i've been playing poker online for about 4-5 years now, anywhere from 30-50 hrs. a week on average. i'm 28 and my posture was never good. lately, i have a lot of aches in my back and my wrists from using the mouse even tho i try to switch off to not favor just my right hand.
i think having the right setup to play poker is essential. like chair / height of desk, monitor size, the distance from ur seat to the screen, etc. those factors would affect the angle u would have to raise/lower your head for extended hours playing poker. i've been playing on a desktop for most of the time. decided a laptop would relieve stress on wrist. now my elbows are sore from leaning on the desk while i'm playing online. i found that the most comfortable set up for me was on my bed, leaning against the wall. only problem was my laptop made me tilt my head at a downward angle for long periods, and even if i hooked it up the 36" tv, the tables would be too big for the viewable screen on the tv. the tv was 8 years old. plus the numbers and letters would be too small to read from against the wall (7-8 ft). i do not want to make my back worse and i'm scared of getting arthritis at a young age. i don't play recreationally but i'm not a pro either. not yet anyway. i plan on playing poker for a very long time, eventually full-time. i wish i could see how u guys are setting up your monitors/tv/ laptops, what kind of chairs or bean bags or w/e u sit on to be comfortable for hours on end WHILE playing.
i'm gonna drop about $1,700 to be able to:
1. earn money w/o sacrificing my body.
2. multi-table 4-8 tables w/o having to squint at laptop, from a comfortable position.
3. enjoy 1080p + monitor usage. the ancient tv i had burned out 2 months ago, i've been watching DirecTV on a 8 year old TV for 2-3 years now in the bedroom. now i can only watch the yankee games on the 45" plasma in 1080 in the living room when no ones using it.
the solution:
50-60" 1080p lcd/plasma TV - $800-1,200 with cables, shipping and tax.
the prices on these 1080p tv's are just too good to pass up now. they're dropping $100-200 every month, and even more on the really expensive ones.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=P333-5064
a bed/chair support system or combo of multiple items - $200-300
to relieve pressure off back/neck.
http://www.comforthouse.com/bedchairs.html
a poker controller made for online poker - $112
reduces misclicks and its wireless, toggle tables quick for multi-tabling, tilt-control button, betting accurately w/ mini mouse pad + more. also prevents me from hunching over to type raise amounts, etc.
http://www.pokercontrols.com/pre_order.php
wireless, back lit, palm-sized keypad for notes / controls hand replayers, for poker and non-poker activities like web/emails/movies/music - $150
no longer have to do it hunched over the laptop on my lap while i type in notes for hours. glows in the dark, powers/shutdowns PC. up to 1 month w/o charges, 30 ft. range, directional pad a works with ps3 if u have one.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...2&sku=L23-7506
i think its a small price to pay for increased profits, comfort, picture clarity and decreasing strains / aches and injuries. i noticed for about a year now my neck is making a cracking noise like my back does. used to happen less frequently 2-3 years ago. its getting worse. my situation is different than most. i depend on poker now for some things and i will more in the future. seem to be beating the .50/1, 4-tabling consistently now on a crappy laptop. this wasn't the case 6 months ago. i'm confident i can get better and at least pay for my bills eventually. i also have 2 players i learn from and talk poker with, i also read any poker literature all the time. add to that the fact i've already paid a heavy price on my neck/wrist/back for about 8 years of continuous computer activies. working in front of computers didn't help my cause either.
before i got hooked on poker, it was starcraft/broodwar/counter-strike for 6 years. its starting to take its toll on me. on top of that i'm constantly e-mailing / chatting when not playing poker. oh yeah, and i read in bed and in the car when not driving. pretty much have had constant stress in my neck and wrists from daily computer activities, bad habits and the amount of time i spend in front of a computer with a mouse for the last 10 years. i rarely rotated my neck, took walks, stretched fully those during 8-10+ hour long sessions. hopefully i can set this up just right so i'll just be thinking about the game and not how i can prop up my pillow to stay positioned so it dosen't slip down eventually.
it should all be here within the month. only thing that might not be is the controller. you have to reserve it until they release it. date isn't set in stone. i'm eager to see how u guys have set up ur rooms or the modifications used to make poker playing comfortable whether it be using a thin cushion to rest ur elbows on/mouse pad or a air mouse to reduce tension on the wrists. if u also look up game chairs, u'll find some back supported seats to play on. once i get my tv, i plan on taking mondays off. and more breaks in between months. hard to stop playing poker when u have don't have a t.v. i just love poker and i wanna be able to play for a long time. all comments and suggestions welcome, thanks.
