Taking notes

[Jesus Lederer]

"Play the players, not the cards". This quote shows perfectly one of the most important skills at poker: playing according the situation.
In poker sometimes you´re forced to make decisions with the same hand you held some hands ago, but why now you´re going to play it differently? The answer is because poker is a game of situations. There are a lot of factors that may vary your decision. These factor are, for example, position, stack size, opponent´s style, his betting patterns, etc.
I want to stop in the last two. As you know, the styles are classified according two factors: the hand selection and how a player faces the betting rounds. According to the hand selection a player can be tight or loose, and accoding to betting styles a player can be passive or aggressive (of course a player can mix up all those styles).
In relation to betting patterns, they are called as the "real tells". They are a very important part of the game because you can figure out what is the strenght of a player´s hand by just watching the amount of his bet compared to previous ones in similar situations.
Having a good read of every player´s style and betting patterns it can really help you to make better decisions at the table, and the best way of having a read on each player is taking notes (in your mind, a paper or the notes available at every online poker software).

Well, after that completely unnecessary introduction, lets go to the important part: the questions (please try to answer them all, because i need that information):

1) Do you take notes every time you play?
2) Do you write a note every time there is a showdown?
3) Do you take any notes if there isn´t a showdown?
4) What do you write in the notes?
5) Do you follow a specific order like watching first the styles and then betting patterns?
6) How many times a player has to make the same play to write a note about that play?
7) Anything else you want to add...

p.s: i know that long time ago someone made a thread asking what do you write in your notes, but this time i want more detailed answers.

 

[tazztaz]

1) Do you take notes every time you play? no
2) Do you write a note every time there is a showdown? no
3) Do you take any notes if there isn´t a showdown? depends

4) What do you write in the notes? Any thing from " tight ag, loose , likes pairs, blufs , trys to buy out on a missed ", to , "dumb a$$ take his $ , scared $ won't call a reraise , easy targ , disaplined player ,

5) Do you follow a specific order like watching first the styles and then betting patterns? yes and no
6) How many times a player has to make the same play to write a note about that play? 1 or 3
7) Anything else you want to add... I like the fultilt notes I useualy don't even have to open the notes box to see what I said (except for purple) I don't use notes much , I play mostle tournaments (I don't seem to run into the same people to often) And I play so many sites I am not @ one site more than 2 or 3 days . I use them more @ ring tables , especialy higher limits , I seem to run into more repeats at them .

 

[diabloblanco]

I tend to have a really good memory so I rarely use the notes option when I play. I am the same with live as far as memory, I never forget a face/style of play to go with it. I have actually bumped into people I have played with in public places (a Target store once) and remembered them as a calling station and nothing more about them. Didn't speak or even acknowledge them, just noticed them in the same store.

 

[poettic1]

i hate to be this guy but i haven't taken a note in my life. to me the notes are a mechanism to jog your memory, but in alot of situations you notice these things anyway or the player adjusts his style to throw off the person paying close attention to them. don't get me wrong i think it is a beautiful concept for some poeple but it can't hold in most games. i can see notes being detrimental in a game you'll be playing the same ppl for a while, where you start to find a rythm, but once you find that rythm paper wont help. online is a memory game of quik desisions. and most ppl dont like to play the same way that wins them a hand.

poker is a game of gut feelings and the best paper will do is throw off your in place of pattern and if you can't trust your gut might as well give up poker

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

1) Do you take notes every time you play?

I'd like to say yes, but sometimes I'm lazy. Moreso in tournaments, for some reason.

2) Do you write a note every time there is a showdown?

Not necessarily. Sometimes the results a showdown can be predictable, in which case I pass. I may review the hand history and take a note if something of note has occured over the course of the hand, suck as "raised UTG preflop with ATo" or "limped in MP with AKs" or "slowplayed set on coordinated board" or something.

3) Do you take any notes if there isn´t a showdown?

Generally only of the "can be pushed off a hand(?)" or "tries incredibly bad and obvious bluffs" variety if someone has been aggressive then folded, for example.

4) What do you write in the notes?

Betting patterns. Any unusual play.

5) Do you follow a specific order like watching first the styles and then betting patterns?

I used to note down playing style, but Pokertracker and PokerAce basically do that for me.

