We’re hearing more and more stories of men entering and winning women’s poker tournaments. At first, it was a novelty, but it’s gotten to the point that Gambling Review needs to address the issue. Men, stop entering the women’s tournaments. After outcry, one male player even said that he wouldn’t have entered the women’s tournament if he had known he wasn’t wanted. Gee, maybe the word “women” in the title should have been a clue. Men don’t try to play in the LPGA or the WNBA, so there’s no reason why they should enter women’s poker tournaments. Let the women have them. There are plenty of other tournaments out there.

Some have said that these events prove that men are superior poker players to women. I doubt it. I think that we simply never hear about the men who enter the women’s tournaments and don’t win. There is no physical advantage that can be gained in poker, the game is a combination of strategy and luck. There is no reason that women can’t strategize as well as men, unless people are suggesting that women aren’t as intelligent.

Some are also saying that the women’s tournaments are sexist and the men are right to join them, sort of like Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. However, I don’t think any man in his right mind should care if women want to have a poker tournament of their own. After all, you can’t be a waitress at Hooters or a contestant in the Miss America pageant, either. While the tournaments can’t legally bar men from joining, common decency says for men to stay out. The other side of the argument is that women’s poker tournaments are sexist toward women. This depends on the reason for the tournament. If it is to give women a chance to win because it’s thought that they can’t compete with them men, then yes, the tournament is sexist and women need to realize that there is nothing preventing them from being as good at poker as the men. However, if the purpose is simply to give women a chance to get together and have fun playing poker, kind of as a ladies’ night, then that’s fine. Men have had poker night as a way of bonding forever. Why can’t the women do it, too? Not all women like to bond over pottery class, yoga or scrapbooking, you know. And some that do also like to play poker.

What it all comes down to is this: Men wouldn’t want women invading their men’s poker nights, so don’t invade their ladies’ tournaments.

It’s not often that I take time out of my day to comment on fashion trends. Though I consider myself somewhat fashionable, I like to leave that commentary to the professional critics, who like to call outfits “sexy and fun,” “avant-garde,” and either “contemporary” or “throwback,” depending on if it’s something new or recycled. There is one fashion trend that really bothers me, though. Well, two (the other is the popped collar – frat boys, please stop).

It’s sunglasses. I want to make this clear to everyone: Unless you’re a blind pianist, wearing sunglasses indoors is never cool. In fact, you look like an idiot. Yes, that includes you, Bono. I’ve seen way too many people in poker tournaments lately wearing shades. Unless the tournament is outdoors – which would be pretty cool, by the way – then the above rule applies to wearing sunglasses when participating in a poker tournament.

Not only do you look like a fool, which may be your intention, but some people may think you have an unfair advantage. After all, one of the things that makes poker a skill, rather than a game of sheer chance, is that players can read the reactions of others as they play out a hand and try to determine, based on that, whether or not they have good cards. Facial expressions, for those who don’t have a good poker face, are a common tell, and hiding behind a pair of sunglasses can mask that tell. Of course, everyone wants to give themselves an edge over the competition, but I’m against anyone taking any skill out of the game, no matter how minor it may be. I’ve heard many people say that serious players don’t wear sunglasses; it’s just some yahoos playing in the tournaments. Some major tournaments have been won by fools in sunglasses, though, and the more it happens, the more it encourages people to look like an idiot.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. If you’re wearing sunglasses, there’s a good chance the other people playing with you don’t like it. At best, they think you’re a moron and aren’t too worried about you. At worst, they think you have an advantage. In any case, television producers aren’t too fond of it, either. Nowadays, there are a lot of poker tournaments put on TV. Nothing takes away from the drama of a poker tournament like covering up the part of you that shows the most expression: your eyes. In fact, the producer of a major televised poker tournament once said that if everyone at the final table was wearing glasses, he would give them an ultimatum: Either take off your glasses or we’re not having the game.

I’m not going to tell people what to do. If you would rather look like a fool and hide behind sunglasses because you’re not confident enough in your ability to play poker like the big boys, exposed face and all, then go ahead.  But like the popped collar, I will cringe every time I see it.