A
AcePlayerDeluxe
Rising Star
Bronze Level
First of all... LOL at the Slim/Kenny Rogers quote conflict. Not laughing at you though, bruh, laughing with you...
Reasons not to wear glasses: Because the cool poker kids think it's douchey. Because DN said so. Because you are mad at money.
Reasons to wear them: Because you don't care what the cool poker kids think. Because you don't care what DN said. Because you like money.
What I said there was pretty sarcastic and filled with bad humor and hyperbole, but most arguments on why not to wear glasses at the table are generally filled with the same kind of "crap." I have had this conversation many times and pretty much the reason people are against it is because, "It's douchey, bro!" The same people consider headphones and hoodies douchey too. Whatever.
Let me tell you why I wear glasses. I have a bit of a light sensitivity problem. It's not an out of control problem, but I do tend to squint a lot when I am around bright light. Hours of this causes headaches. Casino lights aren't the brightest in the world, but they are bright enough for me. In long tournaments (HPT, WSOPc, DSE, MegaS) I have worn them to get me through the day/night. It aided me and helped my eyes to fatigue less.
tells. I know it's super taboo to talk about tells, but they are real. I have a personality type that subconsciously, and very quickly, picks up on tells (ESTP). It comes natural to me, but it can be learned by anyone (just as poker math can be learned). Think micro and macro expressions. If you have never heard of those here is what a quick google search brings up:
http://www.humintell.com/macroexpressions-microexpressions-and-subtle-expressions/
Now generally you need a large sample size to translate micro and macro expressions to get any reliable data, but there is some baseline to work with and there are expressions that serve as a general guideline. Sample size is of course going to involve playing with the same players over numerous hours. I play with the same players and have done so over numerous hours. There is one guy I guarantee I have 2000 hours with, if not more. We've been poker friends for 10+ years. The other people I play with on a regular basis I have around 300 hours or more with. I'd say I have a pretty good sample size and rely partially on tells (don't discount tendencies, math, etc). I have to assume they also rely on tells that I give off. In fact I know they do. I had one friend tell me that when I am about to enter a hand my eyes give off some tells. He is a solid player and I trust his information. That right there should be enough for me to want wear glasses.
The final reason I wear glasses. Because I feel more comfortable, confident, and in control. It's really a personal preference and I could care less if I look like the douche that wears glasses. It's all about how I feel and how I play, not about what someone thinks of me. I do me, you do you. I honestly believe there is some power in feeling comfortable at the table. When I say that I mean the way you dress, how you feel, etc. I like to shower before a session. It makes me feel refreshed and ready to go. I have read some articles that say things like dressing comfortable or showering/washing helps your mindset and kind of resets your whole attitude. Glasses are something that do that for me. If poker is a mental game, why wouldn't I want to do the best thing for my mindset?
Bottom line is this... If you want to wear glasses because you think it will improve your game in any way (mental, tells, etc) then do it. If you don't want to wear glasses then don't. It's really as simple as that. If you want to know discuss any further with me in PM, HMU.
-APD
Reasons not to wear glasses: Because the cool poker kids think it's douchey. Because DN said so. Because you are mad at money.
Reasons to wear them: Because you don't care what the cool poker kids think. Because you don't care what DN said. Because you like money.
What I said there was pretty sarcastic and filled with bad humor and hyperbole, but most arguments on why not to wear glasses at the table are generally filled with the same kind of "crap." I have had this conversation many times and pretty much the reason people are against it is because, "It's douchey, bro!" The same people consider headphones and hoodies douchey too. Whatever.
Let me tell you why I wear glasses. I have a bit of a light sensitivity problem. It's not an out of control problem, but I do tend to squint a lot when I am around bright light. Hours of this causes headaches. Casino lights aren't the brightest in the world, but they are bright enough for me. In long tournaments (HPT, WSOPc, DSE, MegaS) I have worn them to get me through the day/night. It aided me and helped my eyes to fatigue less.
tells. I know it's super taboo to talk about tells, but they are real. I have a personality type that subconsciously, and very quickly, picks up on tells (ESTP). It comes natural to me, but it can be learned by anyone (just as poker math can be learned). Think micro and macro expressions. If you have never heard of those here is what a quick google search brings up:
http://www.humintell.com/macroexpressions-microexpressions-and-subtle-expressions/
Now generally you need a large sample size to translate micro and macro expressions to get any reliable data, but there is some baseline to work with and there are expressions that serve as a general guideline. Sample size is of course going to involve playing with the same players over numerous hours. I play with the same players and have done so over numerous hours. There is one guy I guarantee I have 2000 hours with, if not more. We've been poker friends for 10+ years. The other people I play with on a regular basis I have around 300 hours or more with. I'd say I have a pretty good sample size and rely partially on tells (don't discount tendencies, math, etc). I have to assume they also rely on tells that I give off. In fact I know they do. I had one friend tell me that when I am about to enter a hand my eyes give off some tells. He is a solid player and I trust his information. That right there should be enough for me to want wear glasses.
The final reason I wear glasses. Because I feel more comfortable, confident, and in control. It's really a personal preference and I could care less if I look like the douche that wears glasses. It's all about how I feel and how I play, not about what someone thinks of me. I do me, you do you. I honestly believe there is some power in feeling comfortable at the table. When I say that I mean the way you dress, how you feel, etc. I like to shower before a session. It makes me feel refreshed and ready to go. I have read some articles that say things like dressing comfortable or showering/washing helps your mindset and kind of resets your whole attitude. Glasses are something that do that for me. If poker is a mental game, why wouldn't I want to do the best thing for my mindset?
Bottom line is this... If you want to wear glasses because you think it will improve your game in any way (mental, tells, etc) then do it. If you don't want to wear glasses then don't. It's really as simple as that. If you want to know discuss any further with me in PM, HMU.
-APD
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