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Poker is a game of chance but it also relies heavily on devising strategies to gain an edge over opponents. For this reason, tracking the results is very important for players to improve their game. Both casual and professional players competing in tournaments need to have a system they can use to analyse personal performance and identify any potential weaknesses and successful strategies to refine gameplay with the intention of increasing winnings.
Why Track Your Results?
Analysing overall game performance goes beyond having a general understanding and overview of wins and losses. Instead, it helps identify patterns over time. Players can quickly identify recurring mistakes to correct and good strategies to replicate, which is only attainable by reviewing the hands played. On the other hand, tracking results also helps to guide bankroll management, ensuring that players stay in the game for longer, heightening the chances of winning in the long run.
Additionally, gameplay tracking eliminates emotional decision-making by enabling players to make their decisions based on data. For iGamers, data can easily be tracked and analysed as modern casinos have options like practice modes to help players refine their games before playing for real stakes.
According to gambling expert Nora Kim and CryptoNews KR, professional review sites can help players find safe and reliable sites to play on. This is crucial to ensure the site you use offers safe play, and confirmed security features, and that other vital metrics from good bonus features to fairness have been tested and approved whether you’re a poker player, prefer other casino games, or enjoy online sports betting.
However, regardless of the site used, if results aren’t being tracked players could resort to making decisions impulsively instead of sticking to a properly devised strategy. In this sense, tracking your results is way more important than merely reviewing wins and losses as it provides clarity on when and how to play.
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What to Track
Several aspects are important to track, though the win/loss record is the most basic measure of the success of individual performance. However, by expanding the analysis scope, players can track other aspects like the number of hours played, revealing things like their hourly rate of spending over a defined period.
Factors like the player’s position at the table, and their pre and post-flop aggression could unveil crucial insights that can help find a good balance in gameplay. It’s also important to remember that different game types have varying formats, so analysing how these factors have a bearing on the strategy required.
Tools for Online Poker Tracking
Players have different options for tools to track their poker performance. For example, there are hand history review sites such as ‘Run It Once’ that feature valuable insights from professional players. There are also specific software programs that have been designed like PokerTracker and Holdem Manager that keep a comprehensive history of the hands each player was dealt and how they played them.
For mobile poker, there are also different apps that can be leveraged to ascertain the success of different strategies. Despite the wealth of resources, many players prefer to create their own custom tracking systems using spreadsheets, allowing more flexibility and personalization in logging data that is most important to them.
Creating a Poker Tracking System
Adopting a systematic approach to tracking poker performance is the first step to analysing overall performance and it doesn’t matter if it’s a comprehensive spreadsheet or software program. All that matters is tracking important insights that have a bearing on winning potential and uncovering mistakes during gameplay.
As long as the system is effective, players should endeavour to promptly log their results after every poker session, especially notable hands resulting in a win or loss. After every month, the results and factors that contributed to the outcome of these sessions should be reviewed, and if an adjustment in strategy is needed, practising the newly devised techniques will help in improving future game results.
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Consistency is Key
Monitoring progress could be a tedious job, especially at the beginning since most people play poker to relax and unwind. Subsequently, logging data after every session could seem like a chore but the results in the long run far outweigh the immediate inconvenience. Therefore, players should be consistent in this aspect to ensure that they utilise every chance they get to gain an advantage over opponents.
As time goes on, the refined strategies will become second nature resulting in maximised winning potential even when pitched against highly skilled players. Whether you play poker casually or competitively, tracking performance should be a set feature in your gameplay regardless of your skill level.
