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All about datamining
Datamining is a process of obtaining a large amount of poker hand history files and import them into a database of Holdem Manager or PokerTracker.
Moreover, you do not play these hands, you buy them to fill your database with information about your potential opponents. Use such services or not - a controversial issue, which has both pros and cons. The position of major poker rooms on this question is mostly the same.
For example, official position of PokerStars posted on their website:
“The practice of datamining (observing games without playing in order to build up a database of hand histories for future reference) is prohibited.”
Full Tilt Poker website says the same thing.
Looks like we can't use the datamining in accordance with the rules of poker rooms. But in fact, this restriction doesn't stop many regular players from using datamining. Mined hand history in big quantity gives huge advantage, especially for low skilled players. In addition, use of purchased hand histories is very hard and nearly impossible to track down by poker rooms.
No way we are advocating a violation of the rules of poker sites.
We set out the facts and look at the service from different sides.
A lot of websites provide datamining service: they scan cash games in Omaha and Holdem at all stakes, archive them and sell players in large quantities. There are several ways to purchase hand histories. You can buy a big pack of hand histories once or subscribe to a service and obtain actual hand histories every day. If you need one time boost, you go to the site and specify the options: poker discipline, stakes level and the number of hands needed. Usually quantity of hands available is between 300 000 and 5 million. Shortly after your payment, website will email you a link to download your order.
If you prefer having a fresh and actual but not large database, you can use subscription service. For this option, you specify all of the same options that you need and pay a monthly subscription. The next day hand history for the previous day will be sent to you by email. Thus, each day you will receive fresh hand history file.
Our shop datamining section provides both methods, also a wide range of limits and poker rooms available. Upon receiving hand history files, you just need to import them into your program-tracker. The result is a large number of important statistics about your current and potential opponents. You can play hands more profitable and accurate when you have 3000 hands on your opponent instead of 30. In addition, the process of table selection will be more efficient.
So we have briefly told you about datamining. Once again, we do not encourage buying hand histories, thus breaking the rules of poker sites. We have explained to you what is datamining, considered the pros and cons, as well as familiarize you with the official position of the two largest poker rooms.
To use datamining or not - decision is up to you.