Why Have a Poker Journal?
Poker is a long-term game. It's really not that distinctive from investing, except you can't have another person take action for you. You've to make the money yourself. Nevertheless, you wouldn't invest without having an agenda, keeping records, tracking results, analyzing new opportunities, and exploring new options. Right? The same will additionally apply to poker. Bad players (fish) never record anything. They never track anything. They don't make decisions today based on historic realities. They don't know the difference between playing the site they're on (or the table) and one other sites in the poker world. They just take a seat, blind in, and start playing. Fish don't play poker for the long-term. They play for the Right Now! This hand! This moment! This session! Should they win they're thrilled. Should they lose they're depressed. They are... in a word... VICTIMS!
You strive to be more than that, obviously. However, many players who strive to be more miss out on the Most Powerful Tool poker has to offer - HISTORICAL REALITY. Historical the truth is what HAPPENED. How it happened. Why it happened. Because, guess what... It'll happen again!
If you don't keep records then you definitely can't learn as quickly as you should from your own mistakes. Maybe you won't study from them at all. Maybe you'll learn for some time and then forget about this again. Your poker journal is the way you tap the most powerful poker tool that exists.
If you don't keep records then you definitely miss out on the Most Powerful Tool poker has to offer - YOUR BRAINPOWER. Your brainpower is what is going to take you into the future. It's what's going to create the path for your future success or failure. Because... As a man thinketh... so is he! The Bible: Proverbs
You spend hours staring at a screen, playing hands, making reads, learning lessons (good and bad). You read articles and books, keep in touch with other poker players, and observe others that are more skilled than you. Where does all this information go? It can't just go in your head. Your head is a horrible record keeper. It's manipulated by emotions, it's a lot of non-poker work to complete, and it will fail you at the worst times in poker. So, in place of counting on your mind, rely in your poker journal. A poker journal never forgets. You should review it often. And the fact that you've recorded things, will prompt you to expand them and think about them more.poker88 slot
The how's and why's of keeping a poker journal.
Hopefully I've convinced you a poker journal will really add value and leads to your poker game. Essentially the HOW is simple. Just start doing it! But, below are a few things I've done for years with my poker journal. Hopefully you need to use a few of them.
When you can keep a poker journal electronically on your computer, I don't recommend it. And while any old spiral notebook is going to do, I would encourage you to have something more substantial. Your next time out, take a shopping trip for a journal. About electronic journals, think of it this way; how many computer files can you discover from 3 years ago? Not many. Just how many pictures have you got from your own childhood? Probably quite a few. Physical things are permanent, electronic files are often lost, forgotten or damaged. So choose the physical thing.
I use a refillable leather journal cover I bought at Barnes and Noble. Here's why. Leather is good! It provides your thoughts importance and heft. Leather is permanent and comforting. Whenever you write in this journal it draws you to become better. It's also refillable and it has a place to keep a couple pens. All of this is very important to me because I want my journal to be ready to go and hold up to my lifestyle. I undergo about 1 refill every 9 months roughly and I obviously keep the old journals for reference. I carry my journal with me almost all the time, and I make notes inside it often.
So, what would you write in your journal?
Take note of whatever involves mind. I personally use my journal for private notes and goals in addition to poker goals - if you ask me they're one in exactly the same; because, poker makes many facets of my entire life possible and my entire life affects my poker. I start every journal with my entire life goals and concepts that help me succeed at whatever I'm doing. This way I understand exactly where to go to get my mind right if I begin to waver.
Next I just write whatever I think is essential as it involves mind. These include such things as:
- Starting Hand Charts
- Poker Session, SnG, and MTT notes
- Poker ideas I read in books, magazines and online
- Summaries of what I think helps me accomplish my poker and life goals
- Personal Improvement concepts and notes
- Repetitive Sentences - This one is important.
Poker has a great ability to tie us up in knots whenever we have bad sessions or make mistakes. The best way to work through the negative energy that gets built up in times like this really is to publish a sentence 50-100 times. That helps me work out the negative emotions and refocus my efforts. Randomly opening my journal I visit a couple pages of "I will follow my rules 100% when I play." That's from several sessions of breaking my very own good advice and playing just like a fool.
So those are some ideas of everything you could keep. I have notes by what poker articles I have to write, time management actions, and even questions I personally use to approach life in a positive way. It's all good!! Since the act of writing focuses your brain, it generates permanent many things that you would lose in the event that you tried to consider them in your mind; it clarifies; and it gives you something to appear back on and see your achievements.
If you're enthusiastic about seeing inside my journal, here's a sample. Many of these things don't seem poker related, nevertheless they set the foundations for my poker success.
LIFE GOALS:
1. Time, Flexibility, Independence - I'm an unbiased person who has 100% control of my time and actions without financial restrictions or pressures.
2. Discipline, Desire, Control - I have the discipline and desire to manage my very own time and activities in ways that brings well-rounded fullness for me and for my family.
3. A Transforming Force - I'm a positive force to transform those around me for a better and happier life.
4. Kaizen - I will improve and grow in large or small meaningful and positive ways in a few aspect of my entire life everyday before the day I die.
"We are what we think. All that individuals are arises with your thoughts. With this thoughts we make our world" The Buddha
"Things do not change. We change." Henry David Thoreau
Problem Solving Questions: (from Anthony Robbins)
1. What is great about this problem?
2. What is not perfect yet?
3. What am I prepared to DO to produce it the way in which I are interested?
4. What am I prepared to no longer do to produce it the way in which I are interested?
5. How can I like the method WHILE I do what's necessary to produce it the way in which I are interested?
Those are just some snippets from my poker journal. Those don't say "poker", however for me they're crucial to continued poker success. A lot of my journal entries are the basis for chapters in this book, because they have changed into full articles on the topic in question.
Conclusion
I really hope you're convinced a poker journal will infuse power, focus, and long-term vision into your poker life. Any fish can post a blind and play a hand. Many players have longer term results with out a journal. But giving your ideas, thoughts, frustrations, and observations a DESTINATION can provide an entirely new degree of calm and balance for your game.
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