Short answer
To import your hands into PokerDataOS, upload your No Limit Hold'em hand histories as one or more .txt files, a ZIP or a folder. The importer detects the room and format, validates and normalizes every hand, removes duplicates and shows how many hands are new, how many were already there and which ones failed.
What is a poker hand history?
A hand history is the text record a poker room keeps of every hand you play: positions, stacks, blinds, cards, every action on the preflop, flop, turn and river, the pot and the result. It is the raw material of any poker tracker. Without hand histories there are no stats, no leak detector and no hands to review.
Most rooms save these files automatically to a folder on your computer or let you export them from the client. PokerDataOS reads those files as they are, with no editing on your side.
Which files can I upload?
- .txt files, one or many at once.
- A ZIP archive with your hand histories, handy when you export months of play.
- A whole folder, such as your room's hand history folder.
Import is built for No Limit Hold'em in MTT, cash games and Spins. The room and format of each file are detected automatically, and room compatibility expands with every update. If a file is not supported yet, the import tells you instead of loading bad data.
What does the importer do with each hand?
- Detects the room and the hand history format.
- Validates that the hand is complete and consistent: players, blinds, actions and result.
- Normalizes the hand into one common format, so a hand from any supported room reads the same way in stats and in the hand replayer.
- Removes duplicates. Upload the same file twice or overlapping folders and repeated hands are never counted twice.
- Reports the outcome: new hands, duplicate hands and errors, so you know exactly what went in.
What happens to duplicates and errors?
Duplicates are the most common import mistake: uploading the same folder twice or mixing exports from overlapping months. Counted twice, they would inflate your sample and skew your stats. PokerDataOS identifies and drops them, and tells you how many it found.
Hands with errors, such as a file cut off mid-hand, are never half-loaded. They are reported separately so your database only holds complete hands.
What data is stored from my hands?
The hands you import are processed in your own browser. Opponent names, raw hand text and chat are not stored; for opponents, only the cards they showed at showdown are kept. What is stored are the facts of each hand that your stats and the hand replayer need.
What can I do after importing?
Imported hands power everything else: the stats engine and the leak detector are calculated from them, and the hand replayer plays them back street by street. Each plan includes a monthly hand import limit; you can compare them on the plans section. For a method to study all that volume, read how to analyze your hand histories.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install any software to import hands?
No. PokerDataOS runs in the browser. You upload the files from the app and they are processed in your own browser.
Can I upload several months of hands at once?
Yes. You can upload many .txt files at once, a ZIP or an entire folder. Repeated hands are dropped, so overlapping exports are not a problem.
What if my poker room is not supported?
The import tells you the file is not supported and does not load incorrect data. Room compatibility expands with every update.
Are my opponents' names stored?
No. Opponent names, raw hand text and chat are not stored. For opponents, only the cards they showed at showdown are kept.