Top 5 Home Poker Cash Game Trackers
A cash game has one job that a tournament does not: at the end of the night, work out who owes whom, with the fewest possible payments. Everything else a cash tracker does is secondary to that. Here are five, compared on how well they do it.
For a one-off night, a general shared-expense app such as Splitwise or Settle Up nets everyone out fine. For a regular game where you want session history and player stats, a purpose-built poker tracker earns its place. For a group that also runs tournaments, use one tool for both.
The comparison
| Tool | Best for | Platform | Settle-up maths | History | Tournaments too | Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Club House | Groups running cash and tournaments | Web, mobile | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free plan |
| Splitwise | A one-off night, zero setup | iOS, Android, web | Yes | Generic | No | Yes |
| Settle Up | Groups who already use it | iOS, Android, web | Yes | Generic | No | Yes |
| Poker-specific ledger apps | Regular cash groups | iOS, Android | Yes | Yes | Usually not | Mostly |
| A spreadsheet | Total control, no app | Anywhere | Manual | Yes | Yes | Yes |
What a cash tracker actually has to do
Record every buy-in and top-up as it happens, with a running total per player.
Record cash-outs and flag when the table does not balance.
Net the debts into the smallest number of payments: not everyone paying everyone.
Keep session history, if the same group plays regularly.
Total buy-ins must equal total cash-outs. If they do not, someone has miscounted their stack or a buy-in was not recorded. A tracker that surfaces this before people leave saves an evening’s worth of messages the next day.
1. The Club House
Best for: groups who run both cash games and tournaments and would rather not use two systems.
Strengths: cash sessions sit alongside tournaments with the same player records, so the history is continuous, buy-ins, top-ups and cash-outs tracked live, with the settle-up worked out at the end. Limitations: needs an internet connection, and it is more system than a single cash night requires. Price: free plan available.
2. Splitwise
Best for: a one-off night with no setup at all.
Strengths: free, everyone already has it, and the debt-netting is exactly the calculation you need. Limitations: no poker awareness. You are entering numbers by hand, and there is no concept of a session, a table or a player’s history. Price: free, with a paid tier for extras.
3. Settle Up
Best for: the same job, for groups who prefer it.
Strengths: the same netting maths with a slightly different interface, and it works on the web as well as both mobile platforms. Limitations: identical to Splitwise. It does not know what poker is. Price: free, with a paid tier.
4. Poker-specific ledger apps
Best for: a regular cash group that wants stats.
Strengths: built around buy-ins, rebuys and cash-outs rather than generic expenses, usually with per-player session history and win rates. Limitations: the category changes constantly, quality varies widely, and most do not handle tournaments. Check reviews and recent updates before adopting one. Price: mostly free with ads or a small paid tier.
5. A spreadsheet
Best for: groups who want total control and no app.
Strengths: free, flexible, and it can hold years of history alongside your tournament results. Limitations: the netting has to be built by hand, and nothing warns you when the table does not balance. Price: free.
Running the ledger by hand
If none of the tools suit, the manual version is four columns and it is entirely sufficient.
| Player | Buy-ins | Cash-out | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Rivera | $100 | $185 | +$85 |
| S. Chen | $150 | $60 | −$90 |
| J. Lee | $100 | $105 | +$5 |
| Totals | $350 | $350 | $0 |
If your group also runs tournaments, ten apps for running a home game covers tools that handle both.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app for tracking a home poker cash game?
For a one-off night, a shared-expense app such as Splitwise handles the settle-up perfectly well. For a regular game where you want session history and player stats, a purpose-built poker tracker is worth the setup.
How do you settle up after a home cash game?
Total everyone’s buy-ins, total their cash-outs, and net the differences into the smallest number of payments. Check that total buy-ins equal total cash-outs before anyone leaves.
Why do the numbers not balance at the end of a cash game?
Almost always an unrecorded buy-in or a miscounted stack. Recording each buy-in as it happens rather than reconstructing it at the end prevents nearly all of it.
Can tournament software track cash games?
Some can; most specialise. Tournament tools are built around a clock and a fixed field, cash tools around buy-ins and settling debts. Check explicitly rather than assuming.
Your next step
If your group runs tournaments too, ten apps for running a home game covers both sides, and how to host a poker night covers the wider planning.
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