JV'S KILLER POKER: SCORECARD

BY: John Vorhaus

You can't call yourself a serious-minded poker player unless you keep track of your performance over time. And if you fail to keep track, it's not laziness, it's denial and fear. Many players make the conscious or unconscious decision not to keep score because they know, deep in their gut, that they're not the winning players they intend or pretend to be, and it's easier for them to maintain their denial if they don't put contrary evidence right before their eyes.

The trouble is, you need the proof of your scorecard because you can't trust always trust the proof in your wallet. Anyone can catch a run of hot cards, and end up mistaking good fortune for good play. An artificially inflated bankroll can delude you into thinking that you're better than you are. But detailed and meticulous records don't lie. If they tell you that you have lost 20 consecutive sessions of $30-60 hold'em, there's hard evidence that you need to try a different limit or a different game or both.

How long do you need to keep score before your statistical history starts to become statistically valid? The answer depends on such factors as how much you play, how long your sessions are, and whether you play many different games and/or many different limits. (One bad session at $20-40, for example, can wipe out twenty hours of diligence at $4-8.) But I would say this: Keep solid records for a solid year before worrying about the bottom line. And remember that keeping score is not just about measuring the size of your stack over time. It's a tool for analysis, a way of identifying your weaknesses and strengths. Based on what you learn from studying your own stats, you can start to make better choices about where, when, what and how to play.

Suppose your year-end review revealed that you did great in the clubs, but got killed in home games. Does that mean you should give up on your home games? Maybe. Or maybe you just need to look for hidden factors. Do you play looser in home games because you're playing with friends? Drinking? Going all night? Quitting the home game may not be the answer; rather, let the numbers help you fill holes in your play.

By the same token, don't become complacent if your numbers show that you're doing quite well. You may be playing excellent poker... or you may just be running lucky. If you're winning, fine; take pride in your performance. But then analyze that performance and find out what you're doing best of all. Is game selection your strength? Knowing when to quit? If you're doing something very well, by all means do more of that. Information is power. Get more of the former to gain more of the latter.

Then again, don't let your records become a burden to your soul. Awareness of the fact that you're running red can cause you to press, stress and play even worse. Who needs that? Poker is supposed to be profitable, but it's also supposed to be fun. Don't let your past defeats – whether last week or last month or last year – keep you from playing your best game, and enjoying the game you play, today. Twenty years from now, you won't remember this week's – or even this year's – results, so don't sweat what doesn't need to be sweated.

But do keep score. It's how you measure your performance over time. All serious poker players keep records; all you have to do to call yourself serious is be keeping records too.