One of the things I get asked the most from beginning and intermediate players is whether or not they should “dress the part” at the poker table, including wearing sunglasses. My answer to them, as it is to you, is always the same. If you know why you should wear sunglasses, then wear them. Otherwise, you’re going to just look like someone at the table who has sensitive feelings about the color of their eyelashes.

I’m not sure exactly what started the sunglasses at the table craze, because it certainly didn’t exist to anywhere near this degree just ten years ago. One of the common pieces of bad information that you’ll hear is that pro players wear shades at the table to disguise their eyes from the other players. There is some truth to this, but to be honest, only the most elite of card players in the world are going to be able to read someone simply by the actions of their eyes, and when was the last time you played with someone of that caliber? So if your sitting at a basic $1-$2 limit ‘hold-em game at your local card room and half the table has Oakley’s on, you know your playing with a bunch of wannabe’s.

The truth? The real reason to wear sunglasses, if at all, is so that you can give the illusion of disinterest at the table, allowing you to observe your opposition from relatively hidden state. By wearing sunglasses, you can give the illusion that you’re not really paying attention to every move your opponents make, that maybe you’re not looking in their direction when in fact you actually are. They won’t bother to cover up any nervous gestures, facial expressions, betting patterns or anything else of the sort if they don’t think your paying attention.

If done correctly, you’ll have the table fooled that your one of these “pretenders” that wears the glasses simply because your favorite pro does, or because you think that it’s a important tool to shield your eyes from observant players. Again, only the best know what to do with the information they can get off your eyes, but EVERYONE can benefit from silently observing the other players at the table.

So which brand should you wear? If you’re trying to maintain your ninja-esque presence, don’t pick a flashy pair that will naturally draw the eye of another player, and most certainly do not throw on some holographic monstrosities like the one Greg Raymer walks around in, because that’s just begging for attention. The more casual the glasses, the more casual your table presence, and trust me, your visual look plays a very important role in how intently the others at the table will watch you.

There are some that say sunglasses are strictly for rank amateurs and have no place at a real card game. Well guess what, you probably are a rank amateur who has about as much a chance at sitting at The Big Game at the Bellagio as you do playing for the Lakers. If you think wearing glasses will give you an edge, the CORRECT edge, then go for it.