How to Track Your Poker Profits and Losses

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If you take poker seriously—whether as a side hustle, hobby, or full-time grind—tracking your profits and losses is essential. It’s not just about knowing if you’re up or down. Good record-keeping helps you understand your strengths and leaks, spot trends, and make smarter texas-holdem-pokers.com decisions about game selection and bankroll management.

This guide explains why tracking matters, what to log, and the best tools to do it right.

Why You Should Track Your Poker Results

Many players rely on gut feeling to judge their performance. But feelings lie—data doesn’t.

Benefits of tracking include:

  • Knowing your true win rate over time

  • Spotting profitable vs. unprofitable games or formats

  • Tracking variance and swings to stay emotionally stable

  • Helping you set realistic goals and adjust your strategy

  • Staying disciplined with your bankroll

What You Should Track

To build a clear picture of your poker performance, you should consistently log:

1. Session Date and Duration

Knowing when and how long you played helps reveal when you perform best—or worst.

2. Game Type

Was it cash, MTT, SNG? What format (live/online)? Include stake levels too.

3. Location or Platform

Was it on PokerStars, a private app, or at your local casino? Track where you win most.

4. Buy-in and Cash-out Amounts

Record how much you invested and how much you finished with per session.

5. Net Profit or Loss

The most important line. Subtract buy-in from cash-out for your session total.

6. Notes on Gameplay

Write quick reflections: “Lost a big flip,” “Played tired,” “Bluffed too much,” “Great reads today.” This gives context to your stats.

Manual vs. App-Based Tracking

You can track results in a basic notebook or spreadsheet, but apps make the process faster, more accurate, and insightful.

Spreadsheet (Excel/Google Sheets)

Pros:

  • 100% customizable

  • Free and accessible

  • Great for players who love building stats

Cons:

  • Time-consuming

  • No graphs or built-in analysis unless you build them

Mobile Apps

Recommended apps for easy poker tracking:

  • Poker Income Tracker (iOS/Android)

  • Poker Bankroll Tracker

  • RunGood Poker Results Tracker

  • Poker Notes Live (for live session notes)

Pros:

  • Automatic charts and stats

  • Quick input from your phone

  • Game filters and performance summaries

Cons:

  • Some features may require paid upgrades

  • Not all support tournament-specific tracking

Track by Game Type

Your win rate might be great in $1/$2 cash but poor in $20 MTTs. Tracking helps you:

  • Stick with profitable formats

  • Avoid long-term losses in games you’re not beating

  • Allocate your bankroll more effectively

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