Notetaking
 

In online poker, one of our best tools for keeping track of players' tendancies is the note feature, which is provided by every poker site I have ever seen.

Personally, I try to take notes whenever I see a piece of information about a player that I think will be useful. As a result, a typical player note will look something like the following:

Limps in with garbage PF.
Calls raises with garbage PF.
Passive with draws.
Min-Raise = monster

etc.

The problem with this, of course, is that 1 or 2 isolated incidents become my read on villian in the future. Sometimes, I won't even know how long ago the notes were taken, or from what game (Tourney, stud, etc..).

My question for the forum is, how do you use it?

Re: Notetaking
 

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My question for the forum is, how do you use it?

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Badly. I've been meaning to come up with a good system for ages now. I'm very interested in what others are doing.

Re: Notetaking
 

Mine are pretty much the same as yours. I note down whatever I can. Generally, during the same session I don't need to refer to the notes because it's still fresh in mind what I've observed, however, when I first sit at a table or a new player joins and I have notes on that person, I read them right away and immediately begin to evaluate whether or not the notes are still accurate. Sometimes things no longer apply as the person has gained experience and now plays differently and/or better. Maybe they played a certain way once because they were on tilt and I had no way of knowing that. However, if I have a note that says this guy min raises pre-flop with monsters and then I see him another time and he raises 3x BB or 4xBB, I'll change that note, however, I'll also note that as well. I don't play in tournaments very often online so my notes are generally on ring games although I will note if it is a full game or shorthanded. If I notice the player adjusting to the table, I'll note that, i.e. loosened up becaue table was a rock garden. I tend not to put in specific hands played but a more general idea of how they play, such as "will limp in EP with suited one-gappers" or "will not bluff or semi-bluff" "only bets if feels hand is not vulnerable." I'm interested in this topic as well.

Re: Notetaking
 

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My question for the forum is, how do you use it?


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I think specific notes are overrated for online.

But before anyone criticizes that statement, I have an extremely comprehensive (primarily automated) note system, and I came to my conclusion afterwards.

The system tells exactly how much each player bets each type of hand in each position. For known hands, what types of hands they bet out on the flop, turn, and river. Percentage of continuation bets, calling c-bets, percentage of pot bet for made hands vs. nothing or a draw, and dozens of other criteria.

After arranging all of the data into a manageable format, I came to the conclusion that player type and general stats, along with current reads works best.

The only stat that is really useful is the amount raised preflop. I can nail people to hands quite often, but everything else gets affected too much by the current situation.

When I move up this will change, but at my current limit, it is not as efficient.

Flame away [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Notetaking
 

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I have one of the most comprehensive (automated) note systems there is

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Do tell.

Re: Notetaking
 

I already changed that.

Re: Notetaking
 

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I already changed that.

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Alright then....

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I have an extremely comprehensive (automated) note systems

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Do tell.

Re: Notetaking
 

I already gave some examples, PokerAce Hud lists about 30 of the most common ones. Mine has about 150, plus another 200-300 general criteria.

Re: Notetaking
 

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PokerAce Hud lists about 30 of the most common ones. Mine has about 150

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Perhaps I am being vague... what are you using? Or is it super secret?

Re: Notetaking
 

MySQL queries formatted into a manageable PHP display.

Re: Notetaking
 

On a PT database, I presume?

It's funny, I'm actually working on GT+/PA ripoff of my own, although it's still very early in the development.

Re: Notetaking
 

Is it only me who just write "dumb", "loose caller", "loose aggressive - bluff", "2+2" ?

Re: Notetaking
 

PT is too slow. Everything is imported into a MySQL db. The import takes 1/30 the time it does with PT. I have never done queries in PT, so I can't comment on that.

Re: Notetaking
 

well the other day i purchased a micro cassette recorder so that I can dictate notes as I play. i stopped using pa hud and take general notes as you indicated in your op jim. Now using my new toy I am mostly dicating notes on my own play and areas for improvement. there is some software with the thing so i can download the voice files to my computer and mess with them too. It just makes it quicker than writing in the momment if i think of something i want to remember.

Re: Notetaking
 

Voice recognition software should speed things up.

