Monitors for Online Poker Discussion
I’m planning on purchasing a new monitor in the near future. With all the monitor discussion recently, I’m going to write a bit of a guide for monitor shopping with everything I’ve been able to gather since I’ve been in the market.
If you are wanting to make sure the new monitor you get is going to be compatible with how you wish to play poker, there are some general guidelines you should follow.
If you are going to be concerned with how many tables fit on your new monitor, the first thing you should realize is that the size of the monitor does not matter. I’ll repeat that again, the size of the monitor does not matter. The resolution of the monitor is what matters. The larger the numbers of the resolution, the more tables you’ll be able to fit. The resolution numbers are literally the number of pixels wide by the number of pixels tall. A 1920 x 1080 monitor will be 1,920 pixels wide by 1,080 pixels tall. This is important because the table sizes of your poker client are based on pixels, not actual size. The smallest table your poker client will allow is completely based on pixels. So larger numbers = more tables. Smaller numbers = fewer tables.
But what about that huge monitor, it must fit more tables than that smaller monitor even though their resolutions are the same?
This is a common misconception. If you have two monitors with the exact same resolution but different sizes, they will both fit the exact same number of tables. The difference is the larger monitor will show bigger pictures. Take for example, Full Tilt’s approximate default poker table size of 800 x 580 (I’ve read it might actually be 802 x 579, but for simplicity sake, we’re going with 800 x 580). This table size will take up 464,000 pixels total. Now say you have two monitors, one 52” and one 17” that both happen to have the same resolution of 1360 x 768. These monitors have 1,044,480 pixels in their display. Therefore, that default table will take up 464,000 of those, which happens to be the exact same proportion of the monitor. Now when you look at the monitors will you see a difference? Of course, the one on the 52” is going to be HUGE compared to the table on the 17”. This means that you could get away with smaller tables on the larger monitor without dealing with as much eyestrain. But you also are going to have to deal with the picture quality not looking as sharp as the pixel density on the 52” is going to be incredibly less than the pixel density on the 17”. However, if you make the tables the smallest they can possibly be, you’ll still be able to fit the exact same set up on both monitors.
It tends to be true that larger monitors have higher resolutions. However, T.V. resolutions tend to be much lower than computer monitor resolutions. If you are going to be concerned with your online poker play, and you want to factor poker into your decision for a new monitor, the first thing you should establish is what resolution* will make you happy. After you’ve established this, you can shop for monitors of that resolution and compare the different sizes/features of the monitors in that resolution and make your decision.
*Note: You should also verify that your current graphics card can handle this resolution. If it does not support the resolution, you might have to consider upgrading to a different graphics card. If you have a laptop, you won't be able to upgrade the card, but you might be able to purchase an external graphics card that can support the resolution you seek. However, I have not messed with any product like that before, so I'm not sure how well they work and everything. If you have a newer computer, the card will more than likely support the resolution of the monitor you want. My laptop is going on 4 years old and it supports the massive resolution found in the really high resolution 30" monitors, but you still will want to make sure your hardware will work with the new monitor prior to purchasing it.
I have decided that I want to go with either a 1920x1200 or a 1920x1080. This will allow me to 6 table on a size that I can manage. Most of the monitors in this resolution run in the 20”-25” range, so I’ll be looking for a 23.5-24” monitor.
This is one of the monitors I’m considering getting
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236049
To get an idea about the size reduction that will be required to fit 6 tables with no overlap, here is a screen shot. The large table is the default table size, with the smaller table being the size that I’d be able to fit 6 with no overlap on.
I think with that size, I can be happy. I guess I should have put a HUD display up there too, but the HUD is manageable at that size. If I get a chance, next time I play, I'll try to swap out this picture with one where the HUD is displayed too.
Reply With Quote
I see you talking but all I hear is blah blah blah 
Originally Posted by liladypokerpro
Bookmarks