Notes When Playing Live

[PokerCad]

Ahh,,,memory is the key,,,,I certainly keep financial notes and notes on my play, mistakes etc...but I think for most regular live players at least at the higher limits (I play 20-40) if you are playing mostly in one club memory is the biggest key as you tend to play with the same players regularly. you get to know the fish and the sharks and everywhere in between and your ability to remember nuances is a big key to success. I amazes me how many people only pay attention to their cards and have no clue to the tendencies of the players around them with whom they have played with many times. I think this is more difficult to apply in the lower limits because there are usually so many more players and it is infrequent to play with the same people over and over (Commerce as an example) That si why pot smokers make such bad players,,they have no short term memory,,lol,,,anyway, just some thoughts.....

[Mr. Curious]

Bring a small notepad with you and after obversing something interesting, leave the table and write it down while it is fresh in your mind. Then sit back down at the table. If anyone asks what you are doing, tell them that you needed a smoke or bathroom break, etc.

Don't try to write everything down at first, that will overwhelm you. Instead, focus on a single player for a while. Once you've done this a few times, you will be able to expand your observation to two or three players at a time.

[dibbs]

Live, players actions especially in big bet seemed to get burned into my memory, I think it's because after going from live to six tabling to live, my brain is feeding for stimulus to analyze.

I wouldnt recommend taking notes at the table. You'd like to maintain a "player" image if possible and scribbling down notes on people will probably put them on the edge a bit.

Writing stuff down when you get home I do somewhat often.

[otter]

I make a mental note and write it down afterwards or perhaps record a voice message into my phone. If you go to the table w/ a pen and paper a smart person will peg you as a rock and you won't get much action

[steamboatin]

I use Statking and it has a comment section for each session.

I write down the time, stakes location and buy in/cash out amounts in a little note book and I get looked at like I am from Mars.

One time in a 1-2 LIMIT game I saw a guy taking notes on the other players. He was dead serious the whole time. After he left, a lot of players were talking and laughing about it.

to me it all depends on the levels that you are playing, for example if your playing 3/6 its gonna be hard to even take notes because those players play everything, and then if your playing like 10-20 you can get accurate readings on people cause the play is much better

[steamboatin]

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and then if your playing like 10-20 you can get accurate readings on people cause the play is much better


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You don't play 10-20 live very often, do you?

[digitalis]

It is difficult to try to analyze the tendencies of everyone at the table and remember it. Instead, I try to focus on the 3-4 loosest players. You're more likely to be in a situation with them where you'd like a read since they play so many hands.

[2planka]

[ QUOTE ]
to me it all depends on the levels that you are playing, for example if your playing 3/6 its gonna be hard to even take notes because those players play everything, and then if your playing like 10-20 you can get accurate readings on people cause the play is much better

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At least at the FW 10 game, the biggest difference between it and the lower limits is different colored chips.