This is the prototypical image of a successful poker player since so many movies and TV shows depict well-dressed players. More recently, the James Bond film Casino Royale placed the always-classy Bond in a private, multi-million dollar Texas Hold’em tournament. Real-life players who like to sport the GQ look include Sammy Farha, Phil Ivey, Phil Gordon, and Howard Lederer. If you choose to follow in these players footsteps, you’d better have the game to back it up.

With many younger players entering the poker world, a new fashion look has arisen; the ultra-casual look. Basically, this look consists of jeans, a t-shirt, and a backwards baseball cap. Most players who sport this attire are in their early 20’s, while a host of online poker players-turned live players love to dress like this too.  It’s certainly a successful look since both the 2008 WSOP champion (Peter Eastgate) and the 2009 champion (Joe Cada) have fit this image.

The Hooded Sweatshirt

Wearing a hooded sweatshirt to the poker table has been popularized by Phil “The Unabomber” Laak; he is well known for pulling his hood over his head and tying the drawstrings. Now, plenty of other players are going with this look possibly as a way to conceal tells from opponents. Those who do this to conceal tells often wear sunglasses with their sweatshirt too (Laak does this as well).

Online poker rooms are always looking for a way to advertise themselves to the general public. And one very popular way of doing this is by having professional players wear their logos in televised tournaments. Of course some players go overboard with the logos, and have their clothes covered with a sponsor’s name. This phenomenon has given rise to a new look where sponsored players dedicate their attire to a certain poker room. Not only does this appear tacky, but it can also make one a target for opponents.  

Since so many women have been taking up poker in recent years, it was only a matter of time before the dress started showing up on the felt. Much like the suit, dresses are a female poker player’s way of showing up in class. Most women opt for more traditional clothes, but others like Jennifer Tilly and Clonie Gowen like to break out their best dresses for certain poker events. And when they do, the guys aren’t complaining!

One sure way to stand out in a poker tournament is to have your own unique hat. Whether the hat is indigenous to a certain look, or is just meant to grab as much attention as possible, wearing one is sure to get a player recognized. Tom Dwan gained a lot of fame when he wore some extremely crazy hats during the WPT Championship. Other players such as Doyle Brunson and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson have developed iconic looks due to their choice of hats.

Since so many people believe luck plays a big part in poker, they like to bring trinkets to the table in order to sway luck in their favor. Now you might say trinkets have little to do with fashion, but some players bring so many that the trinkets become a fashion statement in themselves. Humberto Brenes is one player who has pushed trinkets over the top since he brings little shark toys to the table, and does chants hoping the cards will fall his way.

Sunglasses are a useful tool for live poker players across the globe since they help people conceal tells. Most players who wear sunglasses at the table simply go with casual shades you can get in a store. However, some players such as Greg Raymer like to make a fashion statement with their sunglasses. Raymer wears sunglasses with holographic eyes on the outside, which makes it impossible to read his real eyes, and awkward to look at him as well.