In the first two parts of this series, I looked at records you should keep about your own play and different benefits you could derive from doing it. I suggested that accurate record keeping and analysis would enable you to raise your hourly earnings both by uncovering weaknesses in your play and by finding out which were the most profitable situations for you. In this column, I want to take a look at records you should keep about your opponents.
This is much more difficult to do. You probably play against a variety of opponents, who play in different venues and have different styles. Some may play against you very frequently and for long sessions. Others you may face only once in your lifetime and for a very short period of time. Obviously, your choice of games and venues makes a big difference. If you play in a live home game with a small, regular group of players, it shouldn't be too difficult to record some basic information about nearly every regular player in the game. If you play for small to medium stakes in a large public cardroom or online, you are up against a vast pool of constantly changing players. Given that it is difficult to learn too much about all of these opponents, what are the most important things you should try to learn and record?
The most essential thing you can learn about any opponent is whether he is a winner or loser. When you have a borderline decision during a hand, tend to call (or even raise) a loser, but fold against a winner. If you see a game full of losers, you know it is a good game and you should play in it. Conversely, if you see a game full of winners, you should avoid it. Yes, you may be able to beat it, but not for much and not easily. Who needs it? There are more profitable places for you to spend your poker-playing hours. Even better, try to identify big losers. One big loser can make a game worth playing in, and two or three of them probably signify a great situation. If you play online, most sites enable you to take some kind of notes on each player. In live games, you have to jot down something in a little notebook or on a small scrap of paper for later transfer to a notebook or computer. Whatever format these notes are in, first record your best guess as to whether a player is a winner or a loser. A simple notation is to use L for a small loser, LL for a medium loser, and LLL for a big loser. Use W for a small winner, and so on.
If possible, try to record a general player profile for each regular opponent. For example: LL (moderate loser), very aggressive, too loose before the flop from early positions. Another profile might be: W, usually wins, tends to play solid poker, but after a tough beat, may come unglued for the next few hands. If you play against a large number of opponents, limit your observations to a few essentials. For those of you who play only against a small number of opponents or have some regular opponents you face frequently, you can try to become much more detailed.
What should detailed records include? Anything that will help you beat them. If you notice any patterns or tells (things they do that give away the strength of their hands), make note of them. If you are inexperienced in the art of spotting tells or knowing what types of things to look for, read Mike Caro's
Book of Poker Tells. Years ago, I read a book by Frank Wallace titled
Poker, A Guaranteed Income for Life. I don't think it is still in print, but stores carrying used books often seem to have copies. The strategies touted in the book were fairly simplistic and based more on manipulating your opponents than on improving your play. The one thing it had that I have never seen covered anywhere else is pages and pages of examples of records kept by the hero about his regular game and the players involved. They are so detailed that it would be impossible for anyone who plays multiple sessions each week to keep them. (I know, because 25 or so years ago, I tried to do it.) I guess if you play once a week and can devote a lot of time on the other six days to record keeping, you might approach the level of detail that Wallace recommends.
When I have played in regular daily games with the same players, and this includes some of the best players in the world, I have noticed some tells or patterns. Sometimes, weeks or even months would go by before the situation would come up again, but knowing my opponent enabled me to save some bets on losing hands or gain some on winning hands, and at high stakes, this can make a huge difference in your bottom line. Knowledge of opponents is also very important to the tournament player. One correct bit of information may keep you from losing your stack or enable you to double it. Unless you have a photographic memory, keeping records is the easiest way to remember what you have learned about opponents. In fact, one of the advantages that regular tournament players have over occasional players is that they know more about more opponents and can make a lot more correct decisions.
I can't emphasize the importance of record keeping strongly enough. Keep records about yourself. Study them. Analyze them. Learn from them. Keep records about your opponents. Use them to help you select profitable games and to improve your results against opponents in certain situations. There is a hidden benefit to record keeping. The procedure helps your thinking about poker and your opponents. You may come up with a play designed to trap a specific opponent. You may analyze situations, rationally and unemotionally, when you are away from the table. When a situation occurs, you will already know how to handle it, and can do the correct thing instanteously. If it occurs for your opponent, he might give away a lot about his hand while he tries to weigh all of the factors involved. Knowledge is power.
Steve "Zee" Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on FullTilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bar, Nice Guy Eddie's on Houston and Avenue A in New York City.
