Blog · Tutorial
How to export your PokerStars hand history: hands and tournament summaries (step-by-step)
On PokerStars.fr, there is no "export my history" button that hands you a single file. The client writes your hands to your computer session after session, in two separate folders. Once you know where they are and what they do, importing takes two minutes. Here is how to do it, along with the traps that waste your time.
Two folders, not one file
This is the real difference from other rooms. Betclic groups cash game and tournaments in one export, and Winamax keeps everything in a single folder. PokerStars separates what happened at the table from what the tournament paid you:
HandHistory — your hands
The full record of each hand: players at the table, cards, street-by-street actions, showdown and result. This is what produces your VPIP, PFR, 3-bet, leaks and costliest hands. Essential.
TournSummary — your tournament results
One file per tournament: buy-in, number of entrants, finishing place and payout. It contains no hands. Without it, your playing stats are still calculated, but your ROI and ITM can't be.
If you only play cash game, HandHistory is all you need. As soon as you play tournaments, you need both for the full picture.
The 5 steps, from setup to analysis
Turn on saving in the client
In the PokerStars client, open the options or settings and look for the hand history section. Enable saving to your disk and note the folder shown. The exact wording varies between client versions.
Play, and let the client write
The .txt files build up session after session. The client only saves what you play once the option is on.
Find both folders
On Windows they sit side by side, with one folder per nickname (paths below).
Import your hands
In FlopIQ, click "New analysis", choose PokerStars, then select the HandHistory folder at step 1.
Add your summaries
If you play tournaments, add the TournSummary folder at step 2: it extends your selection without replacing it. Then start the analysis.
Where to find the folders on Windows
With the PokerStars.FR client on its default setting, the files are here:
C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\PokerStars.FR\HandHistory\<your nickname>C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\PokerStars.FR\TournSummary\<your nickname>If you can't see AppData, that's normal: Windows hides it. Press Windows + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\PokerStars.FR and confirm. You land right in the correct place.
On Mac, or if you changed the save folder, don't search at random: the path shown in the client's options is the one that counts.
Why the import happens in two steps
A browser can't open two distant folders in the same selection window. So FlopIQ gives you two zones, one under the other: "Your hands" first, "Tournament summaries" second. The second is optional and adds to the first instead of replacing it.
Your files are read directly in your browser. There is no software to install and no database to set up, which also makes this method workable from a Mac as long as you can reach your folders.
What summaries change in your analysis
Hands show how you play. Summaries show what it earns. Without them, FlopIQ can't calculate your ROI or your ITM, and it leaves those fields empty rather than making up a number.
One note: the hand-by-hand "Single tournament" debrief isn't available for PokerStars at the moment. Your tournaments are covered as part of the full analysis of your history. And before drawing conclusions, remember you need a sufficient volume of hands for a stat to mean anything.
Common traps
The folder is empty
Saving probably was not on when you played, or the client writes elsewhere. Check the folder shown in its options before looking any further.
The client language
FlopIQ reads PokerStars histories in French and English. A client set to Spanish or German writes labels FlopIQ doesn't recognize yet: switch it back to French or English for your next sessions.
The tournament isn't over
A summary can be written while other players are still in. The place it shows is then provisional and can only get worse. Re-import the file once the tournament is over to get your final standing.
Variants and play money
The analysis covers real-money No Limit Hold'em. Omaha, limit and play-money hands are not counted.
Frequently asked questions
Where are PokerStars hands saved on my PC?
On the PokerStars.FR client for Windows, hands are in AppData\Local\PokerStars.FR\HandHistory, then in a subfolder named after your nickname. The AppData folder is hidden by default: the easiest way in is to type %LOCALAPPDATA%\PokerStars.FR in the Run window (Windows + R). If you changed the folder in the client, the one shown in its options is what counts.
Is the TournSummary folder required?
No. Without it, FlopIQ still analyzes all your tournament hands and calculates your playing stats. You only miss what depends on your results: your finishing place, payouts, ROI and ITM. If you mostly play tournaments, add it.
Can I recover hands played before I turned saving on?
They won't be in your folder, since the client never wrote them. PokerStars has historically let players request their hands from the client or through support, but the process depends on the version: check your client's help section. The simplest move is to turn saving on now.
Can I mix PokerStars, Winamax and Betclic files?
Yes, FlopIQ recognizes the room from each file's content, not its name. But the PokerStars import flow remains the easiest way to add your tournament summaries, since it accepts two folders in a row.
Folders ready? Analyze them.
Choose PokerStars in the import zone, add HandHistory then TournSummary, and get your score, quantified leaks and costliest hands. Your first analysis is free.
Analyze my hands for free →Free · Your files are read in your browser
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