Why this note exists
The small blind is where I notice impatience most clearly. I am partly involved before the hand begins, but that does not mean I have a comfortable seat for the rest of the hand. My note for this spot is intentionally plain: pause, name the action, name the players behind the action, and decide whether the hand has a sensible path after the flop.
I try to write these notes in the same way I would write them after a normal session: specific enough to be useful, but not polished into something fake. A good note should remind me what I was seeing, why the decision mattered, and what I want to test next time. If it sounds like a slogan, I rewrite it into a smaller observation.
- Name the seat before judging the hand.
- Write the previous action in plain words.
- Separate the table read from the emotion of the hand.
- Choose one adjustment to test next session.
What I write down first
The practical value is in the boring details. Which seat was I in? What happened before the action reached me? What player type was involved? Was I acting from a plan or reacting to discomfort? Those questions are not glamorous, but they make the next review clearer.
I also like notes that admit uncertainty. Sometimes the honest answer is that I did not know enough. Sometimes the line was defensible but the reason was weak. Sometimes I was tired, rushed, distracted, or trying to repair an earlier mistake. Writing that down makes the pattern easier to notice without turning the review into self-criticism.
My short prompt
For small blind patience, I write one sentence about position, one sentence about action, and one sentence about the decision I want to understand. If I cannot explain the spot in three sentences, I mark it for a slower review instead of pretending the answer is obvious.
Where was I acting from?
What happened before me?
What was I trying to do?
The mistake I am trying to catch
The practical value is in the boring details. Which seat was I in? What happened before the action reached me? What player type was involved? Was I acting from a plan or reacting to discomfort? Those questions are not glamorous, but they make the next review clearer.
I also like notes that admit uncertainty. Sometimes the honest answer is that I did not know enough. Sometimes the line was defensible but the reason was weak. Sometimes I was tired, rushed, distracted, or trying to repair an earlier mistake. Writing that down makes the pattern easier to notice without turning the review into self-criticism.
My short prompt
For small blind patience, I write one sentence about position, one sentence about action, and one sentence about the decision I want to understand. If I cannot explain the spot in three sentences, I mark it for a slower review instead of pretending the answer is obvious.
Where was I acting from?
What happened before me?
What was I trying to do?
How I review it later
The practical value is in the boring details. Which seat was I in? What happened before the action reached me? What player type was involved? Was I acting from a plan or reacting to discomfort? Those questions are not glamorous, but they make the next review clearer.
I also like notes that admit uncertainty. Sometimes the honest answer is that I did not know enough. Sometimes the line was defensible but the reason was weak. Sometimes I was tired, rushed, distracted, or trying to repair an earlier mistake. Writing that down makes the pattern easier to notice without turning the review into self-criticism.
My short prompt
For small blind patience, I write one sentence about position, one sentence about action, and one sentence about the decision I want to understand. If I cannot explain the spot in three sentences, I mark it for a slower review instead of pretending the answer is obvious.
Where was I acting from?
What happened before me?
What was I trying to do?
A small table habit
The practical value is in the boring details. Which seat was I in? What happened before the action reached me? What player type was involved? Was I acting from a plan or reacting to discomfort? Those questions are not glamorous, but they make the next review clearer.
I also like notes that admit uncertainty. Sometimes the honest answer is that I did not know enough. Sometimes the line was defensible but the reason was weak. Sometimes I was tired, rushed, distracted, or trying to repair an earlier mistake. Writing that down makes the pattern easier to notice without turning the review into self-criticism.
My short prompt
For small blind patience, I write one sentence about position, one sentence about action, and one sentence about the decision I want to understand. If I cannot explain the spot in three sentences, I mark it for a slower review instead of pretending the answer is obvious.
Where was I acting from?
What happened before me?
What was I trying to do?
What makes the note useful
The practical value is in the boring details. Which seat was I in? What happened before the action reached me? What player type was involved? Was I acting from a plan or reacting to discomfort? Those questions are not glamorous, but they make the next review clearer.
I also like notes that admit uncertainty. Sometimes the honest answer is that I did not know enough. Sometimes the line was defensible but the reason was weak. Sometimes I was tired, rushed, distracted, or trying to repair an earlier mistake. Writing that down makes the pattern easier to notice without turning the review into self-criticism.
My short prompt
For small blind patience, I write one sentence about position, one sentence about action, and one sentence about the decision I want to understand. If I cannot explain the spot in three sentences, I mark it for a slower review instead of pretending the answer is obvious.
Where was I acting from?
What happened before me?
What was I trying to do?
FAQ
Why no outside links on this post?
This post is intentionally link-free. The goal is to build a genuine notebook before adding more contextual references.
Is this official advice?
No. It is an independent personal-style study note and does not claim affiliation with any app, club, group, or community.
How should a reader use it?
Pick one prompt, test it in a normal session, and write one honest review sentence afterward.