Thanks to technology, enjoying poker games from the comfort of your home has never been quite as good as it is now. A decade or so ago, all the great online gambling options that we have now would seem impossible. Poker enthusiasts have been at the forefront of the online gaming revolution and not much has changed over the past few years. Online poker still remains one of the leading forms of gambling entertainment across the world and this can be proven by the existence of several great online poker sites as well as a ton of high-profile live online poker tournaments.
H2 The Dilemma
Now, in order to enjoy online poker, you will definitely need a decent computer. In this day and age, nearly everyone will have a computing device of some sort. While almost any kind of setup will allow you to get in on some poker action, only the best or most optimized PC setups will offer you the best possible online poker experience. It becomes even more important when you are competing against other players and real money is on the line.
There have been several debates about what constitutes the best PC setup for poker players with no clear winners. Considering the fact that there is a diverse variety of PCs available on the market, picking a great one can be a very daunting task. Well, not for long. This guide is here to help you settle on an optimized PC setup for all your online poker needs. So, what do you need to keep in mind?
H2 Picking the Right Platform for You
This basically comes down to the operating system that you are already familiar with. While you should ideally stick to the one that you are most familiar with, there have been so many advancements in the sector that you should not have trouble adapting to any computer system running macOS, Windows or even Linux.
For Mac users, getting started is often as simple as buying the system which is usually fully optimized for everyday use. However, if you are on a budget or you intend to get down and dirty into advancing the capabilities of your system, Windows and Linux are probably the way to go.
Thankfully, online poker operators have built software clients for all these platforms. In cases where there are no downloadable clients, the operators offer superb web-based online poker experiences that are almost indistinguishable from what you would expect from what the downloadable clients have to offer. For instance, the sites recommended by OnlinePokerAustralia.com are optimized to work flawlessly regardless of the platform that you may be on, helping you enjoy the quality poker experience you have probably been looking for all along.
H2 Juicing Up Your Setup
Once you settle on the platform that you prefer to use for your online poker adventure, you might need to go a step further by optimizing the system features. At the core of your experience are some very important features which are the processors, the storage, RAM and the graphics card. For tech-savvy people, picking the right system components should not be much of a problem.
Still, there are a lot of resources to offer you advice on the best components to go with. For example, for most online poker players, the mid-range Intel Core i5 processors, 8-16GB or RAM, a mid-range AMD or NVIDIA graphics card and at least 512GB SSD should be enough to get you going.
An area where you will have the most liberty will be the audio-visual experience that you want. To begin with, you will definitely need a good computer monitor. Ideally, it should be a widescreen monitor with a high refresh rate. This will come in handy when you are playing fast-paced online poker games. When it comes to the sound, a decent sound system will be necessary to make the online poker experience even more immersive.
Moreover, basic stuff such as the keyboard, the mouse, mouse pad or even touchpad should be very comfortable to use. Make sure you pick one that not only tickles your fancy but also performs best and complements the power of your system.
One other thing that you should not forget is the networking aspect. A reliable and high-speed network will be very important for online poker gaming especially when you are playing with a live dealer or you are competing in a poker tournament.
H2 How About Some Future-Proofing?
Optimizing your PC setup for existing online poker offerings is a great idea but an even better idea would be to ensure that is capable of staying optimized for at least the next few years. This is simply to the dynamic nature of the online poker industry and all the technological developments that are currently being pursued.
With such things as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) already taking shape in the online gambling industry, having the best equipment can give you a front-row seat to the next phase of the online gambling revolutions. Some of the things you can do for this is to ensure that the RAM, processor, storage, and GPU are VR-ready or are at least capable of handling such applications. VR and AR kits are also becoming increasingly affordable. Thankfully, depending on your setup, some of the components can easily be swapped out when the time comes.
H2 Getting Comfortable
Unbeknown to most people, even your chair and your PC’s desk are vital components of your PC setup and therefore to have an optimized, even those have to be great. Your desk has to be of the right height and be large enough to accommodate anything you may need during an online poker gaming session.
Your gaming chair is also very important. How fast you respond can often be the difference between a huge win or a huge loss in a game of online poker. That said, your chair should not only have a solid frame but also flexible enough to allow you to move about easily. Most of all, it should be as comfortable as possible.
Different kinds of poker players will have different definitions of an optimized system all depending on their budgets and personal tastes. All in all, you need to get as close to a great setup as you can at any given moment.