key to FZ Pro.

How is Equilab superior to Flopzilla?

The main advantage of Equilab is that it is free. It was developed by PokerStrategy poker school. The first mention of the software dates back to 2009.

Many novice players underestimate Equilab and believe that it can only show equity ranges

Equilab is capable of:

• compare equity ranges on a given board;
• show in percentage or combinations how the range got to a certain board;
• output matrix of starting hands;
• save ranges;
• calculate a set of hands with minimum equity against a range;
• analyze the effect of the runouts on the situation in the hand.

Many features of Flopzilla are also available in the free Equilab, but in a simplified form. For example, the scenario analyzer is reminiscent of hotness. Equilab shows the impact of the turn and river cards for a specific player's hand, while Flopzilla shows it for the entire range. The tangible drawback of the free calculator is the visibility. Compare how Flopzilla and Equilab present the same data:

An advanced version of the calculator, Power-Equilab, solved some of the problems.

Equilab and Power-Equilab - what's the difference?

Power-Equilab is a more powerful version of Equilab. It is superior to its free predecessor in every way:

• knows how to set the weight of the hands;
• outputs a heat map;
• imports data from other programs and most poker rooms' hand history;
• shows the equity graph on any street;
• categorizes sets of hands into groups, making it easier to work with ranges;
• paints the ranges on a matrix of starting hands;
• calculates pot odds and required fold-equity for automatic profit;
• shows the playability of hands on a colored scale.

The Power-Equilab interface and toolset have taken a big step forward from the usual Equilab

The developer provides a free version of Power-Equilab for 2 weeks. Go to the official site and download the calculator. They distribute Power-Equilab by subscription. A one-year subscription costs $42.

What is the best calculator after all?

For absolute beginners, Equilab is ideal. The calculator has a wide range of tools, which is enough at the start. The software is good for saving charts and basic analysis. Practicing regularly with Equilab will allow you to outplay opponents from low limits and make your first money.

There's clarity in favor of Equilab

After a while, we recommend spending the money and getting Flopzilla. Why FZ and not Power-Equilab? A lifetime license to Flopzilla costs $25, which is incommensurably cheaper than a one-year subscription to Power-Equilab. Flopzilla is superior to its competitor in terms of toolset and interface. The ability to change language also deserves respect. Equilab is only available in English.

Why is it profitable to buy from PokerEnergy?

There are two factors that work in favor of our shop:

1. Bonus points. We give bonuses for buying any product from the catalog. Spend them in your next orders and save. For exact information on items and the number of points see the loyalty program page.
2. Free software. We have a special offer on some programs. Buy programs and get others for free. For example, we offer a lifetime license for Flopzilla when you buy Holdem Manager 3 or PokerTracker 4.

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