Poker reads..

Reads, OK now just to make things clear reads are not instinct, you make good reads by information you have gained during a game, or from previous games.
Its so important and IMO a art to making good notes for a quick read, and important for your bankroll!
Make Notes on an information that you think will become useful.
No point in making notes such as raises with Q Q late, but if you catch him cold calling from a raise then that's good info.
Knowing pre-flop action of a player should help a lot such as if you know a player players any A, then you get to milk (value bet*see my value bet post if unsure what it is) him with a strong A or wit PP (providing no A flops) and if it does you know to fold.
Post flop notes are IMO more important than Pre, more hands will e won here, so you need to know how far a player will play if he misses, betting patterns (and this can take a while) so be taking notes every hand.
So, as I said earlyer its important to take good short quick notes...
So lets start,

1st split hands to ranks..
SH Strong = set,2 pair, over pair,str8 flushes etc
MSH Medium / strong = top pair etc
WH weak = mid or bottom pair
SD strong draws = speaks for itself
WD weak draws = gut shots etc
B bluffs = well its a bluff.

Now board texture, why, well because the texture will change the way a player players, notes on how he will play different textures with different hands will become very valuable indeed. Be placing his bet sizes/style/position and lots of other things you think will help, such as can he fol PP etc...ill make a list off stuff to note later.

DB dry board
SDB st8 draws
FB flush draws

Be aware normally only bad or noobs stick to the same pattern, the regs will mix it up a bit more on you.
As your making these notes, you tend to take some of in and find patterns and might use thm less or delete stuff for areavations on pattern and then add mor on more hands.

To back up your notes id advise looking over HH on that player whist out of a hand.
Some abbreviations for the donks.
LCD light calls plays on with bad hands such as bottom pair or high card
DNB Never bluff a total donk, he cant fold, so theres no point.
CHD chases draws
DB Double barrel, villain oftern folds to a DB but rare to fold pre-flop
TPTK top pair top kicker you might consider putting him all in as he will play with a lot worse
SVB strong value bet man this guy cant fold high card is good enougth for him!

Make your notes readable (unlike my posts) so that you understand it give it structure such as Stack, hand, position, pre-flop , board, flop-bet, turn-bet, river bet.

Stack sizes abbreviations

Short Stack(SS)
Mid-Stack(MS)
Full Stack(FS)
Deep Stack (DS)
Big blind (BB) X?

Some quick abbreviations for easy notes

C=call
L=Limp
R=raise
3b=3 bet
P=push
AI=all in
R=rainbow

Im sure you will make up many many more, but make sure you do it in a way you understand.

Now it sames a lot of notes to take, but trust me im just giving the very basics here, you will learn more as you sart using notes, finding easy ways to note and a lot more variations for boards/style/aggression etc etc..


OK the list of things to note...wish id not have started now.
Changed my mind, can think of too much, so ill let some users post what the believe we should make notes on, put in format of Does he...
Such as ... Does he often defend his blinds? Does he min-bet draws? etc

And if people respond you will see why I'm not doing it.

GL all hope it is of some help.