Notes?

[FishInAPhoneBooth]

My notes look something like this:

KJs - L4(7m) - MP2 - raise 3x FI, bet rag flop, chexk q turn, push blank river
QQ - L7(17m) - BB - Flat called 3x with 2 limpers, open pushed 8tj two tone flop.

hand - level (stack) - postion - raise amount - limper status - post flop action.

I actually stopped taking notes recently because I find mself distracted from the game. If I am paying attention, as I should be, I will remember what I need to anyway.

[locutus2002]

I think notes are not valuable except in two cases:

1. You play against the same players frequently, so you are sure of the note. One of the sites I play against most of the same players 3 times a week.

2. Some general observations: capable of bluffing, bluffs with air, limps big pairs EP.

Your particular note isn't that good because its unlikely that that player will limp AQs on the button all the time; it could have been based on the tightness of other players in the pot, or he was trying to provoke one of the blinds, etc.

[whiskeytown]

[ QUOTE ]
Alot of players don't know this about themselves but they raise X amount when they have a strong hand and Y amount when they have a marginal hand or weak.

[/ QUOTE ]

Innerestin...I found I tend to bet slightly less in the higher rounds of a tourney then I do in the first rounds - but more along the lines of 3 times the BB vs 4 times the BB - esp. if I feel 4 times would pot commit me.

But if I get AA I love to raise EXACTLY what I raised before - if for some reason I decided to raise from 150 to 500 last time I'll do it the exact same way when I get a monster as I do on my previous hand...but I'm so tight they usually fold anyways..

and then online I usually add one or two bets to any raise I do just because one of the purposes of raising is to get some hands to fold and those donks online never fold - LOL

can you tell I'm slumming for 3800 posts....I'm done...goodnight.

RB

[KneeCo]

Yup, I use notes but not as much as some people.
Things that come up a lot in notes are 'limp with AA/KK in EP', 'gets married to pockets pairs or AK' or 'cont. bets flop, folds to raise'. Stuff like that.

One thing I do with my notes, is put a ? after a note, then remove it if I see the same behavior again and change it to a ! if I see it a third time.

Often you will be wasting your time as you will never use many of the notes you take, but when the notes are relevant they help a lot.

One thing though is to be careful not to get blinded by your notes. Cause people will play differently at the start of a tourny then they will at the FT and might play differently on one day than they will the next.

[locutus2002]

?!, nice technique.

Not only beginning/endgame, but also buyin, stack size, how the cards are running, table tightness, tightness of players left to act, etc.

Notes are helpful to take some main points down.. As mentioned, I really want to see if people will put their tournament on the line on top pair (as do a lot in micro tourneys), limping or raising with big pairs.. what a min-raise means (common at these levels), etc etc..

Sometimes I make notes, sometimes I don't.. right now I am trying not to so that it can be preparation for live tournaments where you just need to observe.. also sometimes when I'm taking a note on something, I miss something else that's going on..

If you can multi-task, it's a great tool and I highly reccommend it.. if your predominantly online player, I highlyy recommend it.. if you want to eventually try some live tourneys and are trying to qualify through satellites to WPT, EPT stuff, i'd just work on the observation part

[HeroInBlack]

I note any specific out-of-line plays until I see the same out-of-line play several times, then I change it to something more general.

Edit: specifically things like "Calls PFR's w/ A7o" or "can't lay down 3rd pair" or "will chase inside straight draw without odds."

A handy-dandy note you should use when applicable: "2+2'er".

[illegit]

I usually make a note whenever they have to showdown a specific hand, and how they played it, or do something notable without showing a hand (like limping for a third of their stack only to fold to a raise). I later modify the note into general comments about things they do looking at the compiled notes for their specific actions

[Gar Pike]

I have a note that I add for all the players that were watching when I did something stupid enough to bust me out. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

I usually try to describe tite/agressive characteristic, or if a player does something tricky (open limp KK UTG+1) or stupid (Call allin w A6o bd AQQ ts 15Xbb)

I find I miss a lot of action, though, so I don't get everything in notes

I also just put in a placeholder entry for everyone at the table, at least I know if I've played against them before, and know they might have notes on me. A "." works

Doesn't tell me who might have been taking notes from the rail, though [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

Regards

Gar

[Fletch46]

I only started playing on line a couple of months ago (only played live until August) so I'm still pretty new at this, however, I did start keeping notes right away because I read it was a good idea. I'm surprised at the number of times I'm playing against the same people considering the huge numbers of players online. Because this is a new venture, my notes aren't very helpful yet but making them keeps me focused on the game. Also, I've wondered about the notes others are keeping on me so I also track my own play the way someone else might. Hopefully they'll see an improving trend but I know I've a long way to go.