I mention my poker journal all the time and thought why not start a thread on it.

In a nutshell, after ever session, I write down the key hands in my poker journal. I also write down any mistakes I made, how I was feeling, etc. etc.

The journal has been instrumental in helping me ID positive trends and negative trends as well as QUANTIFYING just how good or bad things are.

In my journal, I also have a list of rules, a dos and don'ts list, a preflight checklist before I start a session, notes to myself I read during a session (during my breaks) and a section of general poker related ponderings that I read on occassion.

I start each journal with my Bankroll before and after the session, whether I played a tourney that day or not, and the games I played.

I then talk about how I 'felt' prior to the session. Then I get into the session: I rate my play on a scale of 1 - 10, also discuss a few key hands, great plays and bad plays, how long I played, cashing out, etc. etc. Each entry is between 1 - 3 pages.

My journal is a typical journal book that fits in my coat pocket and then when I get home, I transcribe it into the computer. I plan to turn it into a blog next year...

Anyways, I can't tell you how great this has been for my play.

So thought I'd start a thread and see if I can't convince you all to start a Poker Journal.

If you think this is a good idea and are game, reply and take the pledge.

hmm, this is a very good idea. i think taking notes definitley helps. i am not sure if i can dedicate 3 pages everyday to a poker journal. but i can pledge to 1 page/day.
writing things down will defintley elevate any1's game. i remember when i was a tilt degen monkey. i decided to overcome my weaknesses and started reading books and watching videos on tilt control. and i wrote down everything that i would think was important. so whenever i am on a losing streak, i go back to my little notebook and reread it again. i'll definitley give it a try, thx op

Can we do this for advice we thought was right, and given, but ended up wrong?

Anyway, I like the idea too. I know it will help my game. My wife is getting tired of listening to my rants (both good and bad).

Can you possibly give us an example of an entry if it isn't too private? Obviously edit out anything you don't want us to see. I know the benefit of reflection but whenever i try it i never seem to be any good at it. I am a pharmacy student and reflection is also a big part of my degree but something a really struggle with.

Sure, this is pretty much verbatim from my journal. Also, I refer to myself as 'our' and 'we' which seems wierd to everyone else but makes since to me but that's a different story....

Day 31 ........ -$1,000
Buy in $500 Cashout $0 2/5NL
Buy in $500 Cashout $0 2/5NL

We f-ing were on Winner's tilt from our big win yesterday ($3K), came in like big daddy poker and f-ing spewed everywhere. Not quite sure why after a great day the next day we piss it all away. Basically, today we didn't round or grind, right out of the gate we're making plays against unknowns instead of breathing (Bluff has a great article on taking the time to know your opponents and they call this 'Breathing') then playing.

Biggest problem is just not adjusting to the donks and calling stations and you freakin know better. Second hand, we had AQ and raised pf $55. Unknown player calls from EP. Flop is K 4 4 rainbow. He checks, we cbet $75 he calls. Turn is J, he checks, we bet $125, he calls. River is 7, he checks, we bet $250, he tanks then says, "Yeah, you got me beat" then calls with pocket 33s!!!

Had we have just done our normal breathing and checked/folded until we got a read on the table this wouldn't have happened. very next hand, he does the same thing to someone else except he loses his a$$.

Then for the life of us, we started making horrible hero calls. I mean, Stevie Wonder could see how freaking horrible the board was and instead of at least shoving we are freaking hero calling with mid pair BS against decent players.

We ended up losing our second buy-in by pushing on complete air on the turn on a dry board into a decent player. God, we couldn't have played worst today if we tried. Our table image was complete dogshtt and then we try to cash in on it? WTF. We stopped loss out today at $1,000 and thank god.

We also didn't do our preplay checklist today. In and out in 2hrs, f-ing awful...

New rule, we will not play the day after big win 3K+. Take day off or play an internet tournament.

Day 32........ +$2,700
Buy in $400 2 - 500 Spread
Cashout $3,200
Tournament buy in $200, Cashout $300 9th place

Got our poker game back, slowed down, played ABC poker until we got a read on the table then opened up our game.

Also targeted aggressive ego players, waited for key hands. Big one of the night was against Loose Asian guy. He's been raising all day with BS and has been hyper aggressive with top pair weak kickers and mid pair. He raised preflop $35 from the CO (we both had about $1K), we reraised him $75 OOP with KsJs everyone else folds. He called, flop was, J 7 3 rainbow. We check, he bets out $100, we c/r him $200, then he insta shoves back another $200. We then hollywood some and make a reluctant call. Turn is 2. We check, and he insta-shoves again $200, we check raise him again $200 which puts him all in, he calls. Pot is around $2K, river is blank. He turns over QJ and we win with KJ-- never a second's doubt. Knew he had QJ, J10 garbage. Cha ching!!!

Overall, made some great plays today trusting our read. We took the standard hits, nothing too serious and did a much better job of just relaxing and playing our game.

Tournament play has been impressive, but we made a horrible play at the final table. We sorta tilted a bit since we started as chip leader and lost 3 hands in a row, doubling up the scrubs. Our AQ lost to A2, then our pocket 99s lost to J9, then we had our 88s run into AAs talk about a cooler. So now, we are in MP, down to 14K chips, blinds are at 4K and 8K and we had just made the final table. Half of the table knows us, the other half doesn't. We tried to cash in on our table image by pushing all in, but our hand was complete dogshtt, 76s and we didn't have enough chips. Everyone folds and it gets to the BB who was chip leader. But what makes it worse is that he doesn't know us so our image is useless against him. He tanks for a full minute then calls with 87o LOL. We lose.

Even though the blinds were coming we should have waited for at the very least a picture card to shove all-in. We had 3 more hands coming before it was our big blind so in the future, we gotta wait for at least Q7+ to shove in this situation again when BB will call with ATC. Had we not of hit that cooler, easily would have won. Oh wells. Good day overall.

well im in I like the idea

I have been wanting to do something likes this for a while, but doesn't it look funny when your taking notes at the table?

Yeah I might be up for this!

I am going full time for the start of 2010 and it could be a great way to keep focus / express any frustrations etc...

Was thinking of doing it on-line though - more like a blogg - or does that not work? Is this more private...?

Yeah, I'm planning on turning it into a blog next year. Since I play live, it is easier for me to carry a physical pocket sized journal with me which I transcribe into the computer when I get home.

I think whatever works for you will be fine. If you are an online player, i'd imagine that typing in the computer will be easier since it is right 'there'.

If you are a B&M player then I find the physical journal will be better since I like to write immediately following a session while the emotions and memory is fresh.

At first I tried to write during play, and chart my hands, but it was too hard, couldn't adequately observed the table, so then I switched to just general descriptions of my play with a key hand here or there thrown in.

as for looking funny, *shrug* not really. But I rarely take notes at the table. I'll make a mental note and enter it during a break.

***

As for online, if you are an online player, you will have the HUGE advantage of the hand histories which is always a plus.

Anyways, I highly recommend the Journal, after you do it for a couple of weeks, it feels like second nature.

bump for the new year

I think this is a great idea. I always debrief after a session, in my mind, but I know I don't have the discipline to write it down.

I sometimes jot stuff down in the note sections of Iphone. Works great bc I transfer it over to the comp once im home

How's that coming? Good entries so far.

Done and done.

VS

I am taking the plunge as well and I am going to start a sudo blog to go with it. Where would I post that, Challenges and Goals or whatever that forum is called?

Here is a link to my new journal/blog: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17...urnal-1227685/