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why are professional poker players allowed to wear sunglasses?

you know the best way get an idea of what your opponent is holding is by looking in his eyes... but the ones with sunglasses are protected.. it's an unfair advantage if you ask me.

Public Comments

1. Yeah but the option is open to everyone so if you choose not to take advantage of it then that's your own fault.
2. The eyes they say is the window to the soul, some people can sense when you're bluffing just by looking in your eyes.
3. to hide their red, swollen, drunken eyes ! It does even up things. But, at what point did it all become so serious ?
4. An unfair advantage would be you not being able to wear sunglasses. If you have to see a players eyes to get a read on him...you need to take slide over to the blackjack table or something.
5. There is no rule that keeps you from wearing shades as well, fight fire with fire i always say. But i don't feel that looking into another players eyes has ever helped me in making a call or a fold. I look at his tendencies, past bets, position, and my hand and chip size weather or not im going to make a fold or raise. Wearing shades make some people feel like a poker player, so thus it makes them feel more at home at the table. Just like chris fergusson has said he wears a hat and shades because it makes him look the part more, and it helps him fit in at the table. But either way its fine with me, i sometimes wear shades and i sometimes don't.
6. you have answered your own question also the glare from the lights hurts the eyes
7. It's not unfair since everybody, professional or not, is allowed ot wear sunglasses. But don't worry too much about those guys, worry about those who don't wear glasses because those are the real pross, you think you can read them but that's what they want you to think.
8. i dont think sunglasses are an advantage during a long tournament you get tired faster you have a higher chanc of seeing a card the wrong way and most tells arent from the eyes anyway most are from body language besides that everyone is allowed to wear sunglasses
9. I'd argue that the best way to tell what your opponent is having is to analyze his betting pattern. While most poker players would like to think they can look right into your soul, via your eyes, and put you on two cards, that's nonsense. Professional poker players, may pay attention to body language and other physical tells. But they are really paying attention to betting patterns on every street, along with the texture of the community cards.