Poker is a game of imperfect information. The player who gathers the most information about his contestants and interprets this info best, will, on the long term, become a winner. Now how do we do this? By using notes!
Notes are small scribbles which you can make with every player. So every time this player sits with you at a table, you can review your notes, review that information and use it to determine how you will play against that player. There are a few basic rules:
- be as clarifying as possible
- be as short as possible
- keep adjusting and updating your notes
This all sounds very obvious, but in fact many people do it wrong. By the first basic rule I want to point to boardtexture. There’s a difference in calling an all-in with 
on a 
board than on a board with 
. So if you make a note saying “calls KK as overpair allin on the flop” then it’s a bit of a shame cause you could state it that much clearer. Just by adding the word “drawy” or “dry” makes the note that much better! Perfection is impossible but the strive for is essential. So make optimal use of the information you get.
The second basic rule is about people who find telegraphese difficult. The sentence I gave you as a note in the previous paragraph isn’t good because there is more information you can put in it and the way it is written is way to long. You can list the same information by stating: “C AI w/OP KK dry F” Some of you will find these form of notes unpleasant, but is necessary to persist with a short form of notes. Otherwise, you will be scrolling in your notes, taking away precious time for more info gathering.
Then our last rule, adjusting and updating your notes. Even if you know somebody pretty well, you have to keep on gathering small parts of information about him. Strive for perfection. Your contestants keep on improving as well. Keep this in mind and keep updating your notes !
