Taking notes?

[MagicRat]

Am heading to Vegas for my first significant B&M session. Was wondering how/if you guys take notes?? Do you do it during hands you've folded, wait until you're taking a break, wait until your session completely over?? I was thinking of taking a small (3-inch or so) spiral pad with me but is that too dorky?? /images/graemlins/confused.gif Thanks...

[Nightwish]

I would never take notes at the table. You might as well write "tight aggressive student of the game" on your forehead.

[Luv2DriveTT]

There was a guy in the movie Cincinatti Kid who took notes, and got creamed by Steve McQueen. I always wondered about that myself if it was allowed (not that I think it is wise to do in many situations)

In da Club /images/graemlins/club.gif

[RiverMel]

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is that too dorky??

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Yes.

[SinCityGuy]

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I was thinking of taking a small (3-inch or so) spiral pad with me but is that too dorky?? /images/graemlins/confused.gif Thanks...

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A miniature tape recorder works better. "The idiot in the three seat just cold-called a raise with jack-eight offsuit."

[bellzz]

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I would never take notes at the table. You might as well write "tight aggressive student of the game" on your forehead.

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You must evaluate his frame of mind and how he plays his cards first before labeling him.

Commerce 4/8: middle age dude sits down with a glass of wine and a notepad. Plays about two hands the first hour while talking up a storm (even had the floor called on him). Hmm...Tight aggressive and wanted to appear loose. Then the alcohol started kicking in. Relabel: Drunk ass fool who will raise anything LAG and still taking his notes. I was sitting in the 8 seat and he was sitting in the 6 seat and I could tell that his notes were turning into pretty much doodle.

To answer the original posters question, No I wouldn't take notes at the table.. I like the idea of tape recorder but keep it inconspicuous. Anyway.. point is always re-evaluate your initial perceptions of players.

Bellzz

[Ouspensky]

Saw a guy pull a pad of paper out of his pocketprotector to write down his starting hands every time he folded (rock). Seems like i could get some good info down but yeah, pretty dorky.

The benefits of pokertracker...

[TomCollins]

Just another example of how internet poker is destroying the game. Also, move in specialists who treat 33 like AA.

[chief444]

I don't know how I'd take notes with checks in one hand and a beer in the other. I don't drink the beer. I just hide my recorder in the bottle. I can keep track of everything and act the drunk fool. You should see the action I get. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[cassise]

Do not take notes at the table. You do not want to give away any information about your hand or playing style. A recorder works well if you are looking to get information about each hand or a number of hands.

Depending on what you use your notes for, you may be able to take them between sessions. I try to only use notes from B & M to track my results (profit\loss, BB\hour, exc) and to have a record of my state of mind for the time.

My feeling is that the technical aspects of your game are better analyzed online using poker tracker because 1. it is far easier and 2. you play far more hands in the same amount of time. Since I use the internet to analyze my technical play, the card room becomes more of an issue of my personality, mindset, table-image, exc. I find that by writing a paragraph or so between sessions, and then rereading it later (usually on the flight home) I am able to get a good impression of my mind-set at that point in time, which is the best way for me to analyze my B & M play.

[chief444]

You realize I was joking right? I've actually never seen anyone take notes, at least not while playing.

[regisd]

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A miniature tape recorder works better. "The idiot in the three seat just cold-called a raise with jack-eight offsuit."

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This works even better if you hide the microphone pick-up and act like you're crazy and talking to yourself. Bonus points if you do it in a "Rainman" accent.

"He's raised again, but I have aces, definitely have aces."