A clock in a browser tab, or a platform in the whole room.
Blind Valet is a capable web-based tournament clock with league features. Poker Hawk is a native cross-platform system with a free app for every player. Here is where they differ, honestly.
Both are modern. Only one puts the tournament in everyone's pocket.
Blind Valet deserves credit: it modernized the web tournament clock, it runs in any browser with zero install, its blind and payout calculators are genuinely good, and its free tier is a real free tier. For a host who wants one browser tab on a laptop plugged into a TV, it is a reasonable pick.
The difference is architectural. Blind Valet is a page you open; Poker Hawk is a system the room shares. Native desktop apps for Mac and Windows host the event, every player follows the live clock, their seat, stack, and payouts on their own free iOS/Android app, and native Fire TV / Google TV apps carry the display — all synchronized in real time, with the host clock running local-first through Wi-Fi blips.
Beyond game night, Poker Hawk keeps a living club: rosters, RSVPs and self check-in, a social feed where results post automatically, leaderboards, badges, and lifetime stats. Blind Valet tracks league standings; Poker Hawk runs the league.
What native + synced buys you over browser-only.
The gaps below are structural — they come from being a platform with apps rather than a website with a timer.
Free player app
Every player gets the live clock, their seat, stack, and projected payout on their own phone — not just the host's screen.
Native TV apps
Fire TV and Google TV apps for the room display. No laptop-to-TV cable, no browser tab in kiosk mode.
Local-first clock
The host clock keeps running through Wi-Fi drops and resyncs devices automatically. A browser tab is only as reliable as its connection.
Seating & table balancing
Auto-balance and collapse tables as the field shrinks; players get their new seat on their phones.
RSVPs & self check-in
Club links, RSVPs, and door check-in from the player's own device — no host data entry.
A club, not just standings
Social feed, announcements, auto-posted results, badges, and lifetime stats alongside the leaderboards.
Native desktop hosts
Real Mac and Windows apps for the person running the night — faster, offline-resilient, and built for live control.
Players never pay
The player experience is free forever on every platform. Hosts fund the game — same model, more for the money.
The head-to-head table.
Based on publicly documented Blind Valet features as of 2026. Trademarks belong to their owners; tell us via Support & Feedback if anything here is out of date.
| Feature | Poker Hawk | Blind Valet Browser-based · free tier + subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in any browser | ||
| Native Mac + Windows host apps | ||
| Free iOS + Android player apps | ||
| Native Fire TV / Google TV apps | ||
| Real-time sync to every device | ||
| Blind structure calculator / editor | ||
| Payout calculator | ||
| Auto table balancing + seat pushes | ||
| RSVP + self-serve check-in | ||
| League standings | ||
| Club feed, badges, lifetime stats | ||
| Free tier for hosts | trial |
Poker Hawk vs Blind Valet — the honest answers
Including where Blind Valet is the right call.
When is Blind Valet the better choice?
Aren't browser-based tools more convenient than apps?
How do the prices compare?
Do my players need to install anything?
Can Poker Hawk generate a blind structure for me like Blind Valet does?
Related
The legacy Windows incumbent.
The whole field, ranked honestly.
Structures, antes, and breaks in depth.
What free actually covers.
Academy guide to structure design.
Host plans and Founder pricing.
See it live
Run one night with the whole room in sync.
Free trial, no card required. If a browser tab still feels like enough after that, no hard feelings.