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It's often been said 
that poker can be broken down into two broad categories. Mindset and tactics. It's interesting to note that it's generally mindset coaches that break the game down into these two categories only (makes sense huh?). Most poker players understand that there is more to poker success than just these areas.
that poker can be broken down into two broad categories. Mindset and tactics. It's interesting to note that it's generally mindset coaches that break the game down into these two categories only (makes sense huh?). Most poker players understand that there is more to poker success than just these areas.Amongst online players there is a correlation between the ability to use computers and the level of success achieved at online poker. Just think about it, how often have you seen a picture of an online professional playing on a dingy small-screen laptop from 2001? It's considerably more likely they are using the absolute latest hardware to support a huge multi-screen set up. The truth is, we could have the best mindset in the world and a good grasp of tactics, but if we don't have the technical side of things down then success is not going to come easy.
Hardware
Having good hardware is important. Here are some of the things to consider. (We will consider computer specifications related hardware in the next category)
Monitors – This is the obvious one. We need to have enough screen space to do our job effectively. Most online professionals will be playing several tables at any one given time. They will also likely want space for note-taking and tracking-software. If they need to check something in their tracking software they don't want it to appear over the tables, blocking their view of the action. As a result, 2 screens minimum are recommended.
This is extremely simple to achieve. Your current setup, whether a desktop or a laptop should have what is known as either a HDMI port or an AVG port. We very simply purchase a HDMI or AVG cable, put one end in our laptop or desktop, the other end in our monitor/TV. HDMI is better than AVG where possible and delivers higher quality results. You may also find that your TV does not have an AVG or HDMI port. Sometimes it will have what is known as a DVI port instead which accomplishes a similar thing. It's possible to get HDMI to DVI cables, or it's even possible to buy adapters so that we can convert one end of a HDMI cable into DVI.
Once plugged in, assuming we have Windows operating system, we can go to our desktop, right-click, and choose “screen-resolution”. The following screen allows us to configure our monitor setup.
We can first click the “detect” button to make sure our additional monitor is recognized by our computer. In the drop-down box next to multiple displays we want to choose the option “extend these displays” as opposed to “duplicate these displays”. We can then adjust the height of the monitors in the graphical image displayed, to make sure the mouse transitions smoothly and in the correct direction between monitors. If you have a different operating system to windows then a quick google search should allow you to establish how to perform the same action.
Assuming we want to go to the next level and add an additional monitor, it's usually necessary that we have another graphics card for this. However it's not necessarily important to have all screens running from the same computer. Adding an additional computer or laptop in the mix can give you additional firepower. It's possible to use software such as Synergy to link the mouse and keyboard of your first computer to your second computer. That way even if your setup involves several computers and a whole bunch of screens, it is possible to use the same mouse/keyboard on all of them.
Mouse – This is essentially 
what we are going to be using to make all our decisions. We want this to be as streamlined and efficient as possible. We also want to have backups available in the case of emergencies.
what we are going to be using to make all our decisions. We want this to be as streamlined and efficient as possible. We also want to have backups available in the case of emergencies.Hopefully by now none of you are still using a roller-ball mouse. If you are then I have this sinking feeling that there is no hope for you. Roller-ball mouses have a tendency to get dirty and not operate easily after prolonged use. Optical mouses give us a larger degree of control and don't require constant cleaning. Optical mouses are cheap, we can buy them for less than $10 in some places. If you don't have one, it's recommended you upgrade.
We also have the option to go for a wireless or wired optical mouse. Wireless are typically more expensive and have some advantages, but also some disadvantages. A wireless mouse will keep your desk-space more tidy, but this is literally the only advantage. The big disadvantage is that you have to make sure the batteries are fresh and that you have spares. Otherwise there is the chance that your mouse will simply die in the middle of an important decision. If you have no replacement batteries and you are using a desktop computer then you are in trouble. Personally I will pick a wired mouse every time. The wire is not a big inconvenience for me, and I really don't want the hassle of having to change mouse batteries.
These days it's also possible to get a mouse designed especially for gamers. A regular mouse has 2 or 3 buttons. Generally the third button is in the centre of the mouse where the scroll wheel is. Yes, you can press it if you didn't realise. This type of mouse is certainly sufficient for our needs in most cases, but there is the option to upgrade to a gaming mouse with additional buttons. Here is what I'm using currently.
It's possible to pay over $150 in some cases for products with the same buttons. So unless you have far too much money remember that functionality is the name of the game here, not branding.
It has the 3 regular mouse buttons and scroll wheel but also an additional 3 configurable buttons and a dpi button (changes the speed of the mouse pointer). When used in conjunction with scripting software such as Table Ninja the 3 configurable buttons can be pretty useful. I have one set up for a regular bet sizing, one for an overbet sizing and one for an underbet sizing. But don't we need a lot of money for all this fancy hardware? It's true that we can pay a lot of money, but only if we really want to. I believe I paid $8 for the above mouse. I bought it from a Chinese company that sells cheap electronic products. Essentially it's not a top level brand, but it functions just fine and seems a pretty solid mouse. In fact, it's probably just as good as some of the high level gaming mouses out there – it's important not to underestimate how much money we actually pay for the branding on a certain product. It's possible to pay over $150 in some cases for products with the same buttons. So unless you have far too much money remember that functionality is the name of the game here, not branding.
