Poker Articles

Being an online poker player, professional, part-time or amateur, means having our concentration and focus solely on the action at the table, either past, present or future. We can’t have distractions taking away from our full potential. Comfort with our equipment is one of the most important contributors to that success. As online players, we need speed and we need space. I seem to be the one on the team that everyone goes to when they have a computer problem, so I have been delegated to write on the subject. Here we’re going to talk about the basics of equipment that will help us to be fully efficient while on the virtual felt.

 
Monitors: Big n’ Plenty
 
There aren’t many professional online players anymore who are only playing a single table at a time. During a busy day, such as Sunday, the average number of tables played by Final Table Team members is about eight. Craig likes to play about eight MTT’s, while also playing 4-6 sit-n-go’s to keep from being bored! A serious player should have at least a dual monitor setup to keep their tables organized and viewable. Most of us would agree that a standard monitor fits 4 tables very comfortably, with no overlapping. However, the more you have to overlap or shrink your tables, the less view you have of the action. Other problems can occur also, including the dreaded misclick when you go to hit “fold” on one table, but a new table pops up and you call off all your chips with 92 off-suit! Just about any computer you purchase nowadays will have a graphics card with multiple monitor inputs. Most laptops will even have an input to attach a monitor, which is how I have my work space set up.  Here’s a quick little video which gives an introduction to setting up multiple monitors: http://www.pcworld.com/video/id,367-page,1-bid,4/video.html.
 
When choosing which monitors to use for poker, resolution is the most important quality. The higher the resolution, the more space available for standard size poker tables to fit, and the less you will need to toy with your layout. The current resolution on my Dell Inspiron 1720 Notebook is 1920 x 1200 pixels on a widescreen 17” monitor, which is one of the highest available in a laptop computer. I also made sure to choose the “hi-definition glossy” option when I made the purchase. Obviously with multiple tables, I need the cards and my bet slider to be crisp and clear. It also just makes for a more enjoyable experience, with brighter, more vivid colors. Now that LCD monitors are so readily available, it’s easy to find great monitors for reasonable prices. All of us agree that Samsung makes the best picture and is the easiest to install and use, but are usually on the higher priced side of the scale. With any investment, try some out and see how they look to you, and keep in mind the resolution you need for your tasks. If you’re a serious online poker player, then the higher the resolution the better. Check out this “monitor buying guide” for more information: http://reviews.cnet.com/monitor-buying-guide/?tag=tnav#.
 

Internet: Speed, Security and Mobility
 
“Billywestom has been disconnected and has 30 seconds to return.” That’s a nightmare for an online poker player. Don’t let this be you! Anyone who wants to play online poker full time better have at least DSL connection, if not cable internet. As far as I’m concerned, dial up service doesn’t exist: it’s too slow and unpredictable. We all have Comcast service, usually as a package (television, internet, phone, etc.). I’ve had Comcast service since moving to my current house; about 7 months. I have only had one problem with disconnection, which actually happened while heads up at a final table! Apparently there was some sort of maintenance issue. The point is, you want a constant connection that isn’t wrapped up with other services (such as DSL going through your phone lines, etc.) and you want your information to be instant. None of us like it when PokerStars slow-rolls that river card!
 
Another issue with internet is wireless capability. We probably all have a laptop of some kind, and we don’t want to be limited to where we can take it if we want to relax a play a few tables of poker. You’re not going to find a laptop today without a built-in wireless network card, so it’s important to know at least some of the basics for optimizing your wireless experience. With my Inspiron, I chose the Wireless-N Card, which is a new technology that is faster than previous 802.11g types. Although, the other types are plenty fast for what we need for poker playing. The most important component is your choice of router.
 
