The heating of a theta-pinch deuterium plasma by a CO2 laser has been studied as a function of pulse duration and energy. A hydrodynamical approach was used with temperatures and densities assumed uniform in a fully ionized plasma. This model takes into account the dynamics of the magnetic field, the axial and radial magnetic confinement, the shape of the laser pulse, and energy transferred to the plasma by inverse bremsstrahlung. We discuss the results (dimensions, temperature, absorbed power) snowing that an increase in pulse duration results in higher electron and ion temperature.