18 Nov 2024 In this topic we’re excited to introduce some of the best tech and products that have genuinely enhanced our day-to-day life. From tools that sharpen focus and encourage relaxation to gadgets that improve my poker game, these recommendations cover a range of benefits. If you’re aiming for better sleep, a more comfortable work environment, or ways to elevate your concentration, I’ll guide you through the items that have worked wonders for me - and might just do the same for you. #1: Notion The first thing that I want to discuss is an app called Notion. Notion is a little bit hard to describe, but it's basically a note taking app with a lot more features than that. It's my go to app now for keeping track of ideas and plans. I actually switched over from Evernote this year. Evernote was the previous note taking app that I used, but the development has kind of stalled out at this point and Notion is just much, much better. And it's hard to overstate how useful it is to have everything that you're doing organized and presented in a way that is visually appealing and not cluttered. The app also has really good search functions so that you won't lose things that you've studied. So I really recommend checking this out if you're looking for a way to organize your poker studies a little bit better. #2: RNG App The next item is an RNG app. It’s a very basic Windows app that just generates a random number and it updates constantly. And you can use this if you don't want to use a more advanced table manager that has an RNG integrated into it or maybe you're playing on a site that doesn't allow that software or something. #3: Sleep Mask The next thing I want to talk about is a sleep mask. So I use this MZOO sleep mask from Amazon. It's the best one that I've found. It's super comfortable. It doesn't press down on your eyes and it completely blocks out all the light. And this is just something that I never sleep without at this point. It's great for using at home. It's also great for travel. So I highly recommend it. On a related note, there are these earplugs that I get also on Amazon. They're called the Loop Quiet earplugs. And these are the only earplugs that I've found that stay in my ears. They're made of silicon, so they're reusable. And they don't stick out of my ears so that I can actually sleep on my side and have my head on my pillow without the earplug pressing into my eardrum and being really uncomfortable. #4: Hatch Restore The next thing is the Hatch Restore. This is a sleep device that helps you fall asleep and wake up more naturally. It has calming sounds for alarms, so you can wake up to like birds chirping or something like that. And more importantly, it has a sunrise alarm built into it. So like a half hour or an hour before your alarm is set to go off, it will start glowing and it'll go from a deep red to a natural sunrise color. So the lights basically just kind of gently turn on in your room and it's a much more pleasant way to wake up, in my opinion. Also great if you're using blackout shades. I feel like this type of thing is good for poker players who are on weird sleep schedules. Okay, let's shift over to your desk space and ambiance. I think this is really important to have a place where you really enjoy being there when you're working. I mean, if you're playing poker professionally, you're probably sitting at your desk eight hours a day on average. So why not make it a place that you really enjoy and you feel comfortable? #5: MyNoise App The first thing I want to start with is one of my favorite things ever. It's the MyNoise app. This is a free website. They do have paid stuff as well, but the core of it is free and you can use this to create the perfect background noises and you can customize everything. So for example, it might be a forest soundscape and you can actually play with the levels and adjust the different sounds. If you don't like the sound of one of the birds that's chirping, you can mute that. #6: YouTube Ambiance Another thing I love is YouTube ambiance and soundscape videos. Sometimes I just need some background ambiance on a separate screen while I'm working. So it could be a coffee shop or it could be nature sounds or it could be like Blade Runner ambiance. YouTube has like infinite videos like this and they really help. There's one channel that I particularly like on YouTube called MyAmbience that you can check out. By the way, for speakers, I use the Audioengine HD3 desk speakers. I love those. There's probably a newer model out. I bought them a while ago. And for headphones, I use the Sony 1000XM5. #7: Eyedrops The final thing before I get more into like technology is eyedrops because your eyes can get really dry from staring at screens for hours on end. So just having some good eyedrops can really make the last hour or so of your session a lot smoother. You won't have that tired feeling in your eyes and just have them right there on your desk for easy access because if you think about it, there is a lot of money in just making yourself feel more awake for that last hour or half hour of your session. #8: Breathwork App The next thing is an app which is called Breathwork, which is just like what it sounds. It just guides you through Breathwork sessions and it makes it really approachable. You can do really quick sessions, just a couple of minutes. And I think this can be really good for winding down after a session and just sort of calming your nervous system down and just releasing some of that adrenaline. #9: BenQ Light Bar Next item is the BenQ light bar. And this seems like it's too expensive for what it is. It's a little over a hundred bucks, but it is one of the best things that I have ever bought for my setup. It's just a light bar that clips onto the top of your monitor, but it is really well designed in that it lights up your whole workspace and it doesn't cause any screen glare. And it's just a lifesaver for late night work sessions or poker sessions where you don't want to strain your eyes too much. There are also like knockoffs of this product on Amazon if you don't want to spend that much money on this. #10: Razer Gaming Pads Next up is the Razer gaming pads. These are primarily designed for gaming, but I've been shown these by a student who has found them to be perfect for multitabling. So they basically have a bunch of hotkeys that you can access easier than a standard keyboard. And if you play tons of tables, you might want to check these out. #11: Rest Cloud Shoulder Relaxer And finally, I want to talk about posture. This is something that I've always struggled with. I have pretty bad forward head posture, so I'm always like researching ways to correct it. I think the main way you have to correct it is by just being aware of your posture, sitting up straight and doing some exercises as well. But I have found a couple of things that help me. One is a back brace, which might sound extreme, but it's just basically something you can wear under your shirt and it kind of just sets your shoulders back so that you don't have to always remember to sit upright. And I have found that when I wear this for long periods of time, at the end of the day after my work day, I don't feel as tight or even as tired because it helps me use the right muscles and not strain myself by pushing my head forward to look into my screen. There's another product I like, which is called the Rest Cloud Shoulder Relaxer, and this is on Amazon too. And it's just a little device that helps you stretch out and relax your neck and shoulders. And you just use it by laying on the ground and putting it underneath your neck. And it's very calming and relaxing. #12: Herman Miller Embody Chair The final thing, which I think people generally find to be ridiculously expensive, but I would say it's actually worth it, is the Herman Miller Embody chair. It's a ridiculously comfortable chair, and I just find that I don't get sore when I sit in it, even if I am working 10 hours in a day. I don't really understand how it works, but it works for me, and I've tried a bunch of different chairs. While we're on the topic of chairs, I want to talk just for a second about ergonomics. If you haven't looked into ergonomics at all, here's a quick rundown: Your screen position should be so that the top of your screen is either at your eye level or just below your eye level, because it's actually more comfortable to be looking slightly down at your screen when you're staring in the center of your screen. Having the top of your monitor at eye level when you're sitting straight up is a good way to keep your neck overall in a pretty neutral position. Your chair height should be positioned so that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. And your desk height should be such that your elbows are at about a 90 degree angle and close to your sides. And you can keep your wrists straight and relaxed. And you also just want to stand up and stretch frequently. You can get a standing desk. In that case, you might want to get a foot rest, because when you're standing, it's actually better to have one foot elevated. That's all I got for this one. Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you guys in the next one. Good luck at the tables!
