Taking Notes At The Table

[elpresidente 0]

I want to start taking notes at the poker table (I play in a local weekly $20 NL tourney). Any suggestions on the best method to do this? I was thinking of a flip notepad much like a detective might use to jot notes on. Also, any suggestions on efficient shorthand to use while taking notes?

[chgocubs99 0]

http://www.staples.comhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ShorthandShould help you get started.

[Socrates 0]

why would you even pay attention for $20...Seriously? NO need to take notes, no one is going to play their A game

[JeremyG 0]

Kinda funny you'd mention this... I know things have changed but my first ever tournament I played in a casino was at Mandalay Bay, their 11am (maybe it's noon?) tourney. This was like 5 or 6 years ago I guess.I was going to take notes but mainly I had a list of the best 20 starting hands, in order (AA, KK, QQ, AK, etc.) and a note next to it what to do in what position (this was limit poker). On the 2nd hand someone complained and I wasn't able to take notes.Ahh the memories, didn't even know what starting hand to play... and I took 5th out of 40.

[aucu 3]

Don't bother just remember and take notes after the game.

[erac22 0]

Taking notes at a live poker game makes you look like a huge tool. Just sayin...

[Highlow16 0]

you should get a paintball gun with different color pellets. Color code the players as you play by shooting them. Red for bad, green for good players, and so forth. Should be easy to remember

[elpresidente 0]

why would you even pay attention for $20...Seriously? NO need to take notes, no one is going to play their A game

Not notes on other players. Notes hands I play so I can analyze my decision making process. As far as amount of the buyin is concerned, I always try to play my best, not matter what the stakes are.

[elpresidente 0]

Taking notes at a live poker game makes you look like a huge tool. Just sayin...

Hmmm, I swear I say DN take a couple notes on HSP. Was I mistaken?

[pckt10s 0]

Hmmm, I swear I say DN take a couple notes on HSP. Was I mistaken?

keeping notes of his props, I'm sure...

[finztotheleft 0]

you should get a paintball gun with different color pellets. Color code the players as you play by shooting them. Red for bad, green for good players, and so forth. Should be easy to remember

LOL. I like it.

[elpresidente 0]

So taking notes at the table = bad. I get it.

[Socrates 0]

So taking notes at the table = bad. I get it.

Not necessarily if you are talking about yourself. You just need to create some sort of short hand that you can understand and translate it when you get home so you're not writing pages of notes. For self evaluation purposes I think its fine, especially if you have a hard time remembering key hands that you realize should have been played differently.

[DmsTips 0]

Yeah i don't think i've ever seen someone taking notes in a live game, I have seen people refer to the hand list of what beats what but that's it. On HSP Daniel was doing props, you will probably never/very very rarely see a pro taking notes at the table. Didn't Raymer do it when he won the ME though? that's all i can recall.

[throwemaway 0]

Yea I would probably call you a tool if I saw you taking notes at a live game..But good for you that you want to improve your game

[navybuttons 15]

Yeah i don't think i've ever seen someone taking notes in a live game, I have seen people refer to the hand list of what beats what but that's it. On HSP Daniel was doing props, you will probably never/very very rarely see a pro taking notes at the table. Didn't Raymer do it when he won the ME though? that's all i can recall.

i believe raymer said he was was just keeping track of his chip stack at the end of each level. it seemed like when he recalled doing it, he couldn't think of a valid reason for it.it probably looked like this: level 1, got it all in preflop on a coinflip and doubled up. level 2, got it all in preflop on a coinflip and doubled up. level 3, got it all in after the flop on a coinflip and doubled up. level 4, i keep getting sets over sets, people give me their chips when it happens. level 5, got it all in preflop on a coinflip and doubled up.OP: hands worth remembering are easy to remember

[elpresidente 0]

Yea I would probably call you a tool if I saw you taking notes at a live game..But good for you that you want to improve your game

Yeah. I can just jot some things down after I'm done. I guess I just figured at least a few people did take notes while playing but I can understand why this isn't done.

[tuckermitchell 1]

i believe raymer said he was was just keeping track of his chip stack at the end of each level. it seemed like when he recalled doing it, he couldn't think of a valid reason for it.it probably looked like this: level 1, got it all in preflop on a coinflip and doubled up. level 2, got it all in preflop on a coinflip and doubled up. level 3, got it all in after the flop on a coinflip and doubled up. level 4, i keep getting sets over sets, people give me their chips when it happens. level 5, got it all in preflop on a coinflip and doubled up.OP: hands worth remembering are easy to remember

QFMFT

[Vogelb5 0]

Don't take notes at a live table. Not only will it look silly, but you'll look too serious and probably hurt your action from smart players.I can always remember key hands or mistakes I made anyways, not too hard to do it in the car or when you get home.If you need to write something for some reason, make it look like your sending a text message on your phone, but leave a little note for youself. At least you won't look as much like a tool as everyone said.

[Jam-Fly 8]

I admit that any live tourney with a proper atmosphere (ie dealers, proper tables etc.), I usually take notes. I don't during home games or pub games. I have a tiny flip pad, and before i go in, i divide the page. Looks something like this:[date] [buy in] [starting stack]BLINDS| STACK | NOTES.25/50 |............|........... 50/100|............|........... 75/150|............|...........etc.I record my stack at teh end of each level and take SUPER brief notes of each level. E.g. AKs. This is just a thing to make me remember, oh yeah, I raised in MP, the big stack called in the cut off, and so did the SB, the flop came AK7 and I bet out. The C/O reraised and I flat called. The turn came a....All I need is a brief note on the hand, and I can remember it and record it in my blog later.I prefer if no one knows I'm taking notes, so I generally record the stuff when I'm not in a hand, and record in my lap underneath the table. I'd say, maybe 3 or 4 people max know that I write stuff, and that's about all they know.

[fishoutawata 0]

I want to start taking notes at the poker table (I play in a local weekly $20 NL tourney). Any suggestions on the best method to do this? I was thinking of a flip notepad much like a detective might use to jot notes on. Also, any suggestions on efficient shorthand to use while taking notes?

Do what works for you. Tracking your game, especially your losses, will make you a better player.Good luck!

[ThreeBet 0]

I know one guy who does this all the time .... make a crazy play and he immediately pulls out his notes ... he's got pages for all the regualrs .... he's a total rock and no one gives him action ... we're always joking that you're nothing if he doesn't have a page on ya!If you're taking notes on your own play then you're not watching what everyone is doing which is more important, imo. If you really want to do this then maybe get yourself a portable tape recorder and leave yourself reminders on it to think about and expand on later?

[FabBruce 0]

Omigod taking notes is like so not fab. It shows your opponent that you don't have a good memory and like I always say, good memory's are hot! If you need to take notes, I suggest a Mont Blanc pen and perhaps a leather bound book woven by the year's finest designer.

[Jam-Fly 8]

I know one guy who does this all the time .... make a crazy play and he immediately pulls out his notes ... he's got pages for all the regualrs .... he's a total rock and no one gives him action ... we're always joking that you're nothing if he doesn't have a page on ya!If you're taking notes on your own play then you're not watching what everyone is doing which is more important, imo. If you really want to do this then maybe get yourself a portable tape recorder and leave yourself reminders on it to think about and expand on later?

I disagree. Any certain opponent is only in a limited number of hands, whereas you are in all of the hands you play, you need to remember the hands you show down in particular as this is how the table perceives you

[mtdesmoines 3]

I want to start taking notes at the poker table (I play in a local weekly $20 NL tourney). Any suggestions on the best method to do this? I was thinking of a flip notepad much like a detective might use to jot notes on. Also, any suggestions on efficient shorthand to use while taking notes?

Don't worry about the people telling you it will look dorky. Chip stacks don't look dorky, and if you start accumulating chips, everybody in the house will have a notepad. I don't think you'll do this forever; consider it a phase.