What Equipment Do You Need to Start Streaming Your Poker Games?
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Are you considering starting your own streaming channel? In an industry that is thriving enough to start its own tournaments, game streaming is bound to look for new ideas. One of those popular ideas is the concept of streaming your poker games to the masses. You get to practice, and the watcher gets to learn, or to simply enjoy the tension round the table.
Read on for our guide on the
equipment you’ll need to start streaming your poker games.
A device to stream from It’s going to sound basic,
but if you want to become like one of the GGPoker GGTeam streaming all their wins,
you’re going to have to get yourself something to stream from.
There are a lot of options
here, but some are more realistic than others for a poker player. For example,
it would be a hassle and very limiting to try to stream through your video game
console to play poker, although not impossible. But if you’re looking to stream
your online games and your online tournament games, you’d be better off with a
laptop or PC.
The good news here is that
playing poker won’t take so much power, so you won’t have to invest in a gaming
PC unless you want to. A high-quality laptop that can handle all the streaming
equipment going into it is also an option.
A camera If you’re just starting out
in the streaming game, you have two low-cost options. The first is to get a
high-quality webcam. There are a lot of webcams out there but they can offer
spotty quality. However, if you’re willing to invest in the picture quality,
they offer a very convenient option. They connect directly to your computer, have
built-in mics, and are the simplest to operate.
Meanwhile, getting a DSLR
camera will offer you superior visual quality, but usually require an encoder
to allow your live videos to stream.
An audio source The key to a successful
gaming channel isn’t the equipment, but your personality. You can play all you
want but people aren’t coming in to simply see Zelda run around and poker fans
aren’t coming in to see cards swap hands.
That being said, people
aren’t going to be able to appreciate your glittering personality and biting
comments without a mic. Plus, the ears are more sensitive than the eye.
Listeners will pick up on poor quality better and be bothered by it more. For
that reason, we’d recommend a mic that has a pop filter so that your stream
doesn’t pick up any popping sounds as you speak. The Blue
Yeti USB is one of the most popular mics on the market for that
reason.
A few extras If you’re looking to make
your setup something that will stand out, you might want to look into a few
extra features. For one thing, lighting is a big priority. Your average big
bulb in the ceiling is of no use to anyone in front of a camera. Not only is it
not strong enough to capture your face on the camera, but this can lead to a
blurry, glitching picture that will waste the high-quality camera you’ve
bought. You might want to invest in a ring light or a semi-professional light
for your setup to ensure you’re giving the best quality. After all, poker is
all about reading faces, and your audience will get nothing if they can’t see
you.
And then there is the
background to think about. If you don’t want everyone to see the state of your
room you have two main options: hide it or pretty it up.
You can invest in a green
screen for a simple way to do both. Never wear a green t-shirt and apply
whatever background you like to your stream. If you’d rather pretty it up, look
into some cool merchandise or put up a shelf behind you to show your audience
what you’re all about.
