As you may imagine, poker player spend a great deal of time staring their opponents down in order to read the body language. Eyes can reveal a great deal of information, so many poker players use sunglasses to conceal their physical tells. This article will examine the importance of poker shades and why both casual and pro players wear them.
At poker tournaments, sunglasses are common. In fact, the fashion trend for wearing sunglasses has become so popular that there are a number of brand-name poker glasses on the market. Many people ask why poker players would want to wear these glasses at the tables and what the advantages are of doing so.
Apart from the fact that they can hide their physical tells in poker tournaments, sunglasses also help players to enter their optimal playing zone. The bright lights in a casino can be distracting and can make it difficult for some poker players to concentrate. By wearing a pair of sunglasses, poker players can block out the light and avoid distractions.
As for the idea that poker players might be using sunglasses to cheat, this is a valid concern. However, it is important to note that the majority of poker players do not use their sunglasses to cheat at the tables and that a player would have a hard time altering cards while wearing sunglasses. Despite this there have been a couple of incidents where players at the WSOP 2015 used sunglasses to make minute cuts or bends on cards.