Have you ever wondered whether or not this hobby of yours is making you any money? Ever pondered over what limits you ought to be playing? Perhaps you’ve even been thinking about whether it’s best to play during the day or at night? If any of these questions have been running through your head, then it’s about time you started keeping a poker record.
When I say ‘poker record’, I’m not referring to your LP of Kenny Rogers’ ‘The Gambler’, I mean a full written account of your poker successes and failures. And that means an honest account. No cutting corners, no excluding big losses, just the pure facts.
Now you don’t have to be a poker pro to keep records. Anybody can do it, and you should too, even if it’s a mere hobby. There is no doubt in my mind that keeping records forms an integral part of your game and will ultimately prove vastly rewarding. I myself have been noting my results in a spreadsheet for the last 4 years, be they massive tourney wins, small online STT losses, or even the minor accomplishments of the odd home game. I want to know exactly how much I’m up or down, but most importantly, why I’m up or down.
I can sense a few of you mouthing a familiar line, "I don’t need to keep records, I know I’m up." Well, that’s what you’re telling yourself anyhow. You convince yourself that you’re running well, you block out the losses, and highlight the wins. Let me translate a few common phrases for you, do any of these ring true?
• "I broke even for the day." = "I’m down for the day."
• "I’m up for the day’ = "I broke even for the day."
• "I’m a few quid down for the day.’ = "I’ve just lost my house, car, wife, and the shirt off my back."
It’s time to stop messing around and be true to yourself. Here are some of the benefits:
Keeping records can…
1. … show how much you are winning or losing -- It’s important to know how much your hobby is costing you. Has this venture into gambling been more expensive than you realise, or are you able to play more freely? Checking your overall profit or loss will enable you to work out where you stand.
2. … tell you which form of poker you are best at -- If you’ve won more at Omaha than Hold ‘Em, then maybe you should stick to Omaha. Perhaps you rarely play Stud, but can recognise some consistent financial gains. Maybe you ought to play the game more often. It’s okay assuming that Hold ‘Em is your forté, but until you work out how much the game has actually won or cost you, you can never be sure. Keeping a record will help you identify your strengths and perhaps encourage you to think more about your game selection.
3. … identify whether you’re best at short or long sessions -- Perhaps like me you seem to earn more during short sessions. You may well tilt after a certain amount of time at the table, therefore resulting in your longest sessions being the most expensive ones. You may simply suffer from fatigue. Check your records and find out.
4. …show when you play best or earn most money -- Find out what part of the day you play your top-notch poker. Are you more alert in the mornings? Perhaps you succeed more when you trundle into the casino at 3am when everyone else is tired. There may be no discernable trends regarding time of day, but you won’t know until you assess your records.
5. …help you calculate an hourly rate -- If you’re a regular partaker in poker, then you may wish to calculate your hourly earnings, perhaps with the intention of paying yourself a monthly wage. Either way, it’s nice to know the exact figure, especially if it’s large!
6. …allow you to keep track of the capability of your opponents -- Keeping a note of the sharks and fishes should reap huge awards. The benefit of steering away from a table that you know is full of sharks is inconceivable. It takes just a few seconds to jot down a name or alias. Don’t be ashamed to admit when someone is better than you. Target the weak and avoid the strong, if you apply that strategy, you shouldn’t go far wrong.
7. …enable you to work out which online sites or casinos you have best success at -- If your most rewarding sessions have been at the casino down the road, then play there. If you’ve won the majority of your STTs on Fishpoker.com, then consider sticking to that site. Different sites suit different players. Find out which locations provide you with your best results.
8. … determine the effects of satellites -- Ever wondered how much you’ve spent on satellites? Maybe you want to know your success rate. Perhaps it would be better value just paying into the main competition. Once again, check your records and find out.
9. …keep you honest -- As stated earlier, people lie to themselves. Maintaining a reliable track of your performances will help prevent you from believing your game is running well, when the stats suggest it clearly isn’t.
10. … prove losses to the taxman -- If you’re ever fortunate enough to experience a humongous tournament win, then you ought to use your records to prove any losses so that you can be partly reimbursed. Brits need not fear too much however, as gambling remains non-taxable this side of the pond.
So there you have it, plenty of benefits to be had from the simple process of keeping records. It’s time to stop kidding yourself. If you want to give yourself the optimal chance of success at poker, then you have to be truthful, face facts, and analyse your game fully. Keep records! Even if you don’t have a computer, all it takes is a good old fashioned pen and paper. A few columns consisting of Date, Location, Game, Stakes, Session Time, Profit, and so on. Maybe even a self-rating, out of ten say. Nothing complex required, just something that displays your form. The choice is ultimately yours.
That’s not to say that if you don’t keep records you’re doomed to failure. You may be one of the greatest players in the world, but, fortunately, not everyone is. Therefore, keeping an account of your progress will position you one step ahead of those who don’t. There are many benefits to be gained from managing basic records, don’t ignore them unnecessarily.
If you so wish, you may choose to take your record keeping a step further and invest in a poker analyser of some sort. This will remove a considerable amount of the duties required in keeping track of your results. A simple click of the mouse and the programme will input all the relevant information for you. It will make all the necessary calculations and even throw in a few additional statistics that were previously unattainable.
A big benefit of analysis software is the ability to replay hands. Often we win a big pot and simply assume that we played it perfectly, when the reality may point more towards a luck factor. Perhaps we played it well, but could have made more, but the point is that we won’t know until we retrace our steps. Failure to do so could result in continued ignorance and subsequently the reoccurrence of costly mistakes. Checking back on the good and the bad hands we played will most certainly enable us to learn and develop a hell of a lot quicker.
The bottom line is this…
Keeping records is crucial. Don’t be embarrassed, noting losses can be demoralising, but you have to overcome that psychological obstacle and be honest with yourself. Jot down trends, keep notes, download analysis software. Do whatever you can to enhance your game. The tools are right there in front of you, you’d be foolish not to utilise them.
There’s a whole beam of light to be shone on your game, so don’t carry on playing in the dark…