What to Record in a Poker Session Log

A poker session log is a record of every time you play. Over months it shows your real win rate, which games and stakes suit you, and how your bankroll is doing. The key is to record the same things every time, honestly, including the losing sessions.

The essential fields

• Date and start time
• Game type: cash game or tournament; No-Limit Hold’em, PLO, and so on
• Stakes: such as $1/$2 or a $150 tournament
• Location: the casino, home game or site
• Total buy-in: including every rebuy and add-on
• Cash-out: what you left with
• Hours played: needed to calculate your hourly rate

With these alone you can work out profit, hourly rate, results by stake and by location, and how big your swings are.

Optional fields that reveal leaks

• Mood and energy before and during the session
• Why you left: planned stop, stop-loss, tired, or tilted
• Table quality: how soft or tough the game was
• Key hands to review later
• Expenses: tips, travel, food — they add up
• For tournaments: number of entrants, finishing place and any bounties

Habits that keep the log accurate

• Record the session when you finish, not days later.
• Never skip a losing session.
• Use one log for everything, not a different notebook per casino.

The free PokerTracking app has all these fields built in, starts a live timer when you sit down, and calculates your profit, hourly rate and bankroll automatically. See also how to track poker results and our spreadsheet vs app comparison.