What do you need to play a great game of online poker? To put it simply, you need three basic things – the stakes, a proper way to manage your earnings, and obviously, the right setup. Let’s look into what practical setup will be suitable for you to play poker online and what improvements you can make on top of that, which would further enhance the quality of the game.
If playing online poker is your hobby or your job, you will definitely want to have the right equipment. But, do you need to buy a very expensive desktop or a mobile phone just to play a hand of poker? Absolutely not. You just need to know the right accessories, and voila! Your online poker setup is ready.
There are some things that you must keep in mind when buying a computer:
- Technical Quality
- Compatibility
- Price
- Comfort
What to Have in Your Computer?
The PC is definitely the most important part, but it’s also the easiest piece to configure. If you know the basic parts of a computer, it will take you hardly a moment to figure it out. Now that you know what to look for in your practical setup let’s take a look at what things you must have in your poker computer.
Computing Power
The RAM is the muscle of your computer which does all the heavy lifting. Invest in a computer that has a good processor and enough RAM. The computing strength is an absolute must if you want to enjoy a good game of poker with no lags or issues.
Don’t go buying desktops or laptops right off the shelves. They can be quite expensive. Online poker sites are not that resource-intensive. Therefore, you don’t need extremely powerful PCs. Many computer-building companies make quality machines at a relatively lesser price. An Intel i7 or an AMD Ryzen 7 processor along with an 8 GB RAM will do.
Central Processing Unit
The CPU is your computer’s brain. The CPU performs all your computations and tasks that require some logical or ‘thinking’ capabilities. To play online poker, you will be using a decent amount of CPU power.
More so if you are running multiple tables across multiple screens. You will not require anything massive, but anything below eight cores and 2.6 GHz is an absolute no-no. Moreover, use 64-bit processors to be compatible with all the 64-bit software available in the market. The 64-bit systems not only operate faster but are also more efficient than the legacy 32-bit systems, which will soon become obsolete.
Hard Drive
Hard drives don’t matter that much except that they must be compatible with your SATA2 interface running underneath. All your poker games will be running online, so that leaves less requirement for huge secondary disk space. Hard drives are becoming cheaper with each passing day, so just get one that gives you enough storage. You can also buy a solid-state drive (SSD) to speed up your computer operations.
Operating System
Whether you have a Windows machine or a Mac OS, it doesn’t matter. Both are powerful operating systems and will satisfy all your online poker needs. Keep in mind that the various software updates and releases for the various poker sites are released for Windows systems before those for Macs. It is because most of the world’s population uses a Windows machine.
Monitors
How many monitors do you intend to play with? If you want to become a serious poker player, you will ideally require two widescreen monitors to handle multiple poker table windows along with heads-up display (HUD) software on another screen.
Other Accessories
Ensure that you also have a good mouse and keyboard to supplement your poker computer. If you are a regular gamer, you will more likely want a gaming mouse and a keyboard to match your PC requirements. You will also want to have a gaming chair to put less pressure on your neck and back while staring at your PC for hours. Buy an ergonomic chair as they often help maintain your proper sitting posture while typing rather than forcing you to lean back and stretch forward to use your mouse and keyboard.
Conclusion
Comfort is of absolute importance when it comes to playing online poker – whether in having the right stakes to play or your overall PC setup. Therefore, make sure to invest in a quality computer setup to enjoy your online poker experience.