Few poker players worry about anything except what goes on at the table when they play the game. And if they are worried about something else rather than what is happening at the poker table then it very rarely has anything to do with ergonomics.
However, those who ignore ergonomics when playing online poker will pay for it in the form of repetitive stress injuries. This is why people need to be mindful of their setup when playing poker.
One of the first things you need to do in terms of ergonomics is get a really good office chair. The chair should not only be comfortable and padded, but it should also provide good support for your back. In addition to good back support, the chair needs to be adjustable so that you can sit where your eyes are most comfortable reading the screen.
This brings us to another point in that your computer should be at, or near eye level. Some people will ignore this concept, but having the computer around your eye level will help you avoid the neck strain that comes with trying to look down the whole time. If necessary, put a book or something else under the computer (this may affect your typing ability) so that it can meet your eyes.
One other thing you should do to promote proper ergonomics is take breaks in between playing sessions. For a lot of players this is a given, but there are still plenty of people who either don’t see the importance of taking breaks or get locked into a tournament. But failure to take breaks is one of the leading causes of repetitive stress injuries for poker players.
A good rule of thumb is to take a 15 minute break every 2 hours or so if possible. If you are able to do this along with the aforementioned recommendations then you’ll decrease your chance for a repetitive injury big-time!
Tags: Tips
