The Poker Player's Dress Code

For more than ten years now we have had a debate about whether or not a dress code of some kind should be enforced in professional poker. Being a form of gambling, poker has an uphill struggle to maintain any kind of respectability as it is. With numerous high profile tournaments around the globe finding their way onto our television screens, is it too much to ask for the participants to make an effort with their appearance?

Three years ago respected player and commentator Mike Sexton went on a half rant (fully justified in my opinion) about a general lack of professionalism and responsibility from so called professional poker players. There was a lot more to it than just being critical of some player's attire, but the gist was that we all have a responsibility to give out a good impression if we care about the future of the poker industry.

Before Chris Moneymaker set the poker world on fire in 2003, poker rooms were closing down and the popularity of the game was dwindling away. Television was directly responsible for this sudden explosion in popularity, and if they are going to invest time and money to broadcast our game then we should make the best of the situation and put out the best impression possible.

Should Poker Be Viewed the Same as Other Sports?

If the best poker players on the planet care at all about being seen as the cream of a bona fide sport, then they should take a look at how the stars of other disciplines show themselves in front of the public.

Take golf for example, the players are almost all immaculately turned out at PGA level events. From the colourful outfits of the American Ricky Fowler to the individual style of Britain's Ian Poulter. The players all understand that it is not just themselves under scrutiny, but the entire sport as well.

In chess you will almost never see a player in a top level event who is not wearing a smart collared shirt. I would argue that chess players have an even greater need than poker players for comfortable clothing during a long session, to avoid any distractions.

What about the sponsors? It's ignorant to believe that some companies won't be put off at least a little by their brand being associated by slobbish turn out.

Why Is Everyone Suddenly Talking About this Again?

One of the reasons this subject has reared its ugly head recently is, of course, because somebody has been singled out for their poor appearance. Not only that but this transgression took place on the grandest stage of them all, The World Series of Poker Main Event final table.

The tournament winner, Joe McKeehen, made for a serious contrast with his impeccably turned out rivals by looking like he had been dragged out of bed at 4am. His straggly beard and uncombed hair gave him an appearance that looked totally out of place in front of the cameras. Not that he probably cared mind you, with a near faultless display he dispatched the remaining eight players and collected a cool $7.7 Million.

This doesn't make it alright though. McKeehen for the next twelve months is our sport's de facto world champion, and the memory of how he presented himself isn't going to be forgotten.

Just look at the wide range of attire featured at the final table.

What Needs Changing?

In my opinion, at the very least there needs to be a dress code implemented for televised final tables. Pokerstars' Lee Jones wrote a blog post a while back explaining his thoughts.

Is it not time that some changes were forced through? Even as far back as when the poker boom started we have had snappy dressers such as Marcel Luske, with his sharp suit and sunglasses. At this years World Series of Poker Main Event final table we had Max Steinberg looking dapper in a blue suit, and not for the first time. So a lot of guys do care about the image of themselves and poker. We shouldn't let a minority spoil it for the rest.

It should be mentioned that the girls take this a lot more seriously than the guys, as we might expect. Certainly when the television cameras start rolling. Maybe we should take a leaf out of their book.

Is the Problem Inherent in Poker?

Poker is an American game, and for those who have never travelled to the United States to play, there is generally no dress code enforced in American card rooms. Obviously as the game has grown, it has become the norm to play in casual attire, and this attitude has spread around the world.

In the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, casinos and card rooms nearly always have a dress code, but we still see the all too common 'hoodie and sunglasses' image at top events such as the European Poker Tour. I get the feeling nothing is changing, yet we can see a clear reward in the form of more corporate sponsorship flowing into the game.

At this stage of the game, it's probably a lost cause to expect the casinos in Las Vegas to suddenly have a dress code in their card rooms. But just because casual games can be played wearing whatever you feel like, doesn't mean that we should ignore the most high profile games.

What do you readers think? Have you ever played live and been shocked at a rivals state of dress? Let me know your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.