Main Event Final Table - Sunglasses? (3 Viewers)

[NotRealNameNoSir]

ALRIGHT. I've never worn sunglasses at a poker table, I love being social and I think the sunglasses put some people off. But lets say you've made it to the World Series of Poker Main Event, where significant 6-figure pay jumps are the norm.

Do you wear sunglasses? How far do you take it? I dont know, I think I might. I'm a proud goofy rec, Im sure I give off tells and if these help me in any way I'd probably wear them. Curious what others think. I've definitely toned down the chatter when deep in a tournament but never made wardrobe choices on it other than a big sweatshirt.


Never wearing a scarf though, I've got a pretty neck and I need to use it to distract the opponents.

 

[EastCoastCali]

Same page. Never done it and don't plan to. BUT in a situation like that, I'd imagine my stomach would be in my throat and I'd be giving off tells left and right, so I'm in the same boat.....minus the pretty neck. I could hit the recessed reset button on the back of a remote with my apple.



Kidding.

 

[davesilver88]

In this hypothetical, probably not. But you never know. I say that because I a few times I wore sunglasses in the casino and misread a hand.

 

[detroitdad]

It is possible that they are also wearing it due to all of the lights, flashes, ect....

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

It is possible that they are also wearing it due to all of the lights, flashes, ect....

Definitely possible, tons of strains. Bright lights, lots of staring and pressure. I think I like the idea of wearing them in this situation just due to external pressures.

 

[DrStrange]

not for me . . I am old and can't see very well under good conditions.

If someone is worried about their facial tells, perhaps a full on hood would be better. I decided not to link options, but amazon has a huge assortment to pick from.

 

[Kain8]

not for me . . I am old and can't see very well under good conditions.

If someone is worried about their facial tells, perhaps a full on hood would be better. I decided not to link options, but amazon has a huge assortment to pick from.

Careful what you wish for:

https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/v5g35b/this_is_what_happens_when_poker_tournaments_have

 

[Mangatang]

I’m wearing these…

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

not for me . . I am old and can't see very well under good conditions.

If someone is worried about their facial tells, perhaps a full on hood would be better. I decided not to link options, but amazon has a huge assortment to pick from.

That makes sense. When I really need to focus I like to have a hood up, I dont know if I'd go full Duhamel with a hood pulled against my face but it might be a comfort.

 

[buzzmonkey]

 

[w00zie]

Careful what you wish for:

https://www.reddit.com/r/poker/comments/v5g35b/this_is_what_happens_when_poker_tournaments_have

Haha, Vogel ist hilarious. One time Ivey gave him a super weird look at a Triton event and Vogel didn't use his full "protection gear" as a result.

 

[upNdown]

There was some dink in a pink hat and pink sunglasses, a couple of days ago. He was one of those guys who stares at his opponent. He was in a hand with a guy right next to him. In those situations the staring feels both agressive and awkward. Anyway, he went all in on the turn, then turned and stared directly and nonstop at his opponent, right next to him.
There’s no need for reads or tells after you yourself have gone all in. So apparently it was just an intimidation tactic?
I may start bringing sunglasses, just in case I ever get stuck next to an idiot like that. I’d put on my sunglasses and stare right back at him until somebody calls clock.

But otherwise, no. Sunglasses are dumb. I agree with the pros I’ve heard who say that most tells don’t come from the eyes anyway.

 

[upNdown]

View attachment 1358134

And by the way, that was Jerry Yang - without question the worst player ever to win the Main.

 

[upNdown]

It is possible that they are also wearing it due to all of the lights, flashes, ect....

Ivey and Negreanu both started wearing yellow tinted glasses at tv tables this year. Cuts down the glare, but doesn’t reduce their vision apparently.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Never in a million years at a home game or low stakes casino.

But ME final table with millions on the line? Probably. I'm sure I'm a huge pile of tells, and I'll need every bit of help I can get when I'm by fair the worst player at the table.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

But otherwise, no. Sunglasses are dumb. I agree with the pros I’ve heard who say that most tells don’t come from the eyes anyway.

Who said that? Interested, not challenging your claim. Fine not to wear them but its also so people dont see you staring at them looking for stuff. I've read plenty on tells, I know Negreanu mentions eye contact and motion as reliable tells. Elwood's books arent about playing against the best in the world but definitely mention them and hes coached some people going into final tables.

I dont expect Im giving off Teddy KGB level tells but like @Schmendr1ck mentions, the pressure is immense, my eyes might flit to my chipstack if I slam a flop.

 

[doublebooyah85]

But otherwise, no. Sunglasses are dumb. I agree with the pros I’ve heard who say that most tells don’t come from the eyes anyway.

Hmmm? Poker tells 101 that many pros preach…

a) when a player looks at his chips he has a good hand

It’s a tell that’s as true as the day is long. So much that I try my best to look at my chips when folding and I don’t have a good hand to negate when I probably do it.

 

[upNdown]

Who said that? Interested, not challenging your claim. Fine not to wear them but its also so people dont see you staring at them looking for stuff. I've read plenty on tells, I know Negreanu mentions eye contact and motion as reliable tells. Elwood's books arent about playing against the best in the world but definitely mention them and hes coached some people going into final tables.

I dont expect Im giving off Teddy KGB level tells but like @Schmendr1ck mentions, the pressure is immense, my eyes might flit to my chipstack if I slam a flop.

