Another newbie question

[smarterthanyoda]

When I first started I looked at my when I got them so I wouldn't give away that I had a marginal hand because I had to stop and think about it. As I got better and the pre-flop decisions became more automatic I started looking when the action got close to me.

As far as memorizing your cards, I thought up stupid associatons. The stupider the better. For example, hearts are feminine, so I associated it with a woman. Because a spade is a little bit like an upside-down heart, I called it a man. Therefore, when if my higher card was a spade and the lower card was a heart, I just remembered "missionary" (man on top.) The key is, the reasoning is so absurd that it sticks in your head.