Live Note Taking

[*TT*]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been pleasantly surprised at the small amount of attention my note-taking has gotten. I take a small notepad and simply make a one-line entry for each pot I enter telling me what I played, what position it was in, and how many small bets I won or lost. It only takes a second to write down 89o/SB/-2 or whatever. I still rely on memory to remember things about players, I just write down what I want to put in my database when I get home.

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I dont know how else to say it so I'm be blunt - your notes and your database has no redeeming value. You should be making notes of your session profit/loss, limit, and time - not notes of the size of each pot you enter, it doesnt matter how much you win/lose in a hand - thats just nitty. Additionally you should be making notes about the hand itself if you want to think about it in the future.

I recently advised someone who happened to post in this thread in private to take notes when a hand he is in includes a concept that I noted he was having problems with. So for the next few sessions he will record the action of every time he slowplays, check/raises, check/calls, or folds because "he doesn't have the right odds". With each notes he must describe his profile of the opponent. His goal will be to send each hand to me via PM, and we will discuss the ones where I can find a better course of action, and some we will repost in the strat forums for additional comments.

[Mike Gallo]

I'm considering just bringing one of those little mole skin notepads and using that to chart my progress

I used a Mead Five Star 5 1/2 x 3 1/1 200/400 sheet notebook.

Any suggestions? What kind of stats do you guys keep when playing live?

Excellent idea.

I keep the following stats, game I am playing in, date, time, amount of money I bought in for.

I then will write hands I played that I considered interesting or hands that I had what I thought at the time was a difficult decision.

I write the texture of the table as well, loose, tight, passive, aggressive, volatile meaning the table can go from tight passive to loose aggressive from one hand to the next.

I keep a notebook to evaluate my play, this forces me to play better and stay sharp.

::Edited after I read other posters responses::

Sad that we have so many closed minded posters who bashed op for taking notes. Those of you that made fun of the idea should reevaluate your stance.

Success is a journey not a destination, for every journey a person needs the following, a vehicle, a map, and fuel. The vehicle in this instance is poker, the fuel is a bankroll, and the map, is the knowledge.

In order to to journey towards success, one must map out or look at past journeys.

Keeping notes allows me to do this. I keep a journal for my career as well.

[pismeyer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have been pleasantly surprised at the small amount of attention my note-taking has gotten. I take a small notepad and simply make a one-line entry for each pot I enter telling me what I played, what position it was in, and how many small bets I won or lost. It only takes a second to write down 89o/SB/-2 or whatever. I still rely on memory to remember things about players, I just write down what I want to put in my database when I get home.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont know how else to say it so I'm be blunt - your notes and your database has no redeeming value. You should be making notes of your session profit/loss, limit, and time - not notes of each pot you enter. Additionally you should be making notes about the hand itself if you want to think about it in the future.

I recently advised someone who happened to post in this thread in private to take notes when a hand he is in includes a concept that I noted he was having problems with. So for the next few sessions he will record the action of every time he slowplays, check/raises, check/calls, or folds because "he doesn't have the right odds". With each notes he must describe his profile of the opponent. His goal will be to send each hand to me via PM, and we will discuss the ones where I can find a better course of action, and some we will repost in the strat forums for additional comments.

[/ QUOTE ]

It has to have some "redeeming value" for him or he wouldn't do it. In respect to his personal note taking, he could incorporate what you have mentioned. My personal notes are only of bad or unnecessary beats which I try to keep as simplistic as possible. And they have helped in similar situations that have come up. "Correct odds" play is an ongoing learning curve for me, and typically when I've misplayed a hand, the "odds" and math prove it's point.

P [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[dozer]

First time I played NL live I took notes, and a guy offered me $5, $10 and then $20 for the notes! I sold it to him as I was in Detroit and wouldn't be back for a long time.

I also took notes during a Caesar's Nooner about a year ago without anyone caring.

I think looking and acting like a nit has its benefits so long as you don't PLAY like a nit. Note taking qualifies.

[ill rich]

this is counterproductive to winning i think

the money in poker comes from the weak players

they'll be turned off by note taking, and you'll get action by inspiring them to play better against you

don't do this

[Jimbo]

I have an IPAQ with enough memory on an SD card to record a 12 hour session. Ocassionally I'll just turn it on and record everything that is said at the table and if I feel the need to review it later I do. Having found in the past that my incessant chatter at the table can be "too informative" I use the recordings both for interesting hands, session data and to reinforce my need to not give away too much info during key hands.

Jimbo

[PokrLikeItsProse]

I played recently with an elderly gentleman who appeared to be counting how many flops came paired, suited, two-suited, etc. I'm not sure why. Maybe he was trying to predict the flop.

[*TT*]

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I played recently with an elderly gentleman who appeared to be counting how many flops came paired, suited, two-suited, etc. I'm not sure why. Maybe he was trying to predict the flop.

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former baccarat player I'm sure. Most guys who record each and every pot involvement like the poster earlier in this thread also tend to be the superstitious and overly tight type, which may be a similar trait to your flop predicting opponent.

[bav]

[ QUOTE ]
former baccarat player I'm sure. Most guys who record each and every pot involvement like the poster earlier in this thread also tend to be the superstitious and overly tight type, which may be a similar trait to your flop predicting opponent.

[/ QUOTE ]
I once asked an old guy who was taking copious notes on every hand (not just those he was in) why. He was looking for patterns. He explained, you see, that sometimes patterns are tougher to spot than just 6's hitting a lot, or clubs coming out a lot, so you really need to write down the board cards and your own cards to pick out the more subtle stuff.

[pismeyer]

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He was looking for patterns.

[/ QUOTE ]
How would know the "pattern" was coming, even with his notes?

P [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]