Making notes

[Jeffers70]

Hi people,
Just wondering if anyone could offer any advice on making player notes. They obviously need to be as short and concise as possible, without putting whole hand histories in as you need to refer to them while playing so you don't want to be reading a novel on someone. I use shark scope so know who is winning and who is a fishy, but what do people actually write in their notes?

Any advice on a style that holds as much info as poss in an easy way would be welcome. I sometimes find "nice bloke, bit of a fish" in my notes and thats not always helpful lol. Also how helpful do you find aids like shark scope and how do you use them to help your notes? Good luck at the tables

[scrawnybob]

hi Jeffers

I find it depends from site to site - some are easier to make quick notes at (I really like carbon for this) and others are better to work on a colour code system (eg. pokerroom or fulltilt)

I try to keep some method but its very flexible - I generally try to note a general style if they are consistent and unable to change gears

I also have a very simple "watch" note - this may begin to tie in with addition notes - but it just gives me a signal to watch out for them - either because I think there is more to their play / they were a bit tricky or that they were a bit random - but not an instant donk note player

also if I see certain key type hands (eg. AA, KK, KA, 88 or mid pairs, Ace rag, low pairs, QQ / JJ /10 10) played in certain ways I can either take advantage of or avoid then these are really handy

if you have notes like - consistent 4x BB raise or re-raise any position on big PP a-10 that tells you alot when you come back to a game

also you migh find some of our article on making notes useful ...

Win More Making Poker Player Notes

cheers scrawnybob

ps. I think any notes are useful and worth doing whatever you can - if you put it in an order of importance even better

I keep the first line for a general description / judgement on the player - eg. Shark, Muppet, Loose Aggressive, Tight ABC, Passive, Tricky or WATCH

then add hand notes below for detail

[Jeffers70]

Thanks for some good advice scrawnybob. Anyone else have anything to offer?

[xxmommaxx]

When I first started playing online, I did try to keep a lot of notes on people and they did help sometimes, but I also noticed that some of the people had changed their playing style so, when I was ready for a fish, I would sometimes discover that they had grow up into a shark!

So, now I date my notes too, so I can be aware if it has been awhile since I'd played particular person and to watch them closer for any changes in their play.

I too, like Carbon Poker's player notes features. They help if you want a quick note when your too busy playing one too many tables. It's better than no reminder at all, when you forget to write one before the person is gone.

[Mike47321]

i dont really use the notes that often unless its a final table or just a normal table at higher stakes...just watch how they play and base that on what they have, how they play it before they had it, when they got it, and after they got it...how they play out of the blinds, etc. there are a lot of things to watch, but i usualy look for the big stack bully and go to work, otherwise just go to work.

[Hektar]

Player notes can be a treacherous handicap. I used to be a religious note taker ... but I have changed my policy since. Players change, notes don't. I could have very detailed notes on a specific player that don't have any correlation to how the player is playing RIGHT NOW.
Now I make very simple notes on players, and force myself to make more active mental notes at the table.
This has not only helped my online game, but carried over to live play as well.

[luzipher]

I am very lazy and I didn't take notes when I know that I must have done.
Sometimes I'm in the same table with a player that I already saw, I remember that but I don't remember if he/she was a gambler, a very thight player, nothing!
In this moments I says to myself: why I didn't take those f***** notes!!!

Notes are very important, even more when you don't have a good memory like mine!

[derringer007]

I also am lazy. I will at least write a note if i played them before. If i take notes i keep it simple, tight/loose ( see every flop) aggressive. And if they make it in the $$. Some players are gone before i can write anything I don't worry about them.