3 replies to this topic

[richgambler]

I was just wondering what everyones ideas on this topic were. I myself dont wear glasses. I dont like the view I get through them, and I think with so many players wearing them, it tends to take away from some of the strategy of the game. My feelings can be summed up by Mr. Phil Ivey, as I agree with his thoughts 100%:CD: What type of tells do you look for while you’re playing?PI: I look at the person. Getting back to my eyes, people always talk about them because I don’t wear sunglasses. I figure that if you can’t deal with someone looking at you, you shouldn’t play poker. Suck it up. If you have tells, work on them. Some people wear sunglasses so that you can’t get a read on them. That’s just poker. Lots of top players don’t wear sunglasses. I tried to wear sunglasses once at the World Series and misread my hand. I threw them into the garbage can, and they were $1,100 sunglasses.(Phil’s wife overheard this and said, “So, that’s where those went. I thought you lost them.” “Yeah,” he said. “I lost them in the garbage can.” “Those were nice sunglasses,” she said. “Yeah, so nice that they cost me a $100,000 pot.”)AMEN

[Big Larry]

Phil Ivey is Phil Ivey and I am just an amatuer but I think it depends on whatever you are comfortable with. I wore sunglasses for the first time last week in Atlantic City and I feel they helped me. A few times when people bluffed and I looked at them for a little while, I noticed them becoming uncomfortable. It bothered them that they couldn't see my eyes and they looked at me and looked away. On the other hand, when they had the cards, they just looked comfortably straight into my sunglasses. They might have done the same thing had I not had the sunglasses on, I don't know. However, I feel that if you are playing against a weak player, the sunglasses bother him.I also did not have to worry about my own expressions as people were trying to read me. I just looked straight ahead. No matter how I was playing the hand. By the way, I won money. Larry

[randomization]

One factor is that sunglasses tend to cut you off from the table, and make you appear to be more of a serious competitor, which suits some people's ego's, but is actually bad for your game. You can end up coming off as a tightwad who's there just to take people's money (you are, but...). Part of your skill as a poker player consists of putting people at ease and making them have fun so they play loose, and stick around. Of course, if you are easy to read, you're better off with the sunglasses.

[jayboogie]

I find them pointless really, your tells aren't just in your eyes, they're physical as well, how you stack your chips, how you bet out and etc. Also, wearing sunglasses makes you miss out on reading other players and causes you to misread the board. At least, it does that to me. Players with the sunglasses usually suck, they're usually either real quiet or real obnoxious and think they're a pro.