6) How many times a player has to make the same play to write a note about that play?

Once if it's interesting enough. Plus if you don't write something about it the first time, then the second time you might have forgotten about the first time and so the second time in your mind will be the first time and AM I CONFUSING YOU YET???

7) Anything else you want to add...

I like bananas.

 

[diabloblanco]

Mmm..bananas.

 

[F Paulsson]

1) Do you take notes every time you play?
Often, but not always.

2) Do you write a note every time there is a showdown?
Not every time, no.

3) Do you take any notes if there isn´t a showdown?
Sometimes.

4) What do you write in the notes?
I try to limit to information I can use at a later time. Specifically, regarding SNGs, I can use information like "likes raising all-in with crap to steal blinds but slowplays AA" or "plays virtually no hands on the bubble". I don't bother putting in notes that someone is aggressive or tight, unless it's on the very extreme side.

5) Do you follow a specific order like watching first the styles and then betting patterns?
Sometimes I make a note of a specific hand, to get the feel for the player's attitude. Just because he raised 5xBB UTG with J9s once doesn't mean that's what he has this time - but it let's me know that he's capable of doing that.

6) How many times a player has to make the same play to write a note about that play?
Once.

7) Anything else you want to add...
I'm not crazy about bananas. I like pears, though, but I wish they weren't so sloppy. Sadly, the really good-tasting ones tend to be the sloppiest.

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

7) Anything else you want to add...
I'm not crazy about bananas. I like pears, though, but I wish they weren't so sloppy. Sadly, the really good-tasting ones tend to be the sloppiest.

I think I've created a monster.

 

[woodsy44]

In tourneys i dont think many people take notes due to the amount of people who are going out all the time. Plus you always get moved table, so writing notes on most players at your table will probably waste your time, as your bound to get moved onto a new table of new players.

P.S Im not really a pear man. Give me a good Kiwi fruit or a punnet of strawberries and ill be happy.

 

[Tammy]

While I don't bother taking notes online because I very seldom see the same players continually, I am wondering: is it acceptable to take notes while playing at a live table?

 

[Four Dogs]

I've heard that many of the top players have folders full of notes on other players. This has got to be from memory. Could you imagine taking notes on Phil Helmuth at the table.

 

[Tammy]

I've heard that many of the top players have folders full of notes on other players. This has got to be from memory. Could you imagine taking notes on Phil Helmuth at the table.

LMAO...If I ever got the oppurtunity (which I won't), I would do that just to wind him up. I don't dislike him, but I can't stand when he starts throwing his little fits...I can't stand sore losers and whiners....ah...that would be GREAT!

 

[XXIII]

1) Do you take notes every time you play? No I usually take notes when someone shows a huge tell or has only one set of play.

2) Do you write a note every time there is a showdown? See #1

3) Do you take any notes if there isn´t a showdown? See #1

4) What do you write in the notes? Aggressive Players and the hands they play. Also when at a final table I make a note that they are good enough to have been in the final table.

5) Do you follow a specific order like watching first the styles and then betting patterns? Style and cards they play.

6) How many times a player has to make the same play to write a note about that play? 3

7) Anything else you want to add...

 

[BigFish007]

Tagging the players who haven't played very long...

Newbie
- player folded when they could have checked
- checked the nuts in late position on the river


I love to tag the idiot who thinks he owns the tourny and can muscle everyone off their hand with nothing

Loose - Aggressive
- raises often with over bets
- plays in almost every pot
- great player to double up on

...and then there is me...lol

The Rock
- beware
-usually has a decent hand and ALWAYS WINS!!!!!!

 

[joosebuck]

i note in specific players that check a missed flop, bet a missed flop. i note if a player will bluff with more than 2-3 people in the hand besides him. i note if players fold to minbets if they miss the flop. i note their semi-bluff raise amount. i note if they limp monsters. i note if they bet or check missed draws. i note if they call with almost any odds to chase any draw. i note how they act when they hit their draw. i note a range of pp's they raise with if i get to see enough.

like dorkus, i used to note styles but since i bought PT and use gametime+ it does it for me.

 

[joosebuck]

oh and by betting or checking a missed flop, i mean that as in a continuation bet or checking a missed flop with something like AK