Re: Notetaking
 

I think, for the more dynamic players, whats more important is how the opp is playing at this moment and how you've been playing when you encounter the opponent.

Re: Notetaking
 

my most common notes involve the names of animals. Goose, pigeon, donkey, and monkey are the most common ones.

Re: Notetaking
 

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Is it only me who just write "dumb", "loose caller", "loose aggressive - bluff", "2+2" ?

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nope

Re: Notetaking
 

I do it just like you do. When a player pops up with notes I refresh my mind. I may have to take several peeks. If I find his style has changed then my notes will change. Garland taught me to keep notes of CB and both pre- and post flop minraises. I only play one table so its not hard for me to keep up.

My first note on every player looks like this:

(600-6)::LP-A(D)::L@700

Translated this is $600 6-Max. LP-A speaks for itself. The D means this type of player is a donator. The last stat is a Loser at 700 hands. I use GT+ so it takes a new player a couple of hands to pop up, and I found that sometimes I need to know NOW! If there is a big jump in the hands played since I last noted then it's up to me to pay attention. That's the best I've got.

Good notes are better than none, unless their wrong.

I think another point to keep in mind is that there are players keeping notes on us. Confusion to thine enemies.

There are some obvious gaffs that one doesn't make using PT. I note these people don't use it.

Re: Notetaking
 

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I use GT+ so it takes a new player a couple of hands to pop up, and I found that sometimes I need to know NOW! If there is a big jump in the hands played since I last noted then it's up to me to pay attention. That's the best I've got.

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Me too, but I just go to PT and type in the guys name if need be, only takes a few seconds

But as too notetaking, honestly I'm just too damned lazy. I might look into an automated thingy though

Re: Notetaking
 

man wtf my notes all look like "stupid idiot" "dumb moron" and "what was he thinking"

Re: Notetaking
 

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man wtf my notes all look like "stupid idiot" "dumb moron" and "what was he thinking"

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You don't write biographies?

[censored] amateur.

Re: Notetaking
 

Does anyone know if it's possible to edit Party Poker notes in Poker Tracker while using the hand replayer?

Re: Notetaking
 

What about consolidating notes at the various crypto sites? Is there a way to do it through PT so that you keep the whole note from each site?

Re: Notetaking
 

I just write specific hands that I think are interesting ("raise/called preflop, checkraise all-in on K42 flop with 99") and general notes ("calls flop and folds turn often vs PFR").

Re: Notetaking
 

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Does anyone know if it's possible to edit Party Poker notes in Poker Tracker while using the hand replayer?

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It is possible.

Re: Notetaking
 

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(600-6)::LP-A(D)::L@700

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See, THIS is exactly what I was looking for. Good stuff.

Re: Notetaking
 

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I just write specific hands that I think are interesting ("raise/called preflop, checkraise all-in on K42 flop with 99") and general notes ("calls flop and folds turn often vs PFR").

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I do stuff like this too. Basically I'm just looking for anything unusual. If I've played with someone for a while and I still haven't noted any hands from them, I'll just write some general impressions of their play (solid, too loose but not stupid, overaggressive but not manical).

I also like to take notes on what it takes to make the guy fold. For example, raise preflop bet flop bet turn check-fold river gets written up immediately (along with the board cards). Whenever someone minbets, they get a note on whether or not they folded to a raise. These are the tools I'll use to decide whether to bluff this guy in the future.

Also I almost always take notes on what a player does when it's checked to him on the river and his hand has no showdown value.

Any reads that I have any doubt about I use a question mark. This might be because I've seen them do something several times but only one hand was shown down, or I've seen them do something several times but I've also seen another hand which contradicts my read. It could also be something like "never bluffs?" which takes a very long time to be certain about.

Re: Notetaking
 

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(600-6)::LP-A(D)::L@700

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See, THIS is exactly what I was looking for. Good stuff.

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make sure you have your Notes Codebreaking Book handy with you while you play too

Re: Notetaking
 

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make sure you have your Notes Codebreaking Book handy with you while you play too

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I just read <u>The Da Vinci Code</u>, I don't need no stinking codebreaking book.