Sometimes it gets very hard to distinguish style and fashion behind all the logo patches, branded ball caps and poker gear. This year I noticed many styles in the Amazon Room from men as well as the women.

From my observations, there are two kinds of style and or fashion with the WSOP women this year. Comfortably dressed and status conscious. Many of the women professional poker players prepared themselves to dress as comfortably as possible each day. Having to dress, eat, play, eat, play until the wee hours and then try to sleep well enough to get up and do it all over again, day after day through these seven weeks is a difficult feat in itself. The sponsored pro’s have the additional problem to over come when having to find articles that can accommodate their sponsors logo patches and still be comfortable. From t-shirts, jeans and sneakers to jogging suits, sweaters and jackets, these are the articles of my choice. Let comfort be your guide to focus and strategy.

The second choice of style is the lady who is very conscious of how she appears all the time. Comfort is secondary in this category and varies of course by generation to generation and perhaps even is defined by what these ladie’s do in real life outside of poker. Through the many hours of playing day after day, these ladies look pressed, sharp and stylish at all times. Matching accessories drip from their fingers, wrists, necks and ears that most generally have nothing to do with poker. These ladies are making a statement make no mistake about that. Nancy Todd Tyner comes to mind immediately. A very successful business woman in the world of politics, she has been able to transfer her career success to the felt as well. The younger generation is dressed to attract attention and generally accomplish it by the stares I’ve seen. The older generation is dressed to state their position; they have arrived and are comfortable with this stage of their life. A very few dress to impress which may be influenced by their income status or career choices. These styles also relate to their comfort zone which translates to their game and strategy. I once read in Doyles blog, that a player should have their personal life in order before trying to play their best game. I think dressing appropriately, what ever that may be for each of us applies here.

The men at the WSOP are simple. Comfort is first and foremost, and it doesn’t matter if it fits or not. The young generation still is experimenting with exactly where their waist line is as defined by whether or not their boxers should be visible at all times. The most curious of all men’s articles to me are their shoe choices. Shoes often can tell the story of a man. Look at polished shoes and you will find a well-dressed organized man who is successful on and off the felt. The most popular of course are sneaks or tennis shoes. Clean tennis shoes indicate an alert conscious man who is aware of his surroundings. Mike Sexton comes to mind here. Every time I see him, he is pressed but wearing comfortable casual clothing and clean white sneakers. Worn sneakers indicate a man who is comfortable in his skin and is slow to change his comfort zone. Most of the male players fall in this category and seem to translate that comfort zone well to the felt.

Gone this year are the costumes paraded by Jeff Madsen and Joe Sebok because of a lost bet. The real losers of the fashion race, I miss them the most. Maybe the looser is saving himself for the main event!