What is a HUD?

[CesareBorgia]

I'm new to this site, and I have a question regarding the .01/.02 videos. The moderator refers to a "HUD(?)" that keeps statistics of the players at the table. Are any of you using this type of software and do you find it beneficial or distracting? Where does one get this kind of software? Is it perfectly ok to use it at Fulltilt and/or PokerStars? Sorry for all the questions, but found this feature very interesting. I'm still exploring this site, but so far find it to be an excellent source for information on how to play better poker, and I need all the help I can get! TIA for any help of guidance.

[ihatejacks]

HUD stands for "Heads Up Display". It is basically a way for information to be displayed directly on the poker table.

The information is very useful, as long as you know what it means and how to use it correctly. Many people first starting to use them make the mistake of relying too much on the stats and don't pay enough attention to the action on the table.

Most HUDs show only information that you have collected yourself, such as the ones built into PokerTracker and Holdem Manager. These are perfectly fine to use on any sites. Others such as Poker-Edge use a central database of information collected by the company itself, and are not allowed for use on Full Tilt or PokerStars.