Firstly by all means I'm no expert on such stuff and hopefully other people will add to this thread some additional tips on improving ones poker setup. This thread is more aimed toward poker newbies so if you are an exper grinder/gamer you most likely won't find this info interesting.
So here we go. For many years I've been ignoring my poker grinding setup which manifested in having low motivation to grind and study. It may seem obvious that for a poker player, comfortable setup is of huge importance but I've ignored it as many people I know seem to do too. Usually these are the same people that have problems with putting in the hours at the tables. All the big volume grinders I know have great setups.
Not gonna get into much detail on how to set stuff up for comfortable grind as there's plenty of stuff floating around internet already, here's a link to one of the guides: Guide to setting up and ergonomic computer station
This is of huge importance and should never be ignored. I was grinding for one year on a kitchen table with a kitchen chair. The end result was that I would have neck pain every day after few hours of work with computer. Many people like laying in a chair too, but it usually results in back and neck pain too. Hard to put in the quality hours at the table if you constantly feel pain. So take care of that.
I find that mouse is of big importance. As a poker player you make way more clicks per day than an average person does. So both durable and comfortable mouse should be top priority to get for your grinding setup. Cheap mice tend to break fast so don't be a cheapskate and get a more expensive one.
You aren't a pro CS gamer so it's not necessary to get a gaming mouse, but in my opinion it's a good choice because:
High DPI and precision - less arm movement needed between clicks, less stress on wrists. You probably won't be using a mouse on 6k DPI setting but a mouse that is capable of 6k+ DPI will be more precise on let's say 3k DPI than a mouse which can do 3k DPI max.
Don't use Windows mouse acceleration as it hurts precision and while poker isn't CS or DOTA it still feels a lot better having precise mouse.
There's a lot of good gaming mice out there and you should get the one that feels best in your arm. If you are shopping online and don't have the comfort of trying it out before buying, watch some youtube reviews on a mouse. Gamers love putting up reviews of their new toys there.
As for companies that I like I'd say: Logitech, Razer and Steelseries all have some great products. I personally use Razer Deathadder 2013 as it's very light in weight, very comfortable in my arm and doesn't look like some alien spacecraft just flew over my desk and put a hi tech turd on it (something like CYBOR R.A.T. 9). ![]()
If your mouse is not all surfaces suited you gonna need a good mouse pad too. Steelseries has some cheap and very good pads like QcK.
Don't feel like it's of huge importance for a poker player as long as it has numbers on it you are probably good to go. If you play a lot in the dark, get one with backlight. If you are using a laptop + monitor setup still get additional keyboard for better posture. Additional usb porst on keyboard may be of good use in this case but not of huge importance either.
30s is the nuts but very expensive comparing to smaller ones and not necessary if you aren't mass tabling. Still, even if you are playing 4 tables get additional monitor in case you are using laptop. Your eyes will thank you.
Sometimes it's fun to just relax and play fewer tables while comfortably laying on a couch. But beware and don't fry your balls while doing it, laptops tend to accumulate a lot of heat when put on a body. Get a cooling pad, it's cheap, and your future children will thank you.
This one I feel gets overlooked a lot. It reduces the eye strain and instantly makes you capable of playing good for longer. Highly +EV for any poker player.
If you can't afford such glasses at the moment, a free alternative would be f.lux However I don't feel like it's anywhere near as effective as glasses.
If you have all this set up you are more than ready to enjoyably put in tons of hours at the table. So get your piss bottle and go to work!