Should players be allowed to cover their faces at the poker table?
Christoph Vogelsang reignited the long-running debate this week after winning the $100K Triton Jeju Main Event for a massive $4,099,975 — while playing under his trademark hoodie and sunglasses.
In one critical hand on the final table, Vogelsang somehow managed to hide himself away even further. This was picked up by a number of players, including Will Jaffe, who posted the image on X and asked, “How is this legal?”
The simple answer to the question is that it’s allowed under Triton Poker rules, which differ from, say, the rules used at the World Series of Poker, where players can’t cover all three of their eyes, mouth, and neck at the same time — only two of the three.
But should it be allowed?
Players react to Vogelsang after Triton win
Many players responded to Jaffe’s post, and there was a very clear split of opinions.
Triton regular Sam Greenwood doesn’t think it’s an issue. He replied to Jaffe, posting, “On the list of things I have a problem with, this ranks below people not pushing their chips far enough into the pot and making dealers reach all the way across the table to rake in a c-bet.”
Juan Pardo agreed and went further: “Any professional HS player has no problem with Vogelsang covering himself as he pleases. Any of us who play it can do it, but we choose not to for convenience or whatever. We are on equal terms by free choice.”
However, presuming a consensus with all high-stakes players was premature.
Mustapha Kanit replied to Pardo to say, “I disagree with you.”
Daniel Negreanu, who’s long argued against face coverings at the table, responded, writing, “Christoph is a very nice man, btw, but this should not be allowed, obviously.”
Triton winner Jeremy Ausmus admitted that he didn’t know about the WSOP rule — until he was busted this summer. But he also said two-out-of-three is “probably a good rule.”
Negreanu – two out of three is one too many
Negreanu used the WSOP rules this summer to force Vogelsang to reveal his face during the $50K High Roller.
Vogelsang was spoken to by the floor and emerged from his hoodie with a smile on his face.
Christoph Vogelsang ended up on Negreanu's table with full smile on display. In his WSOP vlog, Negreanu said there were 150 players in the high roller event, and only Vogelsang was covering up. He posed a question to Vogelsang: "Ask yourself this. If everyone did what you’re doing, would that be good or detrimental to the game of poker?"
There's an argument that live tells might matter less in high-roller events like Triton, but Negreanu insists that they’re a key part of what separates live poker from online play.
“If you’re completely covered, it's taking away from the spirit of what live poker is supposed to be," Negreanu said. "We’re at the place where you can cover two of three, and I think that’s one too many. Maybe at some point we'll get back to where we all look like humans again.”
What do you think? Should players be allowed to wear what they want in the ‘office’? Or should they be forced to face their opponents? Let us know in the comments below.
