Friend of mine asked me recently if I keep notes on players while playing online and if he should start doing the same. Maybe it was just me being naive, but I was under the impression that the majority of online poker players use all the tools and software laid at their fingertips in order to maximize their advantage at the table, but upon some further digging and Q&A sessions with other online players, this turned out not to be the case.
Simply put, there is ZERO reason for you to not be making notes and keeping tabs on the players you play against, especially if you play often and for the same stakes. Here’s an example why. When I’m feeling averagely competitive, I stick to the $10 buy-in Sit & Go’s at my fave online card room. I’ve played dozens of these tournaments, and since I make notes every single event, I know that I’m constantly running into the same people when I play these S&G’s.
Why is it important to know this? Well if I see “DarkAces” sitting at my table and I have notes listed for him, I can find out with a couple clicks of a mouse what kind of player I’ve classified him as, what types of plays he makes, is he a weak/aggressive player, etc. Knowing these things about a player is everything, especially in pressure situations. If I’m playing DarkAces in a big pot and I know he likes to bluff a lot, I will play the hand differently and more correctly than if I was up against someone I know nothing about. Maybe I’ve labeled another person as very weak and that they always fold when raised unless they have a very strong hand. Well if that person is seated to my left I am going to try and steal as many blinds and antes from him as possible, while I may not try that against a unknown player.
The point is, information is power, and there is hardly any sport where that means more than in poker. Start using the note-taking software provided by your favorite online site and you will instantly start to see all the ways it benefits you in all aspects of your game.
