Online poker players (aka grinders) that bang out hundreds of thousands of hands each year are in a class all their own. The casual online poker player who plays a single table on their laptop every now and then doesn’t need much in the way of extra hardware or gear, but high volume players definitely need to invest in the proper hardware, software, and peripherals when putting together their grind station where they’ll go to work each and every day when hitting up the online tables.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that online poker has its own set of unique needs, so going out and spending $2K or $3K on a high-end gaming PC might actually be a huge waste of money. Following some of the basic tips below will not only ensure that you’re armed with the best setup for online grinding but that you also get the most bang for the bucks you spend:
PC:
Believe it or not, pretty much any basic desktop PC you get at Best Buy or order online will have the oomph necessary to let you easily play 20+ tables at one time. Most popular online sites design their poker clients to use as few system resources as possible (as they want you grinding as many tables as possible) so you really don’t need anything sexy or extravagant when it comes to the motherboard, CPU, or other basic elements.
As with any PC you buy, the more RAM the better, and pay attention to the graphics card that comes with it. The key issue here is being able to run multiple monitors at the same time, so either make sure your box comes with a graphics card with Dual-DVI video outputs or plan to upgrade the graphics card later yourself (which requires a motherboard with a PCI Express slot to accept your new graphics card).
Monitors:
Here’s where you’ll need to step up to the plate and spend some money, as most serious online grinders have at least two large monitors set up and running (with some using as many as four or six monitors at a time).
As far as the type of monitor, that’s really a matter of personal choice. Multiple monitors lets you run many different online poker tables with no overlap or tiling/cascading necessary, so the display space you’ll need will depend on whether you play 8, 12, 16, or 20+ tables. Determine how many tables you typically play and go from there as far as selecting monitors.
Peripherals:
A basic mouse and keyboard will work but if carpal tunnel and other wrist issues can be a major concern if you’re logging long hour every day at the online tables, so consider investing in an ergonomic mouse or arm rest that minimizes the strain on your wrist and arm.
While technically not computer peripherals, the same applies to the desk and chair you use. A cheap folding chair may work but investing in a comfortable chair that minimizes the strain and wear on your body can definitely pay off if you’re putting in serious time at the online tables.
Software:
The poker clients you play at are always free to download but you’ll need to invest in some other software to really get the most out of your online play. Stats and tracking software from PokerTracker and HoldemManager is invaluable for the online pro, and ca easily pay for the cost in just a few big pots won or lost in a single day.
Many multi-tables also invest in hotkey programs such as TableNinja, which lets you quickly set up hotkeys for common tasks such as flipping between tables or betting certain amounts preflop or other routine tasks that you do thousands of times each day when playing online.
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