other necessity for a gambler to become a professional poker player is a good software package such as PokerTracker. Several websites portray PokerTracker as either the world's leading or the world's most popular poker tracking software. For example, Pokersource.com describes it as "the most popular poker tracking and analysis software available" and Party Poker describes PokerTracker as "the original and largest piece of poker tracking software". PokerSoftware.com says "Poker Tracker has been the industry standard ... for years". Total Gambler says that for more than a two-year period PokerTracker 2 was the "prominent force in online poker tracking", but at the time of its December 2008 review it speaks of this leadership position in the past tense, noting that PT3 had not yet been "fully released" at the time of its testing. Major online card rooms forbid the use of software that gives a player an "unfair advantage." This typically includes software that allows players to share their hole cards with other players during live play and software that automates decision making. Since PokerTracker software doesn't fit into either of these categories it is generally allowed on most sites, including industry leader PokerStars.com. Legality aside, some players feel the use of PokerTracker takes away from the game; for example, Victoria Coren of The Guardian remarks "there is only one downside [to using PokerTracker]. Where's the bloody fun in it?" Notes External links PokerTracker official site Poker tools Proprietary cross-platform software