How to Import Live Hands into Holdem Manager 3 (Step-by-Step)
You played a live tournament session, logged your hands, and exported them in PokerStars text format. Now you need to get those hands into Holdem Manager 3. Once your live hands are in HM3, you can filter by position, review streets, track your tendencies over time, and run the same analysis you rely on for your online game. If you have been looking for a clear guide on how to import hands into Holdem Manager 3 from live play, this is it.
For the full picture on exporting live hands to all major analysis tools — including PokerTracker 4 and Hand2Note — see our complete export and import guide.
The whole process takes under two minutes once you know the steps. Here is exactly how to do it.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you open HM3, make sure you have the following ready:
- A hand history file in PokerStars text format (.txt). This is the de facto standard accepted by Holdem Manager 3 and other leading analysis tools. If you logged your hands with a tool that exports in this format — like LiveHands — you already have what you need. The file contains every action, card, position, and bet size from each hand in a structured format HM3 can parse.
- Holdem Manager 3 installed and running on Windows. HM3 is a Windows-only application. If you have not set it up yet, HM3 offers a 14-day free trial with full functionality from holdemmanager.com. On first launch, HM3 will prompt you to create a database — accept the defaults and you are good to go.
- Your .txt file saved to a known location on your computer. Transfer it from your phone (email, Google Drive, direct file share — whatever works for your setup) and note the folder where you saved it.
That is everything. HM3 handles PokerStars format natively, so there is no conversion step, no reformatting, and no third-party tools required.
Step-by-Step: Import Your Live Hands into HM3
Step 1: Open Holdem Manager 3 and Go to the File Menu
Launch HM3. You will see the Reports tab by default in the main window. Click "File" in the top menu bar to open the dropdown. You will see two import options: "Import Files" and "Import Folder."
For importing a single hand history file or a few specific files, choose "Import Files." If you have saved all your exports in one folder and want to import everything in it at once, choose "Import Folder."
Step 2: Select Your Hand History File
If you chose "Import Files," a standard Windows file browser opens. Navigate to the folder where you saved your .txt hand history file, select it, and click "Open." You can select multiple files at once — HM3 will process them all in one pass.
If you chose "Import Folder," the file browser will ask you to select a folder rather than individual files. Point it at the directory containing your exports and click "Open." HM3 imports every valid hand history file in that folder.
HM3 also supports importing hand histories directly from .zip files, so if you have archived exports, you do not need to extract them first.
Step 3: Let HM3 Process the Import
HM3 reads the PokerStars-format file, parses every hand, and loads the data into your database. For a typical live session — say 10 to 30 hands — the import finishes almost instantly. Larger batches take longer, but even hundreds of hands process in seconds.
You can check your recent import activity through HM3's import history to confirm the hands were processed successfully.
Step 4: Verify Your Hands Imported Correctly
Go to the "Reports" tab — this is the default view when you open HM3 and the main interface for analyzing your data. Filter by date to find your newly imported session. You should see your live hands listed with full detail: positions, stacks, bet sizes, cards, and results.
Double-click any hand to open it in the replayer. Verify the action matches what you remember — the positions, the bet sizes, the cards. If everything checks out, your live hands are now part of your HM3 database, ready for the same analysis you run on your online hands.
Setting Up Auto-Import for Future Sessions
If you regularly import live hand files, HM3's auto-import feature saves you from repeating the manual steps each time.
HM3 monitors designated auto-import folders and imports new hand history files automatically while the software is running. To configure this, go to your site configuration settings and add the folder where you save your exported hand history files. You can also click "Auto Detect" to let HM3 scan for hand history directories on your system, or manually add a folder path.
Create a dedicated folder — something like "LiveHands Exports" — and always save your exported files there. Whenever HM3 is running and detects a new file in that folder, it picks it up and imports it automatically.
Tips for a Clean Import Workflow
Transfer your files the same way every time. Whether you use email, Google Drive, or a direct file share to get the .txt file from your phone to your Windows computer, pick one method and stick with it. A consistent workflow means you never lose a session's worth of data because you forgot where you put the file.
Name your files descriptively. If your hand logging tool does not name files automatically, rename them with the date and event — something like 2026-03-15-venetian-daily.txt. When you are reviewing your database months later, clear file names make it easy to trace a session back to a specific event.
Know how HM3 handles duplicates. By default, HM3 skips hands it has already imported. If you accidentally import the same file twice, the duplicate hands are not added again. If you ever need to re-import hands intentionally — for example, after a database rebuild — you can enable "Allow reimport of hand histories" in Tools → Settings → Import.
Keep your original files as backup. Once HM3 imports your hands, the data lives in the HM3 database. The original .txt files are no longer needed for day-to-day use, but keep them in case you ever need to rebuild your database or import into a different tool. HM3 also archives imported hand history files to C:\HM3Archive by default — a useful safety net.
What You Can Do After Import
With your live hands in HM3, you now have access to the same analysis capabilities you use for your online game:
- Filter by position to see how you perform from each seat at the table.
- Review specific streets to check your flop c-bet frequency, turn aggression, or river folding tendencies.
- Run reports across multiple sessions to spot patterns that a single hand review would miss.
- Use the replayer to step through hands action by action and evaluate your decisions with full context.
The more sessions you import, the more useful HM3 becomes. A single session gives you hands to review. Ten sessions give you data to analyze. Over time, your live database builds into something genuinely valuable — and that is when real study begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HM3 accept PokerStars format from sources other than PokerStars?
Yes. Holdem Manager 3 parses the PokerStars text format regardless of where the file came from. If the file is formatted correctly, HM3 imports it — whether it was exported from a hand logging app or downloaded from an online poker site.
Can I use HM3 on Mac?
No. Holdem Manager 3 is a Windows-only application. If you are on Mac, PokerTracker 4 is a comparable option that runs on both Mac and Windows. For a broader comparison, see our guide to the best live poker hand tracking apps.
How many hands can I import at once?
There is no practical limit for live play volumes. You can import a single hand or batch-import files containing hundreds of hands. For the volumes typical of live poker — even a full year of weekly sessions — the import is fast and HM3 handles it without issue.
I do not see my hands after import. What went wrong?
Check your filters in the Reports tab. HM3 may be filtering by game type, stake level, or date range that excludes your newly imported hands. Reset your filters and look again. If the hands still do not appear, confirm the .txt file is in valid PokerStars format by opening it in a text editor — the first line of each hand should start with "PokerStars Hand #" followed by the hand details.
Getting live hands from the table into your study workflow starts with capture. LiveHands lets you log hands at the table between deals and export them in PokerStars text format — ready to import into Holdem Manager 3. Try it free for 7 days.