Player notes (like on PokerStars)

How do you use them?

When do you add them? After a particularly telling hand, or do you wait until you have a larger sample size of hands to draw a conclusion about a player?

And how much do you trust them? Do you find yourself having to revise them when a player doesn't seem to be following "the script" you have for them?

I'm starting to dabble with them, and it seems as if they could be useful tools if done right.

Keeping notes on a player can be very valuable.
Especially if you are always playing the same games day after day.

If you get beat in a hand by someone just luck-boxing on you, make a note.
If you see a player consistently making the same move time and time again,
always defending their SB, making the standard raise every time they are on the button,
make a note

If you have a HUD going you can decide after a session to go back and look
at various players actions. You just might pick up some tells.
If you have one player who you just CAN'T beat, go over the hands played against them.
Did you play too aggressive and not see them showing strength?
Did you allow them to get to a winning hand on the river by trying to trap?

Then the next time you see them you will at least have some idea of their style.

Use the color coding on PS or FTP to identify the fishes, the sharks,
the loose and the passive player.
Pick one color to represent friends and one to mark the villains
but don't allow these notes to become a 'Bible' on how to play.

Notes are just another piece of information.

As far as how much should you trust them, it will depend on how much you trust your reads. If you see a BvB situation, and you see the SB pushing wide into the BB, try to see why. Is the SB just a maniac? Is the BB real tight and SB is abusing this? Whatever reason, make a note of it. If you see the same player only pushing tight in another game against a real loose BB, then you know the SB is a player who will adjust to different player types.

This is just one way notes can help you. If you use a HUD, you can often compare your notes to HUD stats.

Notes will be very helpful if you play a lot at the same stakes. You will eventually meet the rags again, and having a little info never hurts.

Dating notes is good too, as a player may play a lot better in a few months time.

make the notes and let incorporate them into your decision how to play against him. Call a raise, raise him, call AI etc.

I find noting stakes and/or game type helps. Your note at 10nl might not apply if you meet the player in a sng or a higher limit. I also like to note multi-tablers.

I always use notes if I noticed some particular habit/action/tell on my opponents. So I'll know next time when I play against them what type of move they're doing and with what particular hand.

I don't use the color coding but I think I'm gonna start doing it to select all the types of players

i use mostly colors, like red is for agresion, blue for extrimly strong cards minimum raises or yelow for complit donks ho push all in every hand LOL simply llove yelow one

I use the notes to keep in mind as does my opponent to see it next can pick your game and get the best result.
I see it as one more tool for a safer game.

I would say start right away, don't just wait for a pattern to emerge. This will get you in the habit of watching for playing styles they use, tricks they like, etc. Then, as you build up more info, you can start to classify them and try to predict what they have (EVEN WHEN YOU ARE Not in the hand).

Put Dates on your notes. If you play and make notes for a long time, then notes on your players from 1 or 2 years ago, might be out-of-date and their skill level/ playing style may have changed.

I beleive that notes are very useful and when you sit at a table you already have some important information about players.
I try to add all kind of info. The more you know the easier it'll be to take a decision. Also I like to put an opponent in one of a category by adding a particular color.

I use colour coding, and brief notes on 'memorable' players, just about anywhere I play. Carbon used to offer the icons, which I liked best. I did make notes on Carbon players, but soon after a major update or upgrading, my notes disappeared. I did lose a lot of what I thought was good info, on players.

I have 4 main colours, 1 for regs, 1 for fish, 1 for solid and 1 for recreational, they really help out if you play in the same games oftenly.
I only take notes on key hands which will help in the future. Theres no point putting something like 'called off whole stack with top pair on wet board', because how will this help you in the future. It should be something like there tendancies and patterns which you can exploit e.g. folds to cbets often. If he plays a hand really weirdly then summarise it by putting the board, his hand then the betting action with abbreviated words. You will then get in the habit of writing and reading them quickly.

I already finish colors to mark the opponents))))

Wow this thread is over 3 years old! Someone bumped it? I don't have color coding, but I don't like labeling people "fish" it's too vague.

I use notes like: Plays ATC, LAG, TAG, I put their hand ranges and how much they bet pre & post flop. I put if they are passive or aggressive and etc. I put notes if they are easily exploitable.

I liked some tips and I will try to incorporate into my game.
Generally describe some hands I see something interesting or some donkeys players who give raises in overbetting among other things.

if you copy the date into the clipboard before playing then you can CTRL V the date before you make a note... then when you've developed a system and realise that notes before a certain date weren't too helpful then you will know you can delete them safely... Years ago when I started taking notes... I had no clue and my notes were not specific enough and I ended up with notes I didn't understand or were irrelevant... try not to fall into that trap

Started using these recently and very helpful especially in cash games when frequent players are at the same stakes. Look for patterns...cards they raise pre-flop, when they try to steal pots, cards with they limp pre-flop...and then how the consequently bet after they see the flop. I tend to jot down sometimes the turn if they hit/miss when they fishing for their flush/straight and jot down the pattern if they miss, do they continue betting and all the cards that were shown at show-down. Best part, you get to review the hand and play it step-by-step and notice time frames as well. Can be important for reads.

For me notes are absolutely critical. I generally make a note when I see something indicative of overall style and tendencies (calling down OOP lightly with a bluffcatcher and such stuff).

And I just found out that you can take notes on players useful thing thanks to the author for this topic ...