Off the top of my head, I can’t give you a list. But I’m pretty sure I heard Dnegs himself say something similar. I believe he’s said that he gets a lot more from the mouth than the eyes, specifically.
The eyes to the chipstack seems to be a pretty reliable one; I’ll agree with that. But in my experience, tells are coming from posture, from timing, from talk or lack of talk - behavioral changes. There are times when I’m not even sure what I’ve seen, but my spidey senses are going off because they know they’ve seen something different.

Significant of nothing but it strikes me as funny - didn’t Caro have a whole chapter on cigarette tells in his book? You haven’t been able to smoke at poker tables in America for a long long time.

 

[TheJestyr]

I’m not sure if I’d constantly wear them, but I’d definitely have them close by and prolly pop them on occasionally. I can tell you I’ve worn them before in some big spots and felt like they added some level of added protection. Mind you, there’s definitely been sometimes I just felt stupid wearing them, and I’d never wear them for anything but bigger games.

Actually that’s kinda a lie, I sometimes wear them when playing if I just want to feed into my image that I’m a tool…but that’s a whole different vibe and I’m usually quoting Rounders while wearing a Burger King crown too at that point…

 

[detroitdad]

a) when a player looks at his chips he has a good hand

When I look at my stack, it is usually because I am saying goodbye to it.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

Off the top of my head, I can’t give you a list. But I’m pretty sure I heard Dnegs himself say something similar. I believe he’s said that he gets a lot more from the mouth than the eyes, specifically.
The eyes to the chipstack seems to be a pretty reliable one; I’ll agree with that. But in my experience, tells are coming from posture, from timing, from talk or lack of talk - behavioral changes. There are times when I’m not even sure what I’ve seen, but my spidey senses are going off because they know they’ve seen something different.

Significant of nothing but it strikes me as funny - didn’t Caro have a whole chapter on cigarette tells in his book? You haven’t been able to smoke at poker tables in America for a long long time.

Elwood built off of Caro an insane amount, yeah some are definitely outdated.

Sure, but another point of the sunglasses are that people cant see you staring at them looking for those other tells. DNegs also specifically talks to people to get reads from what they say or don't say, and STILL cites eye contact and looks as important.

Silly clickbait title and thumbnail but he still cites it as common and reliable.

Ill challenge you to post here when next you hear one of the live pros say eye tells dont matter. And I guarantee part of your spidey sense comes from seeing peoples eyes move in tandem with their posture and actions, theres a reason its such a common conception.

Edit to add: not challenge as in adversarial, I'm just very curious and want to remind you to come back here and tell me. I'm interested!

 

[upNdown]

Elwood built off of Caro an insane amount, yeah some are definitely outdated.

Sure, but another point of the sunglasses are that people cant see you staring at them looking for those other tells. DNegs also specifically talks to people to get reads from what they say or don't say, and STILL cites eye contact and looks as important.

Silly clickbait title and thumbnail but he still cites it as common and reliable.

Ill challenge you to post here when next you hear one of the live pros say eye tells dont matter. And I guaranter part of your spidey sense comes from seeing peoples eyes move in tandem with their posture and actions, theres a reason its such a common conception.

I never said eye tells don’t matter. I just said more tells come from other places. So far we’ve all agreed that glancing at your chips is a tell. But even that one, as Dnegs points out in that video, is “especially for beginners.” I think most of us amateurs have worked that one out of our system.
But you’re probably right that I’m getting more out of people’s eyes than I realize.

 

[doublebooyah85]

I don’t think tells are “outdated” (ok…maybe the smoking one, but actually I play in some games that allow smoking), just need to see if that person falls into that common habit (tell).

 

[merkong]

Me jamming on someone.

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

I never said eye tells don’t matter. I just said more tells come from other places. So far we’ve all agreed that glancing at your chips is a tell. But even that one, as Dnegs points out in that video, is “especially for beginners.” I think most of us amateurs have worked that one out of our system.
But you’re probably right that I’m getting more out of people’s eyes than I realize.

Fair. I'll agree we glance and stare way less but in high pressure with cameras on me, its just another factor I can mitigate.


I took ". Sunglasses are dumb. I agree with the pros I’ve heard who say that most tells don’t come from the eyes anyway." As you not worrying about those tells; for millions, any tells I can get rid of I will!

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

@upNdown all in good faith, as always. At the beach and didn't mean to misrepresent what you said. Was just talking to my father in law about it and wanted to poll the people. I'm well behind on solvers and optimal play, I just have fun in splashy stakes with tells and that "spidey sense" you mention is the most fun you can have at the table. Some day I'll find me an oreo tell!

 

[upNdown]

@upNdown all in good faith, as always. At the beach and didn't mean to misrepresent what you said. Was just talking to my father in law about it and wanted to poll the people. I'm well behind on solvers and optimal play, I just have fun in splashy stakes with tells and that "spidey sense" you mention is the most fun you can have at the table. Some day I'll find me an oreo tell!

All good

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

I don’t think tells are “outdated” (ok…maybe the smoking one, but actually I play in some games that allow smoking), just need to see if that person falls into that common habit (tell).

Ive played at a few games with cigars but havent found much, half the players rarely smoke them so they're blinking smoke out of their eyes hahaha. Gum is reliable, when their draw comes in they go slack jawed for that tiny bit of time. Human instinct, go still and dont scare your prey away!

 

[Nymor]

If I've made it to the final table of the Main Event without them then I must be doing something right and have things under control. Wouldn't jinx myself by changing anything personally except whatever merch I'm being paid a fortune to wear in front of the cameras

 

[HiveKueen]

I wear them as a matter of course because I see so many tells from eyes and don’t even want to think about if I’m giving off tells!!!