Impact Of Poor Short Term Memory On Your Game?

[LakeTahoeGuy 0]

Ok, we all learned at some point in our journey to becoming a better player that there are a lot of different components to the game that are important to becoming a "good player". By "good player" I mean a winning one over the long term. My question today regards the one area that has proved the most difficult for me, short term memory. I've read or am in the process of reading a number of poker books and rarely is short term memory listed as an area to focus on to improve ones game but yet it’s necessary to be able to keep track of opponents betting patterns, tells, opponents play from past sessions, ect. I have very poor short term memory and have found it to be a hindrance to my becoming a good player. I even get frustrated when I hear players recount big wins and go over some of the big hands from memory. I can’t do that. If I’m at a table and I fold my hand prior to the flop I won’t be able to tell you what I had with certainty a minute later. I might remember it was a queen and some low card and the queen was red. Numbers, names, my position when I had a bad beat or a big double up, unless I write them down immediately, are gone from my recollection in very short order. I can memorize hand selection charts, pot odd calculations, anything else that I can study over & over until I have it down pat. I have not bought any new poker books or joined any of the various training sites simply because I am now uncertain if it will truly be able to help make me a good player. I am not one of those who loves poker because I think I can get rich, but truly because I love the game, but even so it does get frustrating when I can’t do well consistently.Can I realistically expect to be able to become a good player without the tools that require good short term memory? Any thoughts/opinions on this will be much appreciated.

[CrookedLink 0]

Primero!edit: Yea I'm kind of like you in the fact that I suck at remembering hands I've played. I'll go play a live session, come back to blog about it and not remember what the hell the action was. Which is why sometimes I jot down a few notes on my iPhone as big hands are progressing so that I can more accurately analyze my play afterward.

[Cappy37 0]

What was your question again?

[chgocubs99 0]

It's not that big of a deal

[fighter 4]

Any thoughts/opinions on this will be much appreciated.

I think that in your current state you will be able to play good ABC poker. Playing above that level requires noticing errors in your opponents and taking advantage. extreme example. New player comes to the game shoves all in first hand, someone calls him and he has AA. He comments about how he always plays AA that way because he gets sucked out on otherwise. 2 hours later you look down at KK and raise , this same guy shoves after not making single raise since that time. If you cant remember him doing this with AA earlier then you are a going to get your money in bad.There are many levels of thinking in poker. Level one, what do I haveLevel two, what does he haveLevel three what does he think I haveWithout a good short and long term memory there is only so far you can go in poker. Putting an opponent on a hand required you notice the way he has played his other hands. The good news is memory is something that can be worked on. Just google it and start practicing.

[Money022 0]

I've made it a habit of forgetting my hand the second I fold it. It keeps you from going, "Damn I should have called that 3-bet with XX out of position, I would have flopped the nuts!" I find that gets you calling in spots where you shouldn't have and it becomes a quick way to bleed chips.I can recall in precise detail certain hands from more than a year ago where I sucked out big time or was on the losing end of a 1 or 2 outer. Can't say what it means, I guess that I have a good memory. Has recalling those hands made me a better player? No. I wouldn't worry about it as long as your making the right decisions during play.

[NoSup4U 0]

If you have poor short term memory, you would think you would have learned by now that writing huge paragraphs makes it very hard for people with short term memories to follow what the hell you're talking about.IMO you can be a really good player with a bad short term memory. You can't be the best, but 95th percentile still makes a pretty good living at poker :)Mark

[chrozzo 19]

If you have poor short term memory, you would think you would have learned by now that writing huge paragraphs makes it very hard for people with short term memories to follow what the hell you're talking about.IMO you can be a really good player with a bad short term memory. You can't be the best, but 95th percentile still makes a pretty good living at poker :)Mark

hi Mark

[uncooper 1]

If you play online, check every showdown hand history and take detailed notes.

[Cappy37 0]

What was your question again?

[Vtlaxer09 4]

What was your question again?

cappy wins teh thread.

[WhatArunAA 0]

i have awful short term. .but super duper long term.. whatup w that homie g funk?

[NoSup4U 0]

hi Mark

HI!Mark

[nutzbuster 7]

hi Mark

wha....how........how did you know his name?