Online stats

Last night I finally stumbled across the program Poker Tracker which I have been meaning to look in to for years. I have always played Bodog and it didn't support the site but now that I'm on Full Tilt I can use it. Basically Poker Tracker keeps track of everything that goes on at the table and then conveniently keeps a huge database of every hand you've seen or played in. It starts to categorize players based on certain statistics that they show including money voluntarily put into the pot, pre flop raise %, agression ((% raise + % bet)/ %call). Theres a plethora of categories but ultimately you end up with a pretty good picture of what kind of player you are against. I even downloaded a helper program that puts icons on the players I'm playing with to show (such as a rock, eagle (for tight agressive), fish, etc). The program lays all the stats and a players tendencies right on the actual table.

All of this probably sounds technical but it is really not. Poker is like many other things in life where you can side with the statistics or you can go with your instinct. The more I played with Poker Tracker the more I found myself not paying attention to people at the tables because the program was doing it for me. After a couple rounds of blinds (or previous sessions with the same players), my screen was filled up with rocks, eagles and other icons telling me the tendencies of every player at the table. This is so helpful that I have already seen an increase in my results but I feel like part of the game is lost. What are your thoughts on this? Have you heard about these programs? Part of me feels like the game is about people but the other part thinks that taking any advantage possible (aside from cheating) is the survival of the fittest.