Shades On or Off? Sunglasses in Games

It’s a common sight at a poker table. In a high-stakes game, players are constantly battling for supremacy. Concealing their thoughts or reactions to cards/results can be crucial. And what better way to do this than with sunglasses? Sunglasses create a psychological advantage that keeps your opponents guessing and engaged in the game. Obviously they aren’t going to be any use to you in an online game on the best offshore gambling sites, but do they still have a relevance as the game largely moves online?

The Rationale Behind Sunglasses at the Poker Table

Since poker is an indoor activity, wearing sunglasses at the table can be strange. However, the players aren’t trying to shield their eyes from the sun. Moreover, they are trying to protect their reactions from the gaze of other players. The thinking behind this practice is that you stand a greater chance of winning if you reveal less information to your opponents.

Does Bluffing Work with Sunglasses?

There are countless studies on bluffing in poker, with some concluding that the ability to bluff in poker is more important than your skills with the cards. However, that’s a discussion for another day. How does a pair of sunglasses help with your bluff game? Well, they could be more detrimental!

The rationale works both ways; just as you won’t send out your reactions, it will be harder to bluff with sunglasses because your face is being obstructed. Of course, you can take them off dramatically to lure players into thinking you’re confident about your hand, but this can only be done once.

How About Online Poker? Will Sunglasses Help There?

No! When you consider that games on the best offshore gambling sites are played remotely without any proximity to other players and with no opportunity to see them, whether you wear sunglasses or not, it will have no impact on the game’s proceedings. Of course, if you are involved in an online game where webcams are required, they may affect other players, but not as much as when you are playing the game in person.

Sunglasses and Poker Sponsorship

When you consider the poker boom and the willingness of the average person to try live poker, it’s only natural that sunglasses brands would try to cash in on the pastime’s popularity. In the mid-2000s, it was commonplace for the leading brands to sponsor tournaments, players and even online platforms.

However, in 2024, the pastime has become more niche, and the online poker world dominates the trends, meaning there is less demand for sunglasses for poker use. In 2012, the World Poker Tour announced that it was welcoming Blue Shark Optics into its brand as a primary partner. BSO specialises in ‘poker eyewear’ to help its patrons keep their emotions and information from being revealed to other players. Many of these glasses are ‘mirrored lenses’, meaning those looking at them can see nothing but themselves and mask the wearer. As such, it is not expected that popular sunglasses brands like Ray-Ban or Police will sponsor tournaments as they go for more mainstream fashion markets.

Can Sunglasses Lead to Cheating at the Poker Table?

Unfortunately, it’s not all good-natured fun with sunglasses at the poker table. Some nefarious players have used augmented sunglasses, giving them an unfair advantage. While it might not be as sophisticated as X-ray vision to see the next card, some can mark cards or store information about the game.

It’s common for major tournaments to vet sunglasses to ensure that no untoward technology is embedded in the eyewear. However, the mechanisms are becoming smaller and smaller, meaning they are harder to detect.

Not all sunglasses-wearing poker players are cheaters, but there is enough evidence to suggest that a few of them do implement underhanded tactics. Some poker authorities have called for no professional tournament to allow players to wear sunglasses while at the table of play to even the playing field.

Could Other Items of Clothing Be Banned?

If sunglasses are barred from the poker table, it opens up the debate about other clothing and accessories. In theory, unruly players could implement tracking technology in watches, hats, and scarves, alerting the wearer with a subtle vibration when specific cards are drawn. While it might seem extreme, the technology already exists—it’s not long until a poker player tries to benefit from it.

Of course, you could also rule out long pointed shoes like the ones worn by clowns—if poker players wore these at the table, in theory, they could communicate with other players under the table by tapping another player’s foot with their elongated footwear.

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