When people think of playing poker they usually think of things like shuffle up and deal the cards, winning big pots, and avoiding bad beats. People usually want to play the game and try to win as often as possible. However, since the very popular world series of poker has been broadcasted repetitively via ESPN poker style and apparel has become a bigger part of the game. In today’s game it is not good enough to win a pot, you now need to win a pot with some kind of style or swagger. Often times this creates a new persona that embodies poker playing at a very professional level.
As ESPN, and other networks broadcast more and more poker events being played the style and apparel is well represented. Everybody seems to bring their own uniqueness to the game which is making the game more popular than ever. Just like when a kid goes out and shoots on his basketball hoops pretending he is Michael Jordan, the same is happening for poker. People playing in home games my put on a flashy hawiian shirt and begin acting like Freddy Deeb, or find a goofy pair of hologram sun glasses and pretending they are Greg Raymer (or fossil man).
Poker style and apparel, is without a doubt, aiding the poker boom. People are starting to equate style with great poker playing. Take Marcel Luske for example, during the 2005 world series of poker he had a different suit for each day he was in the event.
Poker players often have their “trademark” apparel while at the poker table. Doyle Brunson has his old-school cow boy hat, and Raymer has his hologram sunglasses that without a doubt helped him win the 2004 world series of poker main event. His opponents during this event admited that his goofy sunglasses through them off. Players were simply unable to get a solid read off of him because of Raymer’s poker apparel.
Some people stay away from the flashy poker style because it harms the fact that they are there to win, not to look good. However, many people wear and carry different clothes and objects to the poker table for many reasons. One major reason they do this is for luck. You will often times see at the tables a poker player carrying with them a lucky card protector to place over their hole cards. Steve Dannamon in the main event in 2005 carried with him a very special chip protector which was a miniature globe. He placed 2nd in the main event, maybe thanks to the aid of his lucky chip protector.
The online game is trying to make its presence felt during a real table event like the world series of poker. Online poker sites are now paying professional poker players to wear their apparel during the event, in hopes for the site to get more exposure. A very popular advertisement that has been done in this way has been with Full Tile Poker. Full Tilt Poker has given a number of profesional poker players hockey jerseys with their logos on them for the players to wear. This has brought a lot of popularity for full tilt, and has been very profitable for the player wearing the jersey as well.
Poker apparel and style without a doubt has played a big role in the boom of poker lately. Of course during online poker it is hard to have any type of personality except maybe through a creative account screen name. Part of what makes the game more enjoyable is watching the pros really create a card playing persona through their style and poker apparel at the table.