5 Top Poker Player Disguises

5 Top Poker Player Disguises

One of the keys to winning at poker is to hide your facial expressions when you are playing your hand.  Whilst many players are capable of adopting a solid poker face to prevent giving their opponents any hints, others can struggle to keep a straight face when they have a strong hand.

You may have noticed many players when they play poker will wear all kinds of disguises when there’s money on the line.

The idea of having a disguise is to help prevent your opponent from reading your facial expression correctly.  Anything to get an edge in poker is a great thing!

Here’s a look at some player players who worn disguises over the years in order to help hide their facial expressions from the opposition:

  1. Sunglasses

Greg Raymer.  AKA The Fossilman.  A former patent attorney turned pro poker player, Raymer is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.  His fossil collecting hobby earned him his nickname and he even uses a small fossil as a card protector while he’s playing.

He is also one of the most famous players who wears sunglasses whilst playing.  They’re not there to protect his eyes from any bright lights but to prevent his opponents from reading his eyes!

2. Facial Hair

Growing a big beard or simply a moustache has become the rage among some poker players.  Then there are players such as Andy Black who overgrow their facial hair to help disguise anty facial expressions.

Perhaps we’ll never see anyone with a fake moustache but don’t be surprised if a Father Christmas lookalike shows up one day!

3. Hats

Stetsons, baseball caps, you name it – many a hat has been worn by poker players.  This is not always a fashion accessory but sometimes used to cover up part of their face from revealing any facial expressions to the other players at the table.

As an added bonus, it’s a great opportunity for sponsors to get additional exposure on the front of these hats and caps that are picked up by TV cameras!

4. Oversized Headphones

Professional American poker player Vanessa Rousso is well-known for wearing baseball caps and oversized headphones during her matches.

Probably one of the most distracting accessories at the table when you’re playing poker is to see these.  Rousso has certainly had success at poker, winning more than €3,500,000 during her career.

5. Wrestling Masks

Players are not permitted to wear a full face mask during poker tournaments but there was an exception made for the son of Mexican professional wrestler El Hijo del Santo.  He has worn the same mask as his father whilst at the poker table.

Whether this will kick on remains to be seen but it certainly does come across as a great distraction to your opponents whilst also completely covering up your facial expressions.  How fair this is is certainly questionable but it does appear to be a one-off.