Another Great Post on Taking Notes - Poker

This posted by HW a well respected from member from way back when. This is my first piece of advice for any new player coming into a new site for the first time and specifically, anyone just starting to play. Whenever I go to a new site I sit back and watch people play for a couple of days and make my notes on all of the screen names. All of the better sites have note taking ability, which is a huge plus, but even if they don't, I highly recommend that you grab a notebook and start making notes on every player you see. Keep it organized so you are not fumbling looking for names when you sit at a table and I guarantee you will be able handle the players much better having done this. A couple of examples of this are from my own experiences. I had quit playing on the net for quite some time as I was getting bad beat after bad beat and had just about had enough. One thing I had stopped doing though was taking notes on players. As a direct result, I was constantly sitting down with people and had no idea how they played and I was getting bumped out of pots and getting chased down, time and time again. I made it a point that when I came back, I would check out all the players again and get some notes on them and then look for them at the tables so I would be sitting with familiar styles of play. Since I have been back, I am averaging about a $350-500 profit per week. Not too shabby for someone who works about 85+ hours a week. Key is that I never get greedy, once I make my stash for the day I am gone. Taking these notes enables you to know the chasers and the aggressive players. You go in knowing some donk is going to bet down the hand regarless of his kicker or even if he has hit the board. If you can have someone else betting your made hand for you it is a guaranteed money maker. By the time you make your raise on the river, he is too committed to the pot to let it go and you get that extra nice pop. On the other hand, if you know he is a chaser and he comes over the top at you when that river card hits the str8 or flush, you can think twice about calling that raise. It also sets you up for a nice check raise or possibly a wall bet when the chase works out. You could be sitting on a monster boat from the get go or the nut flush and this donk is calling you down when the river makes their hand. You are pretty sure they are chasing so you check it over to them figuring that if they have hit, they are surely going to bet it and will have so much tunnel vision that they have hit their hand that when you come over them, they will come right back over you and you get to take it to the wall. Cha Ching! Take you notes guys and watch your bankroll grow.
There are still several US poker sites to play.