There is a whole psychology level going on here in terms of what we can refer to as “perceived value”. Often when we increase the price of a certain item, it's perceived value increases in the eye of the beholder. In other words we could have 2 identical gaming mouses, we sell one at $20 and one at $50. Many would automatically assume that the $50 mouse is better in some way. As poker players we should see through things like this and make simple risk/reward calculations when decided how to spend our finances.
It's also good to have a backup option in case our mouse dies. For laptop users, we have the touchpad as a backup at least. (It's recommended to purchase a mouse for grinding even if you have a touchpad, it's a lot easier to use). However, if we have a desktop PC and our mouse dies then there isn't that much we can do to finish the hand we are in. So it's recommended to keep a backup mouse in a drawer nearby. The other alternative is to make sure keyboard shortcuts are set up so we can finish the hand and sit out without losing any EV.
GamePad – This is an alternative 
to using a mouse that some players prefer. Below is an example of a common controller designed for poker (although it's possible to use any gamepad, such as Xbox 360 gamepad).
Ergonomics
to using a mouse that some players prefer. Below is an example of a common controller designed for poker (although it's possible to use any gamepad, such as Xbox 360 gamepad).I can't personally vouch for the effectiveness of such a method, but some pros do play like this, so it must at least be a reasonable option. Personally I have always found mouse + keyboard so simple that I don't feel it necessary to look for an alternative. I tried a game-pad once and found it awkward – but likely because I did not invest the time to get used to it.
Ergonomics
Anyone who has spent a reasonable length of time using a computer has doubtless at some point come across a webpage or instruction manual that talks about good ergonomics.
The dictionary defines ergonomics as “The study of people's efficiency in their working environment”.
When related to computer usage we are typically talking about maximising our working time and efficiency without causing injury. Injury? How exactly do we injure ourselves using a computer? There are at least 3 common ways
- Back Pain
- Repetitive Strain Injury
- Eye Strain / headaches etc
1. Chair
Naturally selecting an appropriate chair is important for ensuring we can grind for a decent length of time without any adverse side effects. This is not rocket science, we simply need a comfortable chair that is the right height. As a rough guide our eyes should be on the same level as the top of our monitor. In most cases it makes sense to get an adjustable chair so we can put it to the appropriate height. It's also possible to buy adjustable desks these days. Apparently sometimes people like to stand while working.
It's important that you remedy the situation as soon as you can afford to because your health is potentially involved. Online poker is not worth suffering chronic back problems for the rest of your life.
If you don't have an adjustable chair and you have just realised you are at completely the wrong height it's recommended that you consider using cushions to boost you to the right height. If your chair is currently too high then you should either find a different chair or try a different work surface. Keep in mind that this is temporary measure until you can get a decent seating arrangement. It's important that you remedy the situation as soon as you can afford to because your health is potentially involved. Online poker is not worth suffering chronic back problems for the rest of your life.2. RSI, keyboard / mouse
RSI can be a serious problem amongst professional typists. Essentially, doing a repetitive action over and over again can lead to injury. It's important to be realistic about what we can achieve in terms of continual action. RSI can affect both genders and can be a serious issue, especially for certain professions such as musician, but affects women more frequently than men.
However aside from being realistic about how long we do certain activities for there are also certain ergonomic procedures that should be followed. Usually when typing or using a mouse it is correct to have our wrists slightly raised rather than flat on the desk. If you are used to keeping your wrists flat this can be a hard habit to break. Essentially we want to avoid pressure on our wrists for long periods of time, which can easily be done when using a mouse incorrectly. For more information on this subject then run a quick google search for “computer ergonomics”.
3. Eye Strain / Headaches
The first and most obvious 
thing to say here is to make sure that we take plenty of breaks and use good lighting. We should not be staring at a glowing screen in a dark room. However there is also a hardware solution to this and a software solution.
thing to say here is to make sure that we take plenty of breaks and use good lighting. We should not be staring at a glowing screen in a dark room. However there is also a hardware solution to this and a software solution.The hardware solution is to purchase gaming glasses such as Gunnars.
They are designed to protect our vision and help us stay focused during prolonged computer use. This can be a costly solution however and I have not yet tried them personally, although some poker players swear by them.
I personally use a software solution to this issue. There is some free software known as Flux, or F.lux, which tints your screen based on the time of day it is. The idea is that the software uses a bright screen with a blue-ish tint during the day, but a much warmer orange tint at night. It's programmed based on your current co-ordinates, so will change colour based on the sundown time in your particular country.
Number Pad
This is by no means 
a necessity but some players like to make use of a number-pad keyboard. This is essentially a separate keyboard with purely a number pad. It takes up a lot less space than a regular keyboard so can be placed by your mouse while your regular keyboard gets put out of the way during a grind session.
a necessity but some players like to make use of a number-pad keyboard. This is essentially a separate keyboard with purely a number pad. It takes up a lot less space than a regular keyboard so can be placed by your mouse while your regular keyboard gets put out of the way during a grind session.This is only really useful if you like to
use the keyboard to enter bet-sizings. I used to do this for a while and I had
to slant my keyboard at an awkward angle because essentially 80% of the
keyboard I wasn't interested in, just the number-pad. These days I size all my
bets with mouse buttons and the scroll wheel so the above number-pad wouldn't
be much use, but some pros like to use it.
In the next article we will consider computer literacy as related to computer
specifications and computer software.
