Why Have a Poker Journal?
Poker is a long-term game. It's really not too different from investing, except you can't have someone else get it done for you. You've to make the money yourself. Nevertheless, you wouldn't invest with out an idea, keeping records, tracking results, analyzing new opportunities, and exploring new options. Right? The same will also apply to poker. Bad players (fish) never record anything. They never track anything. They don't make decisions today predicated on historic realities. They don't know the difference between playing your website they are on (or the table) and one other sites in the poker world. They only sit back, 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! If they win they are thrilled. If they lose they are depressed. They are... in a word... VICTIMS!
You strive to become more than that, obviously. However, many players who strive to become 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 can't learn as quickly as you must from your mistakes. Maybe you won't study from them at all. Maybe you'll learn for a time and then forget about it again. Your poker journal is the method that you tap the absolute most powerful poker tool that exists.
If you don't keep records then you miss out on the Most Powerful Tool poker has to offer - YOUR BRAINPOWER. Your brainpower is what will get you in to the future. It's what's going setting the road for the future success or failure. Because... As a man thinketh... so is he! The Bible: Proverbs
You may spend hours staring at a computer screen, playing hands, making reads, learning lessons (good and bad). You read articles and books, speak to 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, rather than counting on your face, rely in your poker journal. A poker journal never forgets. You ought to review it often. And the fact you've recorded things, will prompt you to expand them and consider them more.poker88 slot
The how's and why's of keeping a poker journal.
Hopefully I've convinced you that the poker journal will really add value and brings about your poker game. Essentially the HOW is simple. Just start carrying it out! But, here are a few things I've prepared for years with my poker journal. Hopefully you can use a number of them.
While 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'd encourage you to obtain something more substantial. Your next time out, take a shopping trip for a journal. About electronic journals, think of it in this way; just how many computer files can you will find from 3 years ago? Not many. Just how many pictures have you got from your childhood? Probably a significant few. Physical things are permanent, electronic files are often lost, forgotten or damaged. So select the physical thing.
I use a refillable leather journal cover I bought at Barnes and Noble. Here's why. Leather is good! It gives your thoughts importance and heft. Leather is permanent and comforting. When you write in this journal it draws you to become better. It's also refillable and it has a place to help keep a couple pens. This is important for me because I need my journal to be all set to go and hold as much as my lifestyle. I proceed through 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 often.
So, what do you write in your journal?
Jot down whatever comes to mind. I use my journal for personal notes and goals as well as poker goals - to me they are one in the exact same; because, poker makes many aspects of my life possible and my life affects my poker. I start every journal with my life goals and concepts that help me succeed at whatever I'm doing. Like that I understand exactly where to visit get my mind right if I start to waver.
From then on I recently write whatever I think is very important because it comes to mind. These generally 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 1 is important.
Poker has a great capability to tie us up in knots whenever we have bad sessions or make mistakes. The simplest way to sort out the negative energy that gets developed in times like this really is to create a word 50-100 times. That helps me work-out the negative emotions and refocus my efforts. Randomly opening my journal I view a couple pages of "I will follow my rules 100% when I play." That's from several sessions of breaking my own personal good advice and playing such as a fool.
So those are some ideas of what you could keep. I've notes about what poker articles I have to write, time management actions, and even questions I use to approach life in a positive way. It's all good!! As the act of writing focuses the mind, it makes permanent many things that you'd lose if you tried to keep in mind them in your face; it clarifies; and it provides you with something to check back on and see your achievements.
If you're interested in seeing inside my journal, here's a sample. Many of these things don't seem poker related, however 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've the discipline and desire to regulate my own personal time and activities in a way that brings well-rounded fullness for me personally and for my family.
3. A Transforming Force - I'm a positive force to transform those around me for a much better and happier life.
4. Kaizen - I will improve and grow in large or small meaningful and positive ways in some part of my life every day before day I die.
"We are what we think. All that people are arises with your thoughts. With our 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 create it the way I are interested?
4. What am I prepared to no longer do to create it the way I are interested?
5. Just how can I like the method WHILE I actually do what is necessary to create it the way I are interested?
Those are just some snippets from my poker journal. Those don't say "poker", but for me they are imperative to continued poker success. Lots of my journal entries are the cornerstone for chapters in this book, because they have turned into full articles on the topic in question.
Conclusion
I really hope you're convinced that the 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 long run results with out a journal. But giving your ideas, thoughts, frustrations, and observations a DESTINATION can provide a completely new amount of calm and balance for the game.
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