My home is hooked up through the Linksys WRT150N Wireless-N Router. You can see it here: http://reviews.cnet.com/networking-and-wi-fi/linksys-wrt150n-wireless-n/4505-3243_7-32327689.html?tag=prod.txt.4. Jason also uses this router, and Craig uses a similar Linksys, although not with the N technology. I have found that the Linksys routers have the most straight-forward installation and setup. They also have the best range for the home. I have my main desk in the “dining room” area of the kitchen, where the internet and router are set up, and my laptop gets a full five bars of signal strength anywhere in the house. I also have my XBOX 360 set up wireless through the router, all the way in the living room, and I’ve never had a problem with an uninterrupted and fast connection. We did briefly have a problem with the home phone interfering with the router, as they both use a 2.4 GHz signal. If you have this same problem with products like this, you may need to choose a different signal or change channels on the device. Linksys also has great customer support. They have a 24 hour help line, which is completely free, and unlike most technical support, they actually speak great English!
 
Previously my roommate and I tried the Belkin Wireless-N router, and had constant problems while playing poker. Frequent quick disconnects plagued our fun. I didn’t delve too deep into the cause of the problem, as every forum that I consulted just said the best thing to do would be to get a Linksys router. Problem solved. For more in depth information on the subject, you can browse this “Wireless Networking Buying Guide:” http://reviews.cnet.com/wireless-network-buying-guide/.
 

Computer Specs: The KISS Principle
 
In high school my calculus teacher introduced us to the KISS principle: keep it simple stupid! This is what I like to think about when looking at computer components. I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject, so I’m going to keep this section simple. Just remember this: no matter what company you decide to buy your computer from, the “guts” on the inside are all the same. They will probably have Intel processors and graphics cards, and similar choices for all the other components, including RAM, hard drive capacity and disc drives. What sets each company apart is what you want to focus on. What kind of customer support do they offer? How do the warranties work with this company? Are there deals for bundles and extra accessories? And obviously: how much is this going to cost me?
 
As an example, Craig and Jason each have a Dell XPS notebook computer. These are Dell’s “high performance” notebooks, but they are only as high performance as what’s inside them. My Inspiron 1720 computer is higher powered in almost every aspect, because of what I chose to have installed, but we paid about the same amount for them. That’s because of the “XPS” name associated with high end performance. They got the lowest end XPS while I got the highest end Inspiron, each approximately at the same cost. This isn’t to brag about getting a better deal, but to prove a point that a little bit of research goes a long way when you are choosing an expensive instrument.
 
Serious poker players are also great multi-taskers. While playing many tables of poker on multiple sites, we might be on messenger talking to buddies, browsing PocketFives.com looking up players at our table, listening to iTunes music and maybe even downloading some new albums (legally right?). Your processor speed and the amount of GB of RAM combined are what make for a smooth running computer when you are into doing many things at once. Even your mouse matters in this subject. I like the Logitech wireless laser mice. They are very precise, use very little battery power and are very swift when moving from table to table. You don’t want your pointer skipping around when you’re making quick decisions. Always talk to professionals and read up on what you will need for your tasks. Once again, thanks to http://www.cnet.com/ for their great guides. Here is a couple for computer buying basics: Desktop Buying Guide: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktop-computer-buying-guide/?tag=feat.1, Laptop Buying Guide: http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-buying-guide/?tag=feat.1.
 

Overwhelmed yet? Me too. Let’s sum up the basics for being comfortable with your setup for playing online poker seriously. 1. If you need lots of desktop space for multiple tables, get another monitor. It’s much more comfortable to have all your tables in view at once and at least keep part of an eye on all the action. 2. Have a strong, constant internet connection (and if you’re wireless, get equipment that will do the job fast and at a distance). 3. Don’t spend money on the “name” of a computer; get what you need and what will do the job. There are other little things you can do, too, including having a comfortable chair for those long grind sessions, keeping your fridge stocked for the day with food and beverage, and I would recommend keeping other distractions out of your work area (television, etc.). If you can keep your worries on the hands you’re playing only, and not annoying nuances of your equipment, you will be much more productive.

Billy Westom, FinalTableTeam.com

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