Help with player notes

Hi,

I never seem to know what to write in the player notes on various sites. I do try but then when I come across someone I've got a note on I think "Great!", have a look at the note and think "how did I think this would ever help me?".

I tend to play 6-max FLHE and the occasional NL MTT

Could anyone give me any pointers about what I should be writing in the player notes? I have Poker Office so I already have various stats etc and can see who is LAG / TAG etc.

Thanks as always

Jib

I like to take notes on their bet sizing and how they play draws vs. larger made hands (i.e.-their lines on every street).

In limit (obv no bet-sizing) I didn't take many notes.

thanks spenda.

I figured in limit theres not much you can do other than note if they "odds aware" and if they check raise the flop for a free card etc etc. Thanks for the point on bet-sizing in NL.

Anybody else have anything to add?

Well in limit I would note who is capable of semi-bluffing the turn, not the flop cuz everyone and their grandmother does that now.

Learn shorthand. Nothing helps to take notes better than shorthand. It also prevents you from losing track of the game at hand.

As for the type of notes to take... That's all you baby. You have to match them up to YOUR STYLE of play.

i use all my abbreviations in the top line of the note box. things like SLAA...CALLER...TAA... assuming you know those abbreviations.

then, in the lower lines, i get more specific. like..."raises A8 UTG" ...c/red flop w/ set... etc, etc.

my "note box" typically looks like this...
________________________________________________
lpp...caller...

trust his bets...called to rvr w/ 2nd pair...can be bluffed...

________________________________________________

things like that.

another tidbit.

i'm not familiar w/ poffice, but if its like PT where you can auto-rate players into generic categories, i manually change those categories to match ME.

i played 20k hands, and watched my numbers...to see how i generically play.

then, set "loose" players as those looser than ME. and aggressive players more aggressive than ME. etc, etc.

that way, i make my "generic" reads based on how I play. if his range is wider than MINE, i know what he may be raising with. if he is more aggressive than ME, that helps, too. i look at what I do in his position, and start to narrow it down from there...using his numbers...and specific reads on the notes i've taken.

hope those help.

if you plan on moving up at any time, I would suggest also noting the stakes and situation of the note (FR/6max, tourny, etc.). I started doing that after I found some notes that could have been made a year and a half ago and were possibly no longer valid.

Usually my notes will consist of one or two memorable examples of play/betting patterns, and/or a strategy to be used to exploit the player.

Eg. TPTK is a goldmine, valuebet him to death, calls loose, bluff him, calls on 2nd pr-raises 2pr or better, etc.

I found this article quite helpful for beginners:

http://www.bet-the-pot.com/taking-notes-page15.html

i normally try to write down what they 3-bet and cap pf with. any c/r that i see i note, (Stack size, st, hand, #opps) If they play a hand funny. If they showdown hands like J4s or K8off from oop i make a note. Maby if they limp oop with a big hand ill write somthing like "dosent always limp weak" or paradoxaly "Dosent always raise strong.

One not i think that helps me the most in 6 maxFLH is how players act when stealing/being stole from. Just seems they come in handy alot more of the time then involving stealing. And 6max FLH theres a lot of stealing to boot.

notes like

"Caps 3 bet from but. w/ XX

Folds to 3-bet from c/o

Limps but with

C-bets flop with

stuff like that, seems when you find these ntes it speads up dramaticly the process of putting people on hands. Or just knowing strength from weakness in general.

Basicly pick some catagorys you you se yourself needing info on durring a game. For me its

Blind steals

Showdowns

Checkraises

When a play I see an oppent make fallis into one of those catogorys that i think may help me later i have a sort of short hand developed for my self to read so it dosen't take long to write.

ex. 3b sb b/f flop A94R (or2S 2C 3D for suits, r being rainbow)

this note tells me this player 3bet from the small blind then c bet a A94 rainbow flop, he then folded when raised. (bet/fold) If i come across this player again i have an idea that he is

1. Capable o c-beting a hand without hitting the flop.

2. Capable of folding a hand for 1 small bet

3. Capable of 3 betting without going to SD.


and lots of other small pieces of info the like.

As you can see try to take notes that apply to play style outside the givin hand, and make shorthand for yourself so you can do it with ease.
Hope this helped

thanks alot to everyone who replied. Really helpfull stuff here