Notes on players

With the amount of people on sites like party and pokerstars is it worth keeping notes on as many players as possible?
If so how much and what kind of info do you guys write down?

Steve.

It is definitely worth it, for a few reasons.

First off, you might not remember something. But if you see a weird/donk play, you can quickly double click on their name and right something like "limped with QQ and went allin on an A high flop" or just do the simple "fiiiiiiiiiiiish" comment. Your memory will only recall so many things, so just a quick reminder and you can say "ohh yeah, you're the one that made that stupid call" or "you're pretty TAG, perhaps I should respect this re-raise." Of course you can't read everything, this is where PokerTracker and a HUD program can help.

Also, you might not think you will see villians again, but it will happen. If you play a lot you will see what you think to be different people over and over. But, many times I have sat down at a table with 2-3 people I have notes on. I would not have recognized them without the little "N" logo.

The kind of info I take down can be something as simple as "you're a fish" to specific hands that went to showdown. Sometimes just marking someone as a "donk" or "calling station" can help your decisions later on. Pay attention when people showdown hands, esspecially in bigger pots that had lots of action. You can gain a heap of information about how they play.

This is one of my favorite things about PT and Poker Ace HUD. I sit down at a table and i can see exactly how many hands ive played with other people in the past. I have a terrible memory so this helps greatly when i get instant information on their VPIP and PF raise amounts. I dont make too many notes on players, at least not as much as i probly should. If you pick up some betting patterns you should take those down, but i would recommend the Poker Tracker and Poker Ace HUD. Its paid for itself many times over.

As mentioned earlier ... I use the HUD stats with my observations and make notes on as many players as possible. When you see someone is 15 / 1 and they suddenly raise PF .. well maybe they really have something. Conversely, someone who is 52 / 25 and you have seen them showdown 9 4 os ... then that goes in the notes too. Mostly tho I try to mark the fish who don't have enuf stats but you see them betting their A 5 when the 5 pairs on the flop. You just gotta mark them for later.

I also take a lot of notes, and by now it's rare I sit at a table without at least 1 person I have a note on, usually its 2-4 out of 10. That's after about 14k hands at my current stake. So I'd say there are enough refulars to make it worthwhile.

The notes are on valuable or just unexpected things, like someone with 16-20%VPIP limps and calls a 4bb pfr with A9o, or "gets married" to TPTK or overpairs, and as many lines as possible for stuff like a set or a draw, etc. After a couple notes and enough stats I write a summary at the top like mega call station, or smart lag or whatnot like others said already. If you play a lot, notes give you a bigger edge so you can make higher EV moves.