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Using PokerTracker to track RecPoker Home Games
NOTE: These instructions have been updated with feedback from other players. In particular thanks to DougB.
The PokerStars.net software that gets downloaded by here in the US doesn’t save hands to disk which means you can’t track your play using PokerTracker. If you have the PokerStars.com software it will save hands to disk. So if you would like to track your play using PokerTracker, here are some instructions:
1. Install some VPN software on your computer. I use Express VPN which does have a charge. Others have used Speedify Free or Tunnel Bear.
2. If desired, backup any player notes you may have in PokerStars.
3. Uninstall your PokerStars software.
4. Restart your PC.
5. Start your VPN and set your location to somewhere in Canada (BUT NOT ONTARIO). Verify it is connected.
6. Go to http://PokerStars.com download and install the software. Do not sign-in on this page. This will install the full version of PokerStars software.
7. Launch PokerStars and verify you see real money and play money, but DO NOT SIGN IN. Close PokerStars.
8. Disconnect from the VPN.
9. If desired, restore any player notes you may have.
10. Launch PokerStars and Sign in, click avatar to open Account page.
11. Select, Playing History on left, then Hand History, check Save My Hand History, Apply changes, go to Tournament Summary, do the same apply, go back the Hand History, is it checked go back to Tournament history is it checked hit OK to exit, Reconfigure all your table settings etc.
12. Install and/or start your HUD program, I have Poker Tracker 4, under Configure tab select Sites and Import, select PokerStars check Get Hands From Site While Playing, existing PT4 users remove old directories, click Auto Detect, two folders should appear in box. Select seat position for each table size, click OK, new users need to do many more setup steps, follow PT4 setup instructions.
13. PT4 told me to restart PS, on the front page of PT4 select Play Poker, select get hands while playing, start a PS game, I played a 10k so I could go back and forth between PS an PT4 settings. PT4 often waits until you play a hand to show HUD info on table, on the PT4 Play Poker page, select View Import Status to see if you are getting hands.
Now you can use PokerTracker to display HUD info while playing on PokerStars and to review play stats for you and other players based on the saved hand histories.
NOTE: PokerStars terms of service only allows Real Money play from certain locals. Use of a VPN or other technical means does not change this. Although the terms of service does not explicitly ban use of VPNs etc they ask you to not to use them. RecPoker is not responsible for choices.
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25 Replies
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Quick tip: Don’t forget to backup/download your player notes BEFORE uninstalling the software. I totally forgot to do that. Doh!
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Where or how do I backup my notes? My PT4 isn’t working after the last update. I think I need to start over.
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Thanks for the suggestion here @PokerGeekMN .
Unfortunately, it’s not working for me.I used a VPN called PIA (Private Internet Access) and connected to a vpn in Candada. Tried to go to pokerstars.com and it still redirected me to pokerstars.BET.
Downloaded the software but it is still the US version with no hand histories.
Maybe they are looking for VPN servers now and this is no longer working.
@PokerGeekMN – how recently did you try this?
Thanks!
Rich
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I had to re-install on a new machine in the last month. I’ll try it again soon.
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Excellent. Thanks @William and @MonkieSystem … looks like it might be the VPN I used. Will try TunnelBear and see how it goes.
Thanks!
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It worked for me. I used the TunnelBear VPN because they don’t ask for your credit card info. I uninstalled TunnelBear right after downloading the full PokerStars client. Another thing is that if you tried to use PT4 with the .net client, you have to remove it from your PT4 databases and then autodetect the new one. To use Jim Reid’s lite HUD you have to go under HUD Options Configuration and set up PokerStars no limit Hold’em for RecPokerReid HUD. Then never accept the default again. It took me a little while to figure that out.
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Thanks @MonkieSystem . Using TunnelBear VPN did the trick. They do have a free trial where you can download 500MB, more than enough to download and install Pokerstars.
I can now see where handhistories will be saved and will work on connecting PT4 as well.
Thank you to @PokerGeekMN for posting this and providing the tip. Awesome.
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Excellent!! Thanks everyone for helping on the details. Glad it worked for you @RichDietz-MrDzzz18
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Can someone please reply with the directory that the hand histories and player notes are in? I accidentally deleted them from my PokerStars configurations. After the latest PokerStars updates Poker Tracker 4 no longer recognizes my PokerStars hand histories.
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Okay, I figured it out. The new PokerStars update changed my hand history setting, among other settings. The default directory is C:\Users\yourWindowsUserName\AppData\Local\PokerStars\HandHistory\ .
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Glad to see you got and thanks for sharing in case anyone else has similar issue as well. 🙂 Watch out for you in the home games reminder to self.
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Just wondering if its ok to use VPN when running the PokerStars regular client. Prior to today, I was using the US client with VPN (Mozilla VPN), without any issues/warnings.
I would think that using VPN is a good practice for businesses as well as users, regardless of poker clients or other uses.
I hope it doesn’t cause/raise issues with PokerStars.
I also use PiHole to guard against web spam/malware/bugs.
Thanks for any input/feedback.
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In general I would not use a VPN while playing PokerStars. It is against their terms of service to manipulate your location. So using a VPN that exists locally may be ok, but definitely never play real money while using a VPN.
I personally make sure my VPN is not running before launching PokerStars.
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Thanks John for helping clean up my input. I agree with the caution about running VPNs with PokerStars particularly since if you have any tech problems they are going to tell you to turn off your VPN and reinstall PokerStars software, also seems like they are concerned about money transfer issues which could be as simple as buying Play Money Chips. On the other side some players need a higher level of security like connecting through public WiFi or a hotel. I never travel without the VPN on. Also want to note that now that my setup is working, I turned off the VPN based on the input from you and Keith Brandt that you don’t need it to keep working, not a problem with updates, etc.
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Just to confirm, these instructions are perfect and I completed this in 30 minutes using TunnelBear.
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Only took me two tries, LOL. Remember to NOT log in the first time. I actually didn’t try to see if it worked. I just started over.
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On my third try and still having problems. Using TunnelBear. I set the VPN to Canada. Everything seems to go well until step 10. I keep getting an error message telling me I am already logged in on another computer and have to log off of that before I can sign in. I’m positive I did not log in as per the instructions in step 7. Tried twice yesterday (i.e. deleted it and started over) and finally gave up and went back to downloading the American play money version so I could play in the home game. Had to upload that twice before it finally didn’t give me the error message and let me play. Went to sign in this morning (still on the American play money version) and got the error message. So since I had to delete it anyway, I decided to try to upload the .com version again. This time I set the VPN to Mexico. Followed the steps word for word and got the same error message. I can’t even contact PS help because you have to be logged in to do that. I looked online for some possible solutions which recommended deleted caches, etc.. And yes I’ve rebooted numerous times. Did all that, nothing changes. I’m going to wait awhile see if somehow it clears itself all up. I don’t want to delete the .com version again if i don’t have to because I’ve already used up the allowable download quota for the free version of Tunnelbear. But if it doesn’t clear up I’ll have to and hope to be able to get back into the play money version (though as you can see above I couldn’t today and that is what restarted everything!)
I’m guessing no one else has experienced this?
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hmmmm as I’m in Canada this is not something I’m familiar with – maybe @PokerGeekMN knows if there’s been some kind of update or change to the software – sounds annoying, @7High11 so I hope we can get to the bottom of it!
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Not a computer expert, but I would recommend you go into add/remove programs and uninstall PokerStars, rather than just deleting it. There might be some kind of fragment or registry entry interfering with your install. Then start all over again.
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Thanks, not being a computer guy myself I just used the wrong terminology. I have used the “uninstall” feature every time.
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So after a couple hours I finally found a way to contact PS service without being logged in. I sent a message through their “portal”. While I haven’t gotten an email reply from them, it does seem like they fixed it remotely. So after 1/2 of fooling with PT4 while actually playing in the home game my HUD finally popped up! 3 hands later I have pocket JJ and get knocked out by 99 hitting trips on the river! S I now have 4 hands to analyze!
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I think this may be a change due to the fact that Ontario is now a ring-fenced area. Try connections to Vancouver if going to Canada, or connect to Mexico.
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New person here, I will say Tunnel Bear did not work for me and only let me download the play money client. I used Express VPN and selected Montreal for my server and that gave me the full client, now I have to figure out how to set up PT4.
Thanks for this post, I hope you keep updating it as more folks like myself bang their heads against the wall of their own technological ineptitude.
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