The best nails at the World Series of Poker21 Images
While not strictly enforced, there is a uniform in the world of professional poker. It consists of a simple sweatshirt (preferably with a hood), sunglasses (the bigger the better), and a hat. With long days at the table, you want to be as inconspicuous – and comfortable – as possible. It’s a similar story with the make-up: the keyword is “low-key” when applying your poker face. There should be no dramatic lip (it could draw too much attention to you) and no funky brow (what if someone is looking at how perfect it is and sees you arch it?). But the nails? The nails can talk.
As it turns out, many professional poker players and dealers have a habit of going full throttle with their manis – and for good reason. Your fingers can’t betray your cards. Nail art is a perfect way of showing off your personality without betraying your mannerisms. When I was telling my friend that I was attending the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this year, her immediate response was, “Will you send me photos of the manicures?”
“I think the manicure culture is different here in Las Vegas,” says nail artist Aaliyah Smith, who is based there. “We’re the city of lights and glam, so we are a little flashier with our style. Being a city of hospitality, beauty and customer service, our hands are constantly on display. We like sparkle and glitter.” And yes, she does see a tie between a good hand and a good hand. “Your hands say and show ‘winner,’ even if you’re bluffing. Since you have to be stone-faced, your nails are allowed to do all the talking – they won’t give anything away!”
Pro player Vanessa Kade, whose WSOP career winnings total $393,336, typically has her nails done every two weeks, regardless of whether she’s playing in a tournament. “It’s nice to have freshly done nails for tournaments since we obviously use our hands a lot playing cards, and they’re quite visible at the table,” she says. Most recently, her artist (who was recommended by another pro player, Kitty Kuo) crafted one hand with a simple cream finish and the other with a pearlescent, textured design reminiscent of flames. Elsewhere at WSOP, which this year ran from the end of May to mid-July, you could find the typical black and white and red all over card-inspired designs, bedazzled options and plenty of chrome.
It’s estimated that women make up only about five per cent of professional poker players. While talking about this story at the actual tournament, a woman with natural nails told me that “if you’re going to write about poker nails, you better write about female empowerment.” And it’s true. “Poker is a male-dominated sport and I embrace my femininity through my nails at the poker table,” says pro player Lexy Gavin-Mather, who walked away from the 2024 WSOP with 13 cashes. “I don’t feel any pressure to dress up or present myself in any one way just because I am a female in a male-dominated sport […] At the end of the day, having great nails makes me happy and I like expressing myself through them.”
Maria Ho, is another pro player – and one of the best in the game, having earned $1,932,840 at WSOP. Conversely, she does feel some pressure to look good, and ensures she gets her nails done every two weeks. “I definitely think there is some [beauty] pressure, especially because there are so few of us, so I think that we already stick out as a sore thumb just because there are so few women in the game in general, so it’s hard I think for people in the community to not already comment on that,” she says. Nevertheless, it’s not impacting her game. “I feel like the older that I’ve gotten the more important it’s become for me to not only speak about myself with grace, but also just to recognise that women and myself are so much more than our what our appearance is, and we have so much more to offer, and that it should be about so many other things and our contributions than just what we look like.”
There’s an often overlooked aspect of self-care that goes into the world of poker. All throughout the WