Most players keep their session record one of four ways: a
purpose-built tracker like dealt.win, a spreadsheet, the notes app
on their phone, or plain memory. Every method on this page works —
and each has a real weak spot, dealt.win's included. The comparison
sticks to record-keeping: what setup takes, how each method handles
offline use, and how the costs and comps around a session get
counted.
One note up front: whichever you pick, the method can only count
what you record. No app or formula can recover a hand, a parking
fee, or a comp that never made it into the log.
dealt.win — a purpose-built tracker
Setup effort — low. Open the site and start a session;
there is no account to create and no template to build. The
fields are fixed for you: bets, table buy-ins and cash-outs,
trip costs, comps.
Offline use — full. It is an offline-first app: every
entry is stored on the device as you tap it and syncs when a
connection returns. No signal at the table is fine.
Costs & comps — built in. Costs subtract and comps
add back on their own, and the all-in net (session net − costs
+ comps) is computed per session and over time, in the currency
you played in.
The catch — it is a new tool to learn and trust, and
there is no account: history is tied to one browser's private
device ID, so a new phone or browser starts empty. The
structure is fixed — no custom columns — and photos stay on the
device that took them.
A spreadsheet
Setup effort — high. You design the ledger yourself:
columns for date, venue, game, buy-in, result, costs, comps —
plus the formulas that total them. That flexibility is the
spreadsheet's whole advantage.
Offline use — good on a desktop, clumsy at the table.
Desktop spreadsheet apps work offline; editing a cell on a
phone mid-session is slow, and one wrong tap can break a
formula quietly.
Costs & comps — as good as you build. Add the
columns and the math and a spreadsheet can model anything —
but nothing is computed until you build it, and nothing warns
you when a formula drifts.
The catch — maintenance. You are the formulas' only
proofreader, usually after the fact, and small errors can turn
the record into something you no longer trust without
re-checking it by hand.
A notes app
Setup effort — none. It is already installed; open a
note and type.
Offline use — mostly fine. Notes work offline and sync
through your account when a connection returns.
Costs & comps — recorded but not tallied. "Lost 200,
parking 12, buffet comp" captures the facts; the arithmetic is
on you, by hand, every time.
The catch — no structure. There are no totals, no
per-session nets, and no trends unless you re-read and
re-compute, and session notes sink among grocery lists and
everything else.
Memory
Setup effort — zero.
Offline use — perfect. It is always with you.
Costs & comps — the first things forgotten. Wins
stay vivid; the parking fee, the second buy-in, and the comped
meal quietly drop out, and the recall flatters itself a little
more each week.
The catch — there is no record at all. No per-session
truth to check yourself against, and no history to show the
pattern over a season.
Where dealt.win falls short
For balance, this tracker's own limits, in full:
It is a new app to learn and trust — your spreadsheet or notes
app is already in your pocket.
No account, by design. History is tied to the private device
ID generated in one browser; a new phone or browser starts
empty, and entries lost before a sync cannot be recovered.
Export a CSV now and then if the record matters to you.
Photos are device-local and never sync, so they do not follow
your history to another device.
The structure is fixed — nine game types, built-in cost and
comp categories, one ledger shape. Any column dealt.win does
not have is a point for the spreadsheet.
Multi-currency totals roll up at one exchange rate you type in
yourself — not live rates.
It counts only what you log — a limit every method shares,
stated here so it is on the record.
Which method fits?
If you want totals computed for you and the least friction
mid-session, that is the case for a purpose-built tracker. If you
want full control of the columns and the analysis, and do not
mind building and maintaining them, the spreadsheet wins. If the
realistic choice is between a quick note and nothing, take the
note. And whichever you pick, the method you actually keep up
beats the better one you abandon.
Ways-to-track FAQ
Is a spreadsheet better than an app for tracking sessions?
Neither wins outright. A spreadsheet gives you full control and
custom analysis if you build and maintain it; a purpose-built
tracker like dealt.win computes the totals for you with almost
no setup, but keeps a fixed structure. The trade-offs are listed
on the page.
Does dealt.win work offline?
Yes. Every entry is stored on your device the moment you log it,
and your history syncs automatically once you are back online.
No signal at the table is fine.
What happens to my history if I lose my phone?
There is no account to log back into. History is tied to a
private device ID generated in that browser, so a new phone or
browser starts empty. Export a CSV now and then if the record
matters to you.
Can I move my data into a spreadsheet later?
Yes — dealt.win exports your session history as CSV, which any
spreadsheet opens. There is no import going the other way, so
switching from a spreadsheet starts fresh.
Is this page gambling advice?
No. It compares record-keeping methods only: what setup takes,
offline use, and how costs and comps are handled. dealt.win never
takes a bet and publishes no playing advice.