Hi HN! I built Poker Toolkit, a tool for poker players to build, test, and memorize their ranges (strategic hand selections). Here's my journey and what I learned:
The Problem:
Poker players need to memorize complex strategic decisions for different game situations. These decisions are represented as "ranges" - sets of hands they would play in specific scenarios. While existing tools help build these ranges, players struggled to effectively memorize and test their knowledge.
Development Journey:
I started building this for the French poker community, focusing first on the core range builder. Early users highlighted a critical need: they wanted not just to build ranges, but to actually test if they remembered them correctly. This led to developing a testing system that works like having a coach check your knowledge.
Technical Challenges:
Building an intuitive UI for hand selection that works smoothly on both desktop and mobile
Implementing efficient algorithms for range vs range equity calculations
Creating a testing system that could handle complex range comparisons while providing meaningful feedback
Balancing feature richness with performance, especially for the equity calculator
User-Driven Features:
Range builder interface that makes it easy to select and visualize hand combinations
Testing system: players input what they think their range should be, and get instant feedback
Range vs range equity calculator for strategic analysis
Integration of mental game concepts based on professional methodologies
Business Insights:
Started in French market to validate the concept
User feedback drove the expansion to English-speaking market
Offering a free tier proved crucial for adoption
Players value tools that help them learn, not just build
The tool is live at [your website] with a free tier available.
I'm particularly interested in feedback from the HN community on:
Technical implementation suggestions
UI/UX improvements
Additional features that could be valuable
Would love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions!
Hi HN! I built Poker Toolkit, a tool for poker players to build, test, and memorize their ranges (strategic hand selections). Here's my journey and what I learned: The Problem: Poker players need to memorize complex strategic decisions for different game situations. These decisions are represented as "ranges" - sets of hands they would play in specific scenarios. While existing tools help build these ranges, players struggled to effectively memorize and test their knowledge. Development Journey: I started building this for the French poker community, focusing first on the core range builder. Early users highlighted a critical need: they wanted not just to build ranges, but to actually test if they remembered them correctly. This led to developing a testing system that works like having a coach check your knowledge. Technical Challenges:
Building an intuitive UI for hand selection that works smoothly on both desktop and mobile Implementing efficient algorithms for range vs range equity calculations Creating a testing system that could handle complex range comparisons while providing meaningful feedback Balancing feature richness with performance, especially for the equity calculator
User-Driven Features:
Range builder interface that makes it easy to select and visualize hand combinations Testing system: players input what they think their range should be, and get instant feedback Range vs range equity calculator for strategic analysis Integration of mental game concepts based on professional methodologies
Business Insights:
Started in French market to validate the concept User feedback drove the expansion to English-speaking market Offering a free tier proved crucial for adoption Players value tools that help them learn, not just build
The tool is live at [your website] with a free tier available. I'm particularly interested in feedback from the HN community on:
Technical implementation suggestions UI/UX improvements Additional features that could be valuable
Would love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions!