Running a HUD without knowing whether your site allows it is one of the fastest ways to lose a bankroll that has nothing to do with bad cards. Heads-up display policy varies enormously from room to room, and several major platforms have flipped their rules within the past year alone, which means advice from even a recent forum thread can already be out of date.
Smart Bet Insider tracks poker platform policy the same way it tracks legislation and club-app agent risk — checking what’s actually written in current terms of service rather than repeating outdated assumptions. This guide breaks down which major poker sites currently allow third-party HUDs, which ban them outright, and how to read a site’s policy in more detail than a simple yes or no.
Why This Question Matters More Than It Used To
A HUD, or heads-up display, shows real-time statistics about your opponents pulled from hand history — VPIP, PFR, 3-bet frequency, and similar numbers layered directly over the table. Software that displays HUD stats is generally called a tracker, and the two terms get used almost interchangeably in poker.
Several rooms have shifted policy specifically in 2026, meaning the “does this site allow HUDs” question genuinely needs a current answer. Using illegal or unauthorized tracking software can lead to a closed account and seized funds, so confirming current policy before installing anything matters more than picking the “best” tracker.
Build a HUD Permission Matrix, Not a Yes/No List
A site’s answer to “are HUDs allowed?” can be genuinely misleading, because a HUD is only one part of the actual software-policy question. A more useful approach checks what data the tracker uses, what it does during play, and whether the rules change by format — PokerStars is a good example, permitting in-game statistical displays when they rely on information accumulated through your own play, while separately prohibiting datamining and the use of data acquired through datamining.
| Policy Layer | What to Verify |
| HUD | Can statistics appear while playing? |
| Data source | Own hands only, or opponent/database data too? |
| Tracker | Can PokerTracker/HM3 collect hands? |
| Datamining | Can historical hands be collected without playing? |
| RTA | Are real-time decision-making tools prohibited? |
| Automation | Are scripts, macros, or auto-clickers restricted? |
| Game format | Do fast-fold or jackpot games have additional rules? |
| Offline analysis | Can hands be reviewed after the session? |
“HUD allowed” doesn’t mean “everything PokerTracker does is allowed.” PokerStars specifically lists PokerTracker 4 and Hold’em Manager 3 among permitted tools, while separately prohibiting datamining, real-time advice, and software that reduces a player’s need to make their own decisions. Its current terms define datamining as collecting hands, results, statistics, or feeds by observing games without playing, and explicitly prohibit using information obtained that way — a distinction most “HUD: yes/no” summaries flatten out entirely.
For each room, record the exact permission boundary rather than a single yes or no. That’s what separates a site where you can run a HUD based only on your own hands from one where third-party databases, automated features, or specific game formats create additional restrictions layered underneath the headline answer. Always check a room’s current tool policy directly before playing, since these rules shift often and change without much notice.
Site-by-Site HUD Policy
The table below reflects current policy as of mid-2026, though site terms can and do change.
| Site / Network | Third-Party HUD Status | Built-In Alternative |
| PokerStars | Allowed, with restrictions | None (relies on approved third-party tools) |
| GGPoker / ClubGG | Banned | Smart HUD |
| Winning Poker Network (ACR, PokerKing, Black Chip) | Allowed, with format restrictions | None |
| 888poker | Allowed, with exceptions | Gameplay HUD |
| iPoker Network | Allowed | Built-in HUD available |
| Winamax | Allowed | Built-in HUD available |
| CoinPoker | Banned (since June 2026) | Built-in HUD |
| WPT Global | Banned | None |
| BetRivers Poker | Effectively banned | HeroIQ HUD |
| Ignition / Bovada | Banned | None |
PokerStars: Allowed, But Only Specific Software
PokerStars is the biggest example of a room that permits HUDs under real constraints. They allow common trackers like PokerTracker 4, Hold’em Manager 3, and DriveHUD 2, but prohibit advanced or automated features that cross into real-time assistance rather than passive stat display — exactly the RTA and datamining distinction the permission matrix above is built to catch.
GGPoker and ClubGG: Built-In Only
GGPoker bans third-party HUDs and trackers outright, enforced under its network Security & Ecology Policy, and instead gives every player the same built-in Smart HUD showing limited stats by default. Because ClubGG shares GGPoker’s underlying network and its terms restrict reverse-engineering the client, the same no-third-party-HUD posture is understood to extend to ClubGG even though it isn’t spelled out verbatim in ClubGG’s own terms.
Winning Poker Network and 888poker: Allowed With Format Carve-Outs
Trackers can be used on Winning Poker Network — which includes Americas Cardroom, PokerKing, and Black Chip Poker — as long as the software only pulls data through approved channels rather than reading the client directly, though fast-format games like Spin & Go-style tournaments and jackpot sit-and-gos are typically excluded. 888poker follows a similar pattern, permitting HUDs on most game types alongside its own built-in Gameplay HUD, with the same general exception for jackpot-style formats.
iPoker and Winamax: Allowed Alongside Built-In Tools
Both iPoker and Winamax have built functional in-house HUDs while still allowing third-party trackers to run alongside them, giving players a choice rather than forcing a single option. This dual approach is less common than an outright ban or an outright allowance, and reflects networks that haven’t treated third-party tools as enough of a threat to restrict.
CoinPoker: A Site That Changed Its Mind Twice
CoinPoker’s HUD policy history is a useful case study in how fast these rules move. The site allowed third-party HUDs until its own built-in tool was ready, then banned them once that in-house HUD launched — a cycle GGPoker went through years earlier. As of a June 2026 terms update, CoinPoker now explicitly prohibits heads-up displays, statistical overlays, tracking software, hand-history analysis overlays, population tendency displays, and opponent profiling systems used in connection with gameplay, relying instead on its own integrated HUD.
WPT Global, Ignition/Bovada, and Newer No-HUD-From-Day-One Rooms
WPT Global and Ignition/Bovada both prohibit third-party overlays entirely, with no permissive phase ever offered. A number of newer rooms launched between 2024 and 2026 — including Stake, Phenom, and BCPoker — have skipped the “allow trackers, then build our own and ban them” cycle altogether, rolling out a HUD ban from their very first day of operation.
Regulated US Sites and Club Apps Are Different Categories
Regulated U.S. platforms like BetRivers Poker have followed the built-in-tool pattern, offering their own HeroIQ HUD rather than permitting outside tracking software, broadly consistent with how licensed operators tend to favor tighter client control over third-party integrations. Mobile club apps like PokerBros and PPPoker sit outside that framework entirely — rules are set at the club and agent level as much as the app level, so “does this app allow HUDs” is a less reliable question than “does this specific club allow HUDs.”
Why Policy Keeps Shifting
The broader pattern across 2026 is that major rooms are increasingly replacing third-party HUD access with their own built-in statistics tools rather than negotiating complicated third-party approval processes. GGPoker set this precedent years ago, CoinPoker has now gone through the cycle twice, and newer rooms are launching restricted from day one instead of following the older playbook of allowing trackers early to build traffic and banning them later.
That trend makes it worth checking policy fresh — and checking the full permission matrix, not just the headline answer — before buying tracker software. Smart Bet Insider keeps tabs on these policy shifts across major platforms, since a site that permitted PokerTracker last season may have quietly followed CoinPoker’s playbook by the time you’re ready to install one.
The Bottom Line: Read the Terms, Not the Forum Thread
HUD policy in online poker has genuinely fragmented — PokerStars and Winning Poker Network remain the most HUD-friendly major rooms, GGPoker and ClubGG rely entirely on their shared built-in Smart HUD, and a growing list of newer platforms including CoinPoker, WPT Global, and Ignition ban third-party trackers outright. The direction of travel across 2026 points toward more rooms building their own tools and closing the door on outside software rather than the other way around.
Before spending money on PokerTracker, Hold’em Manager, or Hand2Note, map the full permission matrix for your specific site — HUD, data source, datamining, RTA, automation, and format rules — rather than assuming a single yes or no covers everything the software does. If you play across multiple rooms or club-based apps, expect the answer to differ platform by platform rather than settling on one universal rule.
FAQs
Does GGPoker allow HUDs?
No — GGPoker bans third-party HUDs and trackers outright under its network Security & Ecology Policy. It provides every player the same built-in Smart HUD instead, showing a limited set of stats by default.
Does PokerStars allow tracking software?
Yes, with restrictions. PokerStars permits common trackers like PokerTracker 4, Hold’em Manager 3, and DriveHUD 2 when they rely on your own accumulated hand data, but prohibits datamining, real-time assistance, and software that reduces your own decision-making.
What’s the difference between a HUD ban and a datamining ban?
A HUD ban means no statistical overlay can appear during play at all, while a datamining ban specifically prohibits collecting hand data by observing tables you aren’t playing at, or using data collected that way. A site can allow one while restricting the other, which is why checking the full permission matrix matters more than a single yes/no answer.
Is CoinPoker still HUD-friendly in 2026?
No — CoinPoker banned third-party HUDs, statistical overlays, and tracking software as of a June 2026 terms update, after previously allowing them. The site now relies on its own built-in HUD, which displays stats like VPIP and PFR directly in the client.
Does Winning Poker Network (ACR) allow HUDs?
Yes, generally — Winning Poker Network permits trackers on most cash games and tournaments, though certain fast-format games like jackpot sit-and-gos are typically excluded from HUD use. Software must pull data through approved channels rather than reading the client directly.
Are HUDs allowed on regulated U.S. poker sites?
Generally no for third-party tools — regulated platforms like BetRivers Poker tend to offer their own built-in HUD, such as HeroIQ, rather than permitting outside tracking software. This mirrors the broader trend of licensed operators favoring in-house tools over third-party client access.
If my site bans third-party HUDs, is there a legal alternative?
Yes — bankroll trackers, hand-history reviewers, solvers, and equity calculators used away from the table are always legal since they don’t interact with the live poker client in real time. Many banned-HUD rooms also offer a built-in in-client alternative, like GGPoker’s Smart HUD or CoinPoker’s integrated stats, that stays within the room’s own rules.