Keeping Notes

[QMC]

I keep basic notes on all the players I come accross but am in the process of updating my note taking system.

Here are a few questions I would like to pose:

What catagories do you keep track of on notes (eg. style, type of game,bluffing ect.)?

How do you keep your notes (word, excel, on the game site, ect.)?

What are you looking for when evaluating other players?

Thanks

[QMC]

Right now this is the format that I use:

Game: NL Hold'em ($100 Satellite)

Style:

Blind fold:X X X X X

Bluff:X X X

Check-Raise:X X

Raises With:AA-99, AK, AKs, AQs(EP)

Hands: SB- 24s,33,62
BB-
EP-88
MP-
LP-25o
B-

Notes: Checks the nuts, Chases straights/flushes


Any further suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[crockpot]

back on the small sites i used to play (poker.com, etc.), i would keep notes on all my opponents, because i saw them over and over. now that i play on big servers like party, i find that if i am playing well, it is much more profitable to make mental notes about other players and devote my attention to a second or third table instead.

[QMC]

Thanks for your input.

[Foldarama_City]

I like your format-I'm not as organised as that. I use my notes mostly for limit. I will put people in categories of Loose aggressive,loose passive, maniac or solid player. The most important things for me are pre-flop raising standards and what they raise with when the cards are out. Are they players who will raise with top pair average kicker or only with a set or better? I will also note any striking features about their play: such as whether they are bluffers, whether they play any suited, whether they just call all the way with the nuts etc. I play mostly low limits so a lot of the other stuff doesn't matter too much in my opinion (especially hwen you're playing multiple tables). I've got to say notes are most handy when you've got a border-line decision. Mouse over, check the notes and choose your action. It's helped me save or win quite a bit.

[crockpot]

when you say you use your notes mostly for limit, did you mean as opposed to pot- or no-limit? i believe that notes are much more important in big-bet games. in limit games, you may be fairly certain that a player has a certain hand by the way he has played, but you have to be very sure that you are beaten to make a fold profitable. i think it is much more important to keep notes on your opponents in NLHE, for example, where players range from those who will move all in only with the stone nuts to those who love pushing in with a low flush draw on a paired board.

i think if you only kept notes on all-in hands that a no-limit player shows down, that alone is worth more to your win rate than efficient notes on a player's limit strategy.

[Foldarama_City]

Yeah good point crock. I don't play NL ring games (yet) - so I more just clarifying why I use a fairly barebones approach. I can certainly see the big value of making notes on the all-in standards - might need to jot that down for the tourneys I play. Now if only I could play against the same people twice, these notes might be kind of useful.

[C M Burns]

I've recently begun to use poker tracker and that surpases any notes I could take for looking at general style, like amount of raising percentage hands played etc..When I take notes I usually write down particuarly moves they made like playing a weak hand or move etc.. or good move. Unless it's obvious I don't want to pigeion hole them too soon.