Dress For Success At the Poker Table

When I first started playing poker, I received what I thought at the time was some good advice. I dropped into the Golden Nugget to play some $5/10 limit, ordered and iced tea and sat down. I was wearing walking shorts and a t-shirt and I must have looked tired because whatever I did other players always stuck with me or tried to bet me off my hand. I took a break and went to grab something to eat when a gentleman who had been playing at my table approached me.

He mentioned that he felt like the other players were really coming after me and he thought it was kind of funny because it didn't matter what I did they either didn't believe me or felt inclined to draw me out. He said he thought it was because of how I was dressed. I wasn't sure what to make of his comment. He said that I looked like a tourist, which I was at the time, and he figured the regulars at the table were gunning for me believing that I didn't know what I was doing or that I was just playing for fun. His advice was to try out darker or more neutral colors and to stay away from the shorts and t-shirts.

At the time I figured it was pretty good advice. After that day, I would generally only show up wearing slacks and mostly browns and blacks. Once in a while I would throw the baseball cap on as well. I did notice a change at the tables. Other players started taking me a little more seriously and it didn't seem like the entire table would come after me every time I was in a pot. This made me happy and I figured I was on to something.

However, several months ago I was playing in a $10/20 limit game when a gentleman joined the table. He was heavy set and he was wearing cargo shorts, flip flops and a colorful cap tipped upwards. He was quite jovial and was friendly with virtually everyone who he chose to speak to. When he wasn't in the hand he would joke with the dealer and send out good wishes to those who were playing. He was a likable character.

There was something more interesting however. He wasn't playing many hands. When he did play, his hands were premium and he played them hard and he got action. Afterwards I noticed that he had taken down several pots and was preparing to call it a day. It was something new that I had realized. He was a very good player. However, he wanted to get action and not let on that he was a regular. His attire clearly made him appear to be a tourist but in fact, he was anything but. So it would appear that he chose to use his appearance to his advantage. It probably ended up making him considerably more money than he would have made if he looked all serious and professional.

There you have it. Depending upon your plan of attack, dress accordingly. Always remember that guy you think is a tourist may just be a lot more than you bargained for.