Poker X Keyboard
Karlyn Hemmerling
The keyboard has no plate or case top and can thus easily be disassembled by taking out a few screws. The larger modifiers use Cherry stabilisers. The detachable cable uses a standard mini-USB connector. The connector can be found on the back but it is flipped upside down.
The keyboard lacks space for indicator LEDs outside of keycaps. Windowed keycaps would be an option, but this was not selected; light bleed from under keycaps is used instead, with LEDs run up from the PCB through holes in the mounting plate.
The Vortex Poker 3 is the perfect solution for limited space, as it has a 60% layout which offers a small footprint with all the functionality of a full size keyboard. By using only the genuine Cherry MX RGB switches. It also supports a FN layer and has three fully PN programmable layers to suit all your customisation requirements. You can switch to different layouts, such as Qwerty; Dvorak; Colemak via the dip switches on the this Vortex Pok3r.
Tactile, Accurate & Improved Typing Speed
Excellent for gaming and typing, this Vortex Poker 3 mechanical keyboard features tactile, clicky switches for tactile and audible feedback to improve typing speed and accuracy.
Cherry MX Switches
These are considered one of the best switch types for gaming, when gaming, having a tactile bump does absolutely nothing because you're going to be bottoming out anyway, so these give you a very smooth feel.
Cherry MX are the gold standard of switches. All colours are pretty resistant but brown are extra quiet, blue not so much, and red (the most popular) are right in the middle. It's worth keeping this in mind if you use open-mic!
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Dead On Arrival/Faulty Under Warranty: We recommend contacting the manufacturer to troubleshoot the problem before arranging a return, to avoid sending non-defective products back and incurring shipping fees.
Once you have removed all the old skates from the base your mouse, give the surface a clean by using rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl). This will remove any excess adhesive that may still be present. Leave the mouse to dry, and then it's time to apply the new ones.
Almost all aftermarket mouse skates will be a simple case of peeling and sticking onto the mouse, ensuring the feet are applied evenly to prevent any air bubbles from appearing.
Are you tired of your mouse slipping and sliding all over the place during intense gaming sessions? Installing mouse grip tape may be the solution you're looking for! It's a quick and easy way to improve your grip and control over your mouse.
The first step is to choose the grip tape that suits your preference. You can choose between a DIY sheet or a pre-cut option. If you opt for the DIY sheet, make sure to measure and cut the tape to fit your mouse's size. On the other hand, pre-cut options come in ready-to-use sizes and shapes, so you can simply peel off the backing paper and apply the tape to your mouse without the need for any cutting.
Before applying the grip tape, it is essential to clean your mouse to remove any dirt or oils that may interfere with the grip tape's adhesion. Use a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol to gently clean the surface of your mouse, taking care not to damage the coating. Make sure to remove all the dirt and oil residues, especially around the edges of your mouse.
With your DIY or pre-cut grip tape ready, it's time to apply it to your mouse. Start by peeling off the backing paper from one corner of the tape, making sure not to remove too much of the adhesive backing at once. Carefully align the tape with the edge of your mouse and begin pressing it down firmly, using a credit card or similar tool to smooth out any creases or bumps as you go. This will help ensure that the tape adheres evenly and stays in place for longer. Take your time and work carefully to achieve the best results.
Finally, once the grip tape is properly applied, use a sharp hobby knife or scissors to trim any excess grip tape from around the edges of your mouse. Trimming the edges gives your mouse a clean and finished look.
When I was using a Mac full time, I almost always used a CODE keyboard for all my typing. That lead me to find something better to use with my iPad, and I snagged a Poker II with MX Clear switches. It was a good keyboard for occasional iPad use, but it had a few fatal flaws: it was ugly, and the CMD key was unchangeably in the wrong location.
When I initially received the keyboard the back light made an insane sounding high pitched whine when it was on. Some searching around lead me to find that a firmware update would fix the issue. In order to update the firmware I had to dig out a circa 2002 Dell laptop, but I got the job done and no more whine.
For the larger modifier keys, the Pok3r RGB uses Cherry stabilizers. These mount below the backplate and make installation and removal of keycaps much easier. Typically cherry stabilizers do have more of a rattle though so I will have to keep an eye out for that in my testing.
On top of effects you can set the whole keyboards color or if you want you can even assign colors to each key individually. They give you three keys, one red, one green, and one blue and they have 6 brightness levels. You press each until you get the color that you prefer and then you select the keys you want to put it on. The other option is to use the escape button and the entire keyboard lights up in a full RGB range and you can click the key with the color you prefer.
The choice to go with double shot keycaps is an improvement over the painted keycaps that you normally see on backlit keyboards including previous backlit Poker models. I did have an issue with the caps being ABS when Vortex already produces a great backlit PBT and the caps are a little thin causing backlighting to bleed through. In other words, while an improvement over a standard painted cap, there is still room for improvement. I also love the new RGB backlighting. Some people might not like backlighting at all, but if you do, it is nice to be able to pick your favorite color or go with colors that match your PC or other peripherals.
Vortex has been quite a popular brand for mechanical keyboards and enjoyed a lot of success with their original Poker and Poker 2. What makes the keyboards really stand out is the fact that they're 60% keyboards, which are keyboards that don't have a numpad, arrow or home cluster, and don't have the function row either. These buttons are instead accessed through FN and PN modifier keys. There is a learning curve to this, though, but we'll cover all of that in the review below!
The POK3R shares a similar design to the original Poker and Poker 2 in that it has the 60% layout rather than a tenkeyless or full sized layout. You're given the option of a white or black keyboard, in which both the keycaps and aluminum case will be either white or black (although for the black option, the keys are actually closer to a dark grey).
Speaking of the aluminum case, this was a great move by Vortex. For those who are familiar with the keyboard modding scene, you know that aluminum cases cost over $50 for a second-hand one and cost over $90 for a new one. So Vortex including an aluminum low-profile case by default is a great addition and significantly bumps the value of the keyboard.
Depending on the branding or color scheme, though, it seems that you may not get RGB replacement modifier keys. In my case I can confirm I did, but other people who've reviewed the POK3R have found that it didn't come as standard.
Moving to the underside of the keyboard we find a small aluminum plate with the serial number and model name, and there is also a small cutout in the case for the DIP switches. There are four rubber feet on the bottom which are designed to stop the keyboard from slipping around on the table - when combined with the general weight of the keyboard, it makes it extremely solid and difficult to accidently (or even intentionally) push around your table.
Vortex uses high quality and fairly thick PBT keycaps, which is in comparison to typical ABS keycaps provided out of the box. PBT is considered to be an 'everlasting' key, in that the plastic is very, very difficult to ever smooth out. If you've owned keyboards that had part of the keycaps go shiny and smooth, it'll take significantly longer to run into the same situation on these. They also have a nicer sound to them, closer to a 'thock' than a click, so all in all it was another cool addition by Vortex. It's also worth mentioning that the keyboard appears to all be in ANSI.
The keyboard comes with either Cherry MX Clear, Red, Brown, Blue or Black switches which is pretty good variety, especially with the inclusion of the ever-popular Cherry MX Clears. I personally went for Cherry MX Browns (45cN) as I find them to be the most comfortable to type on, but this is a personal preference thing.
The larger keys have Cherry MX stabilizers as well (rather than the Costar stabilizers) which I personally find great when it comes to removing and reapplying keys, but other people may dislike since they feel a bit less stable than the Costar ones. Either way I find the Cherry MX stabilizers to be my preference, so this worked out quite well for me.
The four DIP switches on the back of the keyboard allow a user to quickly switch between different keyboard settings, such as enabling or disabling a DVORAK, COLEMAK or QWERTY layout (first two DIP switches). The third switch allows you to turn your Caps Lock key into an FN key (something I found extremely handy - makes typing significantly easier). The fourth and final switch allows you to move the FN and PN key to wherever you like on the keyboard, barring one or two locations (after a round of Googling I figured out the one location you can't switch it to is the right CTRL key).
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