Warning: I'm about to draw conclusions based on a small sample size.
That said, I've been finding that I win more in no limit games when the radar is turned off. When I let my PokerTracker headgear off and play my normal tight-aggressive game, I've been doing well.
And it's fun. It's nice to abandon the statistics and the computer-generated personality profiles of all my favorite fish. I like looking at my opponents as a mass of faceless fish who I don't even need information on.
Now, the most likely reason for this limited success without my data is that I play similarly with or without my real-time stats (I use PokerAce HUD, but Gametime+ and PlayerView.Net are also good programs). But I wonder if perhaps the statistical overlay actually hurt my game, in that I made decisions based on limited information.
Maybe you need more hands on file before you can reach a conclusion about no limit players. It could be that because there is generally less action on the turn and river in no limit games than in limit games, it takes a longer time to gather accurate information for statistical categories like Went to Showdown Percentage and Aggression Factor.
Don't get me wrong -- I've had a lot of success with making reads and acting on them based on the data. It's a very valuable tool, especially in limit hold 'em. But I'm not sure how useful that information is in the no limit hold 'em game.
For now, though, I'm happy to be making money while flying off the grid.
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I think there is some validity to this. It's not even so much having a "Luke, trust your feelings" mindset and turning off your targeting computer as being the Iceman in "Top Gun" and waiting for your opponents to make mistakes.
A large part of my bankroll was made not using the targeting computer with NL25 on Full Tilt and NL $.50/1 on Ultimate Bet previously and still on Sucky Room's (PokerRoom) and Eurobet's $1-1 NL.
Without PT, you can get a good feeling for how loose a player is at the table anyway.
The "no-limit" aspect of the game is a great equalizer -- it makes you more careful about betting but it also lets you get the correct value against inexperienced players.
For example, as a good NL player, you're not calling raises by bad players with marginal trap hands, like KQo, etc., anyway. One mistake (instead of several in limit) in NL and that person has lost all his chips -- and that's how you make your money.
If you have the PT on, you may be discouraged by the tight players as well -- but it doesn't mean they're any good at NL.
So, when some fish wakes up and plants a big bet on the river, it's easy to know what to do -- fold, provided you have a good reason to do so. And usually you will have good reason to do so.
That said, a little bit of information can be very helpful. I hunt Eurofish in the Crypto system using GameTime+ at shorthanded NL tables. There's nothing better than an 80 percent VP$IP player at a 6-max NL table. It's virtually guaranteed money.
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