Create Notes on Your Opponents

Knowing the strengths, weaknesses, habits and playing style of your opponent in detail is an immense advantage in poker. Once you've learned how your opponents act in different situations, you can take advantage of this knowledge to gain an edge and run off with all their money.

With just a few opponents, whom you play over and over again, it's not really hard to keep track of their styles and habits. This for instance is usually the case if you and some friends get together regularly to play poker at home.
But when it comes to online poker, we're not talking a handful of different opponents here. We're talking thousands or even hundreds of thousands of different players – all potential opponents at the table. Memorizing playing styles, habits and betting patterns of each player is obviously impossible.

Luckily the solution is right at hand. The problem when keeping track of that many players in your mind is the simple fact that you forget stuff. Your computer however doesn't and his is where "Notes" come into play.
Notes are the online poker room's version of a flawless memory – electronically stored scraps of information placed on your computer and directly accessible form your poker room software. No more keeping track of countless opponents in your head, and you can forget about scribbling down short sentences on Post-its or notepads.
In online poker you simply type in your notes on each opponents in the poker room's Notes function, and then your computer will store this information for you.

Every online poker room has Notes as a feature implemented in the program – notes you can type in, edit or read while playing.
If for instance you create a note on one of your opponents, this note will show up next time you are seated at the same table as this opponent.

The advantage is huge when you are able to sit down at a table and already know exactly how some or all of your opponents play. Before a hand is even dealt you may be able to tell how they'll bet certain starting hands, if they are tight or loose, and whether you can bluff them out of a pot or not.

But because you may have to rely on these notes at some time in the future, you need to make sure the notes are accurate and relevant. Otherwise you'll end up misleading yourself.
Only take notes on your opponents, you are certain to be true. Don't write down at once if someone plays Aces one way or the other, or if someone appears to be afraid of big raises. Wait until you've seen these things in your opponent several times and you know it's a recurring pattern. You want to make sure you write down stuff that will also be true a week or a month from now.

You want to take notes on:
The starting hands your opponent chooses to play – and how.
How much does your opponent raise before the flop when holding a high pair, a small pair, Ace-King?
This way you'll have a much better feel for what your opponent is holding next time he or she throws a handful of chips in the pot.

Also take notes on how many starting hands your opponent plays. Is anything playable or will the player only get involved with the strongest of holdings?
Type in how your opponent plays these hands. Does this player bet and raise a lot, or will the hands be played more passively with just calls?
This knowledge will benefit you greatly next time you are involved in a hand with this opponent.

Finally also make sure to note if opponents can be bluffed – i.e. if the can be easily scared out of a pot by raises. In general type in any information on opponents you find reveals something about their style of play.

Good notes don't just show up by themselves. You have to work for them by paying close attention at the tables – in particular when you are not involved in a hand yourself.
You are automatically more observant when you don't have to focus on a hand of your own, so make sure you pay attention to the actions and patterns of the other players at the table.
It's free information just floating in, and in just a few minutes this information could mean the difference between winning and losing a big pot.

Knowledge is power – especially in poker. So go create notes on your opponents. You may very well never sit at a table with most of them again, but the day you do, you'll have the upper hand.
By clicking their name you'll have instant access to all your previously created notes on them, and in a second you'll know if for instance you're dealing with a complete maniac or a rock solid player, what starting hands this player enters a pot with and how, and if you should bluff or not.


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