[dachord]

I thought that you would have gotten more responses, but since you haven't I'll throw in my two cents.

1. Make up your own abbreviations that you (and hopefully only you) understand. Do this so that your not holding up the game and that yahoo to your left looking over your shoulder can't gain any information on you.

2. Don't feel the need to jot down info on each and every hand. I take notes only on a hand where I made a particularly good or bad play on, or if an opponent made a play that confused me so that I can reevaluate it at a later time.

3. I format my notes per hand in 5 parts (preflop, flop, turn, river) and jot down the play on each.

4. I label the other players by seat numbers. That way if someone happens to see, they won't see themselves labeled as a fish, idiot, etc. I wait until after the game and label the seat number by their playing style and skill level.