The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

Recently in a European poker magazine, there was an article stating sunglasses should be banned in poker. The columnist believes sunglasses are advantageous to a player like steroids are to an athlete. His second reason to abolish sunglasses is that they are anti-social, like listening to music on headphones when you play.

As you can tell by looking at my picture, I wear sunglasses when I play poker. I also wear them when I drive and play golf. Do sunglasses give a poker player an advantage? Maybe, but everyone can wear them. Some players wear them to hide their eyes, and some wear them as a security blanket. Others wear them because they look cool and make them feel mysterious. Some football players wear tinted shields over their facemasks, so that their opponents can't see what their eyes are focusing on. Baseball players wear sunglasses to reduce the glare of the sun. Maybe Major League Baseball should have a rule that players can wear only eye black.

Does wearing sunglasses make someone anti-social at the table, like wearing headphones? I think being anti-social makes someone anti-social. Insecurity may be another reason for someone being anti-social. I wear headphones when I play limit hold'em but not no-limit. I wear them in order to focus and to cut out all of the dumb comments I always hear when playing limit hold'em. Thus, headphones may be a little anti-social, but sunglasses are totally different. In fact, every time I wear sunglasses, there is usually conversation about them. I have heard such things as, "How can you see through those?" "Is the sun in your eyes?" and "Are those from the Gap?"

A few issues haven't yet come up in this soon-to-be historic debate on basic rights. I wear prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses. I cannot see without them. Many times in my life I have forgotten, lost, or broken a pair of my glasses, and have been forced to wear my prescription sunglasses so I can see. It can take up to a couple of days to replace glasses. I agree that it may look funny in a business meeting, but it is sure better than not being able to see. Thus, I am sure there would be revolts from the visually impaired if they couldn't wear prescription glasses while playing poker, regardless of the color. I also don't think it would be fair to outlaw sunglasses in poker but allow those with prescriptions to use them.

For all of you who have never worn shades at the poker table, there are a couple of disadvantages: You get tired much quicker, and clubs look like spades.

There is no reason that affects the game to bar the use of sunglasses.