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Ok, a few quick caveats to my post,
First, I'm a professional Poker Journalist, and I've been playing poker for longer than I care to remember. Second, I've used a HuD ever since I took online poker even remotely seriously.
HuDs are a valuable tool for every player, regardless of how seriously they take poker, but they do not impact individual hands, or the outcome of those hands in any significant way. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I'll try to explain.
All of the information a HuD collects while you play is information that is available to you already. A player at a live cash game will already have a very good idea about who is raising pots, and who is open limping. You get to know the table as you play, and you may play against the same players week in and week out, so you should have a better understanding of their game. That's what the HuD does online, it captures that information. Where a HuD really comes into it's own is to allow a player to sit at more tables, and not be at a serious disadvantage against the player who is sitting at only one. If anyone here has ever tried to multitable without a HuD, you know what I'm talking about, it's close to impossible to do it and stay as a winning player (some people I know can do it with 4 tables, but they are freaks).
People have been talking about sample sizes, and they are right to do so. For the length of most recreational players sessions, they are going to play maybe 1-200 hands at a single table tops. From that, you can only really take into consideration PFR (Pre Flop Raise) VPiP (Voluntary Put in Pot) and maybe 3 bet %. Any half decent player is going to have that information for a table playing the same amount of hands live. Given the size of most online player pools, you may never see most of these players again at your table, especially if you are only playing 1 at a time. HuDs have a very limited impact on any single hand.
Where a HuD really comes into it's own is away from the table. When you review your game (and any good grinder is going to spend a lot of time analysing their game) the statistics from a HuD can show you where you are losing money. Do you 3 bet light too often? Do you call out of position in three bet pots too often? Are you folding too often to aggressive players? This tool can really help analyse a players game, and the only information it uses is freely available Hand Histories.
The only thing a banning of HuDs would really cause is a drop in volume for players, and grinders having to play at a higher level to make rent. Volume is where the money is in this game, for both the player, and the operator. This actually hurts recreational players. It's going to be really hard to find a $0.01/$0.02 game on some sites, because all of the Russian multi table grinders are gone. The backbone of the online market is still the grinder, they hold open the games. the flesh however is the recreational players, who attach to that backbone.
Players who don't understand HuDs are understandably scared of them, but they really aren't the bad part of online poker. Collusion, poor operators, and unsustainable rake are all much more important, but because they aren't discusser out in the open, they get a lot less press.
There are issues with the market, but HuDs are not part of the problem.
First, I'm a professional Poker Journalist, and I've been playing poker for longer than I care to remember. Second, I've used a HuD ever since I took online poker even remotely seriously.
HuDs are a valuable tool for every player, regardless of how seriously they take poker, but they do not impact individual hands, or the outcome of those hands in any significant way. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I'll try to explain.
All of the information a HuD collects while you play is information that is available to you already. A player at a live cash game will already have a very good idea about who is raising pots, and who is open limping. You get to know the table as you play, and you may play against the same players week in and week out, so you should have a better understanding of their game. That's what the HuD does online, it captures that information. Where a HuD really comes into it's own is to allow a player to sit at more tables, and not be at a serious disadvantage against the player who is sitting at only one. If anyone here has ever tried to multitable without a HuD, you know what I'm talking about, it's close to impossible to do it and stay as a winning player (some people I know can do it with 4 tables, but they are freaks).
People have been talking about sample sizes, and they are right to do so. For the length of most recreational players sessions, they are going to play maybe 1-200 hands at a single table tops. From that, you can only really take into consideration PFR (Pre Flop Raise) VPiP (Voluntary Put in Pot) and maybe 3 bet %. Any half decent player is going to have that information for a table playing the same amount of hands live. Given the size of most online player pools, you may never see most of these players again at your table, especially if you are only playing 1 at a time. HuDs have a very limited impact on any single hand.
Where a HuD really comes into it's own is away from the table. When you review your game (and any good grinder is going to spend a lot of time analysing their game) the statistics from a HuD can show you where you are losing money. Do you 3 bet light too often? Do you call out of position in three bet pots too often? Are you folding too often to aggressive players? This tool can really help analyse a players game, and the only information it uses is freely available Hand Histories.
The only thing a banning of HuDs would really cause is a drop in volume for players, and grinders having to play at a higher level to make rent. Volume is where the money is in this game, for both the player, and the operator. This actually hurts recreational players. It's going to be really hard to find a $0.01/$0.02 game on some sites, because all of the Russian multi table grinders are gone. The backbone of the online market is still the grinder, they hold open the games. the flesh however is the recreational players, who attach to that backbone.
Players who don't understand HuDs are understandably scared of them, but they really aren't the bad part of online poker. Collusion, poor operators, and unsustainable rake are all much more important, but because they aren't discusser out in the open, they get a lot less press.
There are issues with the market, but HuDs are not part of the problem.
+1
(I posted like this as I had an opinion on what I would do, but was interested to see everyone's thoughts with the info given). 
