player notes

[trustme]

I've been using the same poker site for almost a year now and they have a function where you can write notes about any player at your table and when you come up against them again, click on their name and you can see what you have written about their play. I never used it for the first couple of months but since then I have notes on hundreds of players and it works, its impossible to remember how everyone plays but this simple function has given me an edge over some of the players.

I've been playing on another site which does not have this function so i have set up a spreadsheet, again this has given me needed information on how my opponents will play.

I take notes on what hands people will move all in with, how they play early in tournaments and how aggressive they are likely to be late on, if they are likely to fold to reraises etc.

Anyone else do this?

I recommend this to everyone, it has helped me win a lot and take a lot of pots...which is a good thing?

[Dice Man]

I don't doubt that it works, but once I thought I'd try extra hard to win a normal STT. So I got a notepad out and wrote about how each player played, what kinds of hands they called with and how much they folded etcetera. I was the first out because I went all in against someone who'd bluffed consistently and he had AA. The thing is in such a short space of time he'd only actually bluffed twice out of two opportunities, but to me that was a 100% bluffer. The fact is I was concentrating so much on what they'd done already that I'd lost track of all other factors in the game. Maybe if I played with those same people 100 times it would help, but until that point it just distracts. Probably their actions in that game could be attributed 90% to what cards they were given and only 10% to their actual style. Over a long period of time it could start working. Probably what'll happen is you'll see a player you have notes for who you don't recognise, and you'll overplay against him by putting him in the category you've noted. And probably you've only played against him once before.
What you should do is write about a player every time you play them, but only start consciously using the notes against them when you have 3 seperate notes for them i.e. you've played them at least 3 times. That'll give you a better picture of how they play. And if each set of notes describes them as a different style of player you need to keep going without taking into account what's already there.
I saw an intrview with T.J.Cloutier once and he said that he could remember the face and style of play of everybody he's ever played. And sometimes that knowledge has helped him beat somebody he hadn't played for 20 years. I reckon saying that sort of thing is mostly just to scare opponents, particularly amateurs who might find themselves up against him. With people believing that about him they'll constantly be scared and he'll have that advantage.

[sl0ggs]

Making notes can be useful, but I think less so against a good player, as they will be mixing their style up and randomising their calls versus raises whilst holding the same pocket cards. They might have different percentages of calls/raises depending on position, which again is hard to note if you're not fully alert to this.

I think you can learn a lot from players when you're sat at the table with them, and use it right there and then... but its a mindset that is difficult to get into! When I first started playing live games, during the hands I wasn't involved in I was mostly thinking about how *I* played *my* last hand... bad move! These are the hands to really pay attention (stating the obvious).

During the course of a game, you should be able to make enough mental notes to give yourself a better chance later in the same game. But against those better players, there is so much more to consider, like position, stack size (in relation to the starting pot) and pot odds...

...I don't get too hung up on notes, although I try to keep notes of players' perceived 'regular' style, which can help in some conditions, depending on how much attention I've been paying in the hands I'm *not* involved in...

As for trustme's efforts for the notes of those online players, fair play, thats some dedication. But what really are the chances of coming across those same players again, and then actually making them pay...? Good for you for making it work...

[Terminator]

I went through a stage of playing $2 tourney's all the time, and took notes on all the players I'd be at a table with. After a little while, I found that there was nearly always 2 or 3 players (sometimes more) on my table that I would have notes on, very usefull when people make raises and go all in as I keep notes on what kind of hands they play, and what their bluffing styles are.

[Raiser]

I went throught he phase of taking notes etc.... being organised and trying to play the game propaly!! Then i found this fantastic programme that does all that for you... it gives warnings like Player X raised in early poistion with 63o etc... its very good - it wont help me in the long run though when i play live games!! Programme is called pokerspy by the way and the only site it works on is W/Hill - which in my opinion is a crap site anyway!!!

[sl0ggs]

I went through a stage of playing $2 tourney's all the time, and took notes on all the players I'd be at a table with. After a little while, I found that there was nearly always 2 or 3 players (sometimes more) on my table that I would have notes on, very usefull when people make raises and go all in as I keep notes on what kind of hands they play, and what their bluffing styles are.

Blimey, you must have played a lot of poker on that site!!

...by the way, can you change your avatar please, it is putting me off my game, I can't remember what, or why, I folded in my last hand...!

[trustme]

its only happened once but i have sat at a table in a mtt and i had notes on 8 of the other 9 players. if you play the same tournaments more and more you will notice people that also play the same. One thing that i left out of my first post is that i write down the date when i am taking notes on a certain players style of play. This is important because most players will improve over a period of time.

[sl0ggs]

This is important because most players will improve over a period of time.

...agreed. If they stick around for a long period of time, that should be the case!

Do you keep notes on the players you sit at live tables with also...? (Just out of interest)

[s4ooter]

i started oding it but then stopped but can safely say of the 6months i have played online i think once, yes once! has a player i have previously made notes on has actually thurned up again!!!! but hey u never know!

i am pretty good at remembering faces and linking them to their styles of play whe ni play at local casino tournys!!!

maybe a tj in the making???