Ignition Configuration Guide (Bovada/Bodog)

PokerTracker 4 version 4.15.4
March 20, 2020
  • Overview

    The Ignition poker software does not save hand histories as you play, but PokerTracker 4 has an optional Ignition Hand Grabber App which generates hand histories.  For help with the Ignition Hand Grabber App please read this guide.

    PokerTracker 4 can import hand histories generated by the Ignition Hand Grabber App and store them in your database for review and analysis, and to provide a Heads Up Display (HUD) on your Ignition tables as you play.

    PokerTracker 4 can also import the hand histories which downloaded from the Ignition client software 24 hours after they are played.

    This guide is intended for users who wish to manually configure PokerTracker 4 to import hand histories from Ignition; alternatively you may choose to use the automated Setup Assistant.
    For general information on the initial setup of PokerTracker 4 please consult the PokerTracker 4 Quick Start Guide.

    PokerTracker uses the name "Ignition" to include all skins using the Ignition software - currently Ignition, Bovada and Bodog.

    Note: Hands can only be correctly grabbed when the App is already running when a table is opened.

    Please ensure that you run PT4 before you join Ignition tables.

  • Configuring Ignition in PokerTracker 4

    Please refer to the Ignition Hand Grabber App Guide for details of how to set up the hand grabber.  Hands need to be being generated as you play for auto import and the Hud to work, and without PokerTracker's Ignition Hand Grabber App this will not happen.
    The Ignition software needs to be installed in English for full PokerTracker support, but no other changes are required.

    Ignition now appears as a separate site in PokerTracker 4 (v4.15.4 onwards) and when the Ignition Hand Grabber App is running the hands can be imported automatically as you play, which also allows the Hud to be displayed on your tables.

    The simplest way to configure Ignition is to run through the Setup Assistant, which can be accessed from the PT4 menu Tools > Setup Assistant.  Make sure that Ignition is switched to YES on the Select Sites page, and then click through the steps.  The hand history folder will be detected automatically, and all you need to do manually is configure your preferred seat settings to match those you have in the Ignition software.

    Alternatively you can go to Configure > Sites & Import Options > Ignition and turn on the 'Get Hands From Site While Playing' option.

    The import folder will be detected automatically when the app is installed.

    Note: It is possible to change the directory which PT4 monitors for hand histories by clicking the ellipsis (three dots) button, but this will not affect where they are being saved to by the hand grabber app, so it should not normally be changed.  The directory can be reset to the correct path by clicking the Auto Detect button.

    If you use preferred seating in your Ignition software then select the appropriate table sizes in turn, and select the same seat that you use in the Ignition software.

  • Manual Import of Ignition Hand Histories
    • Importing Grabbed Hands

      If Play Poker > Get Hands While Playing was not used while playing the hand histories generated by the Ignition Hand Grabber App(*) can be imported later either by starting Get Hands While Playing, or by running the Setup Assistant from the Tools menu.  Any hand history files which weren't previously imported will be processed at this time.

      (*) The Ignition Hand Grabber App needs to be running before you start playing in order for hand histories to be generated.  If PT4 (and therefore the app) is not running while you play, no hand histories will be generated.

    • Manual Hand History Download

      The Ignition software allows you to download hand history files for hands that you play after 24 hours have elapsed, for about 1 week.

      These hand histories include the hole cards of all players, and if you import them into PT4  all of the hole card information will be available for analysis.

      Note: Because of the way that the player names are generated you will often get different opponent names when importing grabbed and downloaded hand history files.
      This is due to the observed hands before you sit in, and the extra hole card information in downloaded histories can't be applied when grabbed hands with different player names are already in the database.
      To work around this you can import the downloaded histories to a separate database for analysis.  Bear in mind that this information is of limited value though, because you won't know when you meet players again, and this is information that you did not have when you played the hand.

      To do this click on Account in the Ignition lobby; go to the Hand History page and choose Game Transactions.  Select your game type and the period you want to view.  On the right you will see buttons to allow you to download each session you played.

      The files will be downloaded to a "Hand History" folder within your Ignition skin's installation folder.  To find out exactly where the files were saved you can click the 'Open File' button which replaces 'Available for Download' once a file has been downloaded.  When this opens in your text editor you can use 'Save As' to see where the file is currently saved.

      Windows:
      This will either be "C:\<skin name>\Hand History" (your Ignition software install folder) or "%localappdata%\<skin name>\Hand History".

      macOS:
      It will be inside the application's contents like "/Applications/<skin name>.app/Contents/MacOS/Hand History".

      On macOS it is not possible for PokerTracker 4 to import the hand histories saved within the application, so please follow these directions:

      • Create a new folder outside of the application - this can be anywhere.
      • When you download new hand histories move the files into your new folder.
      • To do this, use Finder to navigate to the Applications folder and then right click on your Ignition/Bovada/Bodog application and select 'Show Package Contents' and then find the folder "Contents/MacOS/Hand History/<user>".
      • Move the files to your new folder then continue with the directions below.
    • Importing Downloaded Hand Histories

      To import these files into PokerTracker 4 go to the Play Poker tab and click Get Hands From Disk.  You can either choose to import from files in which case you will select the files that you want to import, or from a directory in which case any files in that directory or any sub-directory will be imported.

      Please ensure that the site software is running in English before you download your hand histories so that English hand histories are downloaded.  PokerTracker 4 does not understand histories in other languages, and only English histories will import.
      You can set the lanuage using the dropdown menu at the top of the lobby window.

      Tip!  If you do this regularly you may build up a large number of hand history files and importing the whole directory could take some time, so recommend moving the files to a different directory after you have imported them; for example moving them to a new folder in the 'Processed' folder alongside the hand history files which PT4 has auto-imported.  You can access this 'Processed' folder via the PT4 menu File > Open User Data Folder.

      When using the Ignition Hand Grabber, we must generate a unique anonymous name for each player. This is a function of the time of the first hand. Typically with grabber hands the first hand will happen before you start playing.
      However, when you download your hands, your downloaded hands only begin when you start playing so we are not able to generate the same anonymous player names.
       Since the player names do not match up; we are not able to match the hands and update the data with the information in your downloaded hands.
      Therefore, if you are attempting to import downloaded hands of which you have already imported in real-time using the Ignition Hand Grabber then you will need to purge those sessions in PT4 then reimport the hands.
      In PT4, via the File menu go to Database -> Purge Hands. Locate and select the sessions that you want to purge then click the ‘Purge Sessions’ button. Once the hands are purged, you can then import the downloaded Ignition hands in PT4 via Play Poker -> Get Hands From Disk.
      Alternatively you can create a separate database to import your downloaded hands into.