Much has been written about the table image you project while playing poker. When I first started to play casino poker several years ago, I read that along with your playing skills, you should also learn how to project a strong table image.

Some of your table image is conveyed in the manner in which you dress. Psychologically, most of us make some sort of judgment of a new person that we meet based on the person’s appearance. That's why in business they always tell you to "dress for success," because the first impression you make can be very important.

When we sit down at the poker table, we usually try to size up our opponents and their physical appearance can have a bearing on our first opinion of them as players. I’ve read that the best way to dress in a poker game is in dark or neutral clothes. They say a hat or sunglasses can help to cover your eyes so no one can detect a tell when you look at your cards, or when you study other players. Sunglasses and hats also can be intimidating because it makes you look like a serious player. I thought this was good advice and started dressing the part. About a year ago I had an experience in Las Vegas that changed the way I thought about what to wear to a poker session.

A few years ago I was playing in the poker room at the Mirage in Las Vegas. I was in the $3/6 game and doing quite well. A player left the table and a man, who was wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, filled his seat. I immediately pegged this guy for another tourist. Soon after he sat down, he was telling stories and joking with the dealer and some of the other players. He didn't seem to have a care in the world as he sat there talking and playing. Actually, he did very little playing.

I make it a point to study all the players at the table, and I watched this man after he sat down. I noticed that although he dressed and looked like any other tourist, he was actually being very selective about the hands that he played. He was winning and was a very tight, aggressive player.

We both left the table at the same time. As we stood in line at the cashiers' cage, we talked about the game we had just left. I had learned from conversation at the table that the man's name was Ron and I introduced myself. I asked him where he was from and to my surprise he said he lived in Las Vegas. I mentioned that he looked like a tourist. "I know," he said. "Why would I want anyone at the table to think I'm a local?"

That reply made me take a look at the way I was dressing and the table image I was trying to convey. I was dressing in dark, wearing a hat and very rarely spoke at the table when playing to come across as a serious player. I started thinking that if I dressed and acted more like a casual player, I could actually disguise some of my skill, leading to more profits when playing in low-limit games. I gave it a try and I found that this actually worked well. If I sit in at a table with a bunch of tough looking players, their first impression is that I am just another fish. If I sit in with a bunch of casual players, I look like one of the gang.

I wasn’t the only one giving this idea some thought. Around the same time I read an article in Card Player magazine concerning table image by World Poker Champion Johnny Chan. His advice to poker pros was "Loosen Up." In the article, he advised other poker pros to take a look at how they are perceived by the recreational player entering the card room. He writes that the recreational players will usually be more inclined to stay playing in a game when they are not intimidated by other players, and are having some fun.

In low limit games, the players want to have fun. Most of them are there to blow some money and you want to encourage them any way you can. If you come across as a serious player, it may actually cause them to play better. They don’t want to look foolish, and they may just tighten up, or even worse, they may leave the game and go play at another table.

In the low limit games I play in, I have found that my casual table image can actually be more deceptive than the stern and serious one I adopted when I started playing. Dressing casually and being friendly at the table allows me to have a little more fun while I'm winning. The next time you see someone in a Hawaiian shirt don't automatically assume that they are just another tourist.

Until next time, remember:

"Luck comes and goes...Knowledge Stays Forever!"