Why Poker Players Wear Sunglasses
Whether you’re watching a
rerun of the WSOP Final Table or going to the local
casino cardroom for some $1/2 NL action, you’ll most
likely encounter more than a few players hiding behind a
pair of sunglasses. Upside down, right side up,
designer-inspired, black as night, you name the type a
player at the poker table is probably sporting it.
Many online players or those new to the game might
wonder, “Is there some sort of wacky correlation between
photosensitivity and gambling in chromosome x456? Why
the heck are all these guys wearing sunglasses in a
dimly lit poker room?” While many amateurs simply wear
them to emulate their poker heroes, there are some
tangible benefits to having shades available at the
table. Let’s examine the pros and cons in this article.
Firstly, there are some textbook tells that can be
deduced from the eyes. For example, if a player quickly
looks at the flop, looks down at his chips, and quickly
looks away, the flop most likely helped his cards. On
the converse, if a player is intently studying the flop
it probably didn’t help him and he’s trying to figure
out some sort of straight combination to no avail. Some
say they can tell if a player is bluffing by the
dilation of his pupils but I doubt that anyone has the
sort of eyesight or patience to study and compare the
possible bluffer’s pupils across an entire session.
Nevertheless, if a player covers his eyes his tablemates
can’t deduce anything from where he’s looking.
Next, there is the intimidation factor. Have you ever
seen Chris “Jesus” Ferguson staring down his opponent
with dark black sunglasses, a black cowboy hat, and a
scraggly beard that covers up the rest of his face?
Pretty tough, isn’t he? Or perhaps think of the bizarre
combination of goofiness and intimidation that Greg
Raymer gives off with his signature holographic dinosaur
glasses. They’re a novelty but somehow look menacing on
his healthily padded face. Many players believe that
they strike more fear into their opponents with the
blank stare of tinted glasses. Unfortunately, most
players don’t have the complete demeanor or physical
appearance that Chris Ferguson or Greg Raymer have.
Interestingly, wearing sunglasses at the table can also
help players feeling intimidated themselves. The screen
over their eyes protects them against possible tells and
reads by the professionals, but more importantly it
allows them to hide at the table. If you’re covering up
your face with sunglasses and a low hat, you can almost
become invisible and anonymous at the table. This can
have a calming effect on those playing their first
tournament or new live players entering an intimidating
major event filled with hawk-eyed professionals like the
World Series of Poker Main Event.
However, there are also several negative aspects to
wearing your favorite Oakleys (or cheap knockoffs) at
the table. The biggest risk you run is misreading your
hole cards because of the incredibly dark seeing
environment you’re creating. Phil Ivey once commented in
an interview
that his wife bought him a $4,000 pair of sunglasses
to try at the poker table. After
losing a big pot because he misread his cards Ivey
tossed the sunglasses in the garbage and never
tried another pair. While there are some professionals
who favor sunglasses such as Phil Hellmuth and Chris
Ferguson, there is a longer list of big name players who
skip them: Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, Barry Greenstein,
Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen, Howard Lederer, Daniel Negreanu,
T.J. Cloutier, Johnny Chan, Dan Harrington, Erik Seidel,
Ted Forrest, and a slew of others.
Besides making the cards tough to see, many old-time
professionals feel like allowing poker players to wear
sunglasses is against the spirit of the game. In some
ways, it can create an unfair advantage – one that
traditionally hasn’t been a part of poker on
any level. I tend to agree with this stance as both a
player and a spectator.
Finally, players choosing to expose their eyes show do
have an intangible advantage: confidence in their
appearance and their play. More than anything else, I
personally feel that this reason keeps me from hiding
behind anything at the table. Plus, it just seems a
little silly to block your eyes at the beginner’s table
at the local cardroom. Odds are that the other players
at your table won’t even know what a tell is, much less
how many millimeters your pupils dilate when you’re
lying about your hand. The choice on whether to wear
sunglasses is yours, but hopefully now you have a better
understanding of what motivated your opponents’
decisions.
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