How to read a poker hand history
A hand history is a written record of a poker hand: the players and stacks, the blinds, every action on every street, the board and the result. Most online rooms save your hand histories, and many apps have a replayer that shows the hand again visually. They’re the raw material for reviewing your hands.
What a hand history shows
Section titled “What a hand history shows”| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Game and stakes | No-Limit Hold’em, $0.05/$0.10 |
| Seats and stacks | Seat 3: Player A ($10.00) |
| Button and blinds | Seat 5 is the button; SB $0.05, BB $0.10 |
| Your cards | Dealt to Hero [A♠ K♦] |
| Preflop actions | Player A raises to $0.25; Hero calls |
| Flop, turn, river | Board [K♣ 7♥ 2♠] [9♦] [3♣] with actions |
| Showdown and result | Hero shows A♠ K♦, wins $4.80 |
“Hero” usually means you; “villain” means the opponent.
How to read it
Section titled “How to read it”- Find your position relative to the button. See poker positions.
- Convert bets into big blinds and into a share of the pot. See bet sizing.
- Go street by street: what did each action say about the range?
- Note stack sizes: effective stacks change everything. See deep stack poker.
Where to find them
Section titled “Where to find them”Look for Hand history, Replayer or Game history in your poker app or client menu. Some rooms let you export them as text.
Sharing a hand for advice
Section titled “Sharing a hand for advice”When you ask for help, include: game and stakes, positions, stack sizes, your cards, all actions with sizes, and what you know about the opponent. You can send a hand to us on Telegram or WhatsApp and we’ll take a look.
What is a poker hand history?
Section titled “What is a poker hand history?”A written record of a hand with players, stacks, blinds, every action, the board and the result.
What does Hero mean in a hand history?
Section titled “What does Hero mean in a hand history?”It usually refers to you, the player whose hand is shown.
Where can I find my hand histories?
Section titled “Where can I find my hand histories?”In your poker app or client, usually under Hand history, Replayer or Game history.
What should I include when sharing a hand?
Section titled “What should I include when sharing a hand?”Stakes, positions, stack sizes, your cards, all actions with sizes, and reads on the opponent.