If you don’t keep records of your holdem poker playing, start now. Make a form on your computer and print some copies. If you have the software, set up a database on your hard drive. At least get a notebook and a calculator. If you need to make notes in the casino, write on the back of a keno ticket and copy the information to your play records when you get home. Accurate play records will tell you a lot about yourself, your strategy and your opponents.

 

After a few losing sessions of holdem poker, you might be asking yourself the age old poker player questions. Do they know something I don’t? Have they figured out my game? Is this just a temporary losing streak? Do I have a tell? Am I playing too tight? Should I change my strategy? Am I playing too loose? Will I ever win again? What should I change? All these doubts about yourself and your game will soon have a negative effect on your play.

 

Look over your play records when you get home. You’ll find the answers there. I’ve always found that it was just a little bad luck and the other players were getting some money back, that’s all. A good set of records is the best thing I know for a poker player’s peace of mind and a good night’s sleep.

 

Your play records should include the date of each session, start and stop times, hours played, wins or losses, running totals and an hourly win rate. You’ll also want to have totals in terms of big bets. If you play in holdem games of various limits then big bets per hour is a better indicator of how you are doing than dollars per hour. Your play records …