Poker Software Revealed with willmccoy

Today, we have the opportunity to talk with low- and mid-stakes tournament grinder Willis McCoy about his use of poker software.

McCoy is known on PocketFives as willmccoy, where he is both an active poster and blogger.  His blogs are known to be very honest about his passion for and progression in the game.

PokerSoftware: What poker software are you currently using?

Willis McCoy: I currently use Holdem Manager 2 and Flopzilla.  In the past, I have used PokerStove and Sharkscope.

PokerSoftware: What are you currently using Flopzilla for and how does it help you?

Willis McCoy: Flopzilla has helped me a ton with pre-flop and post-flop situations. I am able to really know what are the most optimal EV spots to take in most situations.  Learning to better range players is the #1 use for me with Flopzilla.

PokerSoftware: How does Flopzilla compare with your past use of PokerStove?

Willis McCoy: In my opinion, PokerStove is very basic compared to Flopzilla. With Flopzilla, you are able to calculate your equities very easily on every street. You can even save each and every situation pre-river with any flop/turn configurations for optimal play. Flopzilla just takes all of the guesswork out of any given situation.  It is a great tool for reviewing sessions.

PokerSoftware: Please tell us a bit more about your past use of Sharkscope.

Willis McCoy: I no longer really play sit and gos as much as I used to due to my work ethic for multi-table tournament poker this year.  However, Sharkscope for me is the most accurate tool next to Holdem Manager to properly track my MTT sessions.  I am very big on bankroll management at the moment and find Sharkscope to be a very valuable tool for these types of situations overall.

PokerSoftware: Please share with us how your Heads-Up Display is configured in Holdem Manager 2.

Willis McCoy: I currently have in my HUD: # of Big Blinds / VPIP % / Pre-Flop Raise % / 3bet % / Fold to 3bet % / Steal % / Aggression Factor.

PokerSoftware: Do you utilize the drop-down menus in your HUD?

Willis McCoy: Yes, the drop-down menu is a very major part of what I like to call in-game pre- and post-flop analysis. I tend to use the drop-downs whenever I have to make what I call a business decision such as when to call, shove, 3bet, light 4bet, etc. This is usually my alternative option before actually confirming my play.

For example, if I see an active player open in the cutoff, my initial thought is to 3bet him most of the time. But, it may appear that an active player may be super light in this spot.

PokerSoftware: Do you use any of the other features in Holdem Manager besides the HUD?

Willis McCoy: Yes, and very heavily! For example, you can search and filter almost any situation or scenario to find out where you are most optimal.  As a default, I have found that I am most profitable when playing 19/13 VPIP/PFR to keep things simple. You can basically break down your entire action plan from pre-flop to river.  And Holdem Manager will show you exactly what your optimal numbers should be over the course of your sample size.

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