Two Plus Two Newer Archives

I'm now into my third week of no play because I have repetitive strain injury. When the right hand went, I played left handed, so now both arms are useless ... sigh.

So, awesomely impressed with SpaceGravy's endurance feat, I wanted to sound a cautionary note and provide some belated advice:

1. Multitabling requires concentration and if you are like me, your body "locks" into position for the duration. This causes a number of problems:

a. Eyestrain: A good monitor is important, you should not tile tables so that they are difficult to see. This varies for everyone, but a good test is to stretch back in your chair with your fingertips unable to touch the screen; tables (PT stats etc) should be easy to read at this distance. Every twnety minutes or so, you should refocus on objects at different distances. When your focus is solely on the screen, the eye muscles can lock and cause problems. Imagine playing with one arm held out horizontally from the shoulder, the muscles would soon tire, this is effectively what you are asking your eyes to do.

b. Hand angles: When you [censored] your wrist upwards, you put a strain on nerves and tendons in the fingers, wrist and elbow. This can be completely avoided by using a gelpad.

c. Many wrist problems originate in the neck (so I read), and neck strain is another source of headache pain (I once panicked about this and was referred to a consultant neurologist who examined me for brain tumours). Two good solutions; exercise and massage: Before you start each session, do ten neck rolls to either side. That is, let your head drop forward and roll all the way to the left, then roll it back all the way to the right. Don't roll through 360 degrees. Follow this with 10 shrugs, hunch your shoulders high into your neck then relax. Finally, windmill your arms slowly to each side. My brain tumour panic headaches were completely cured by a head and neck sports massage, one a week is a little bit of heaven, rather like alpaca socks (come to Peru, find out!). Finally, when you play, change your head position regularly, don't stay hunched over in one position.

d Mice: these are the tools of our trade, don't be afraid to spend on them: buy a trackball, a vertical mouse, a mini mouse and a nice big comfy mouse. A different mouse for each session will help avoid many of the problems that have crippled me this month.

e. Control your computer time: take breaks every hour or so. This sounds ridiculous to me, but it is essential, multitablers need to use that post-blind and fold auto button even during MTTs. For STTs, you need to limit your sessions. Take a 30 min break every two hours. Don't review hands, stand up and get out of the room.

f. Playing your A game needs you to feel alert, this is easier of you are fit: an old story comes to mind. "In the african savannah there exist lions and wildebeest. To live the lion must chase and catch the wildebeest; to live, the wildebeest must escape from the lion." In poker you need to decide whether you are lion or wildebeest, it's up to you. The decision doesn't matter, but in the morning when you get up, you had better start running!

e. The overconfidence of health and youth: You are a perfect human specimen, 20 years old and capable of shagging all-night - YOU WILL GET RSI

2. SpaceGravy's feat really has been awesome, but FFS, you should now take a week off to let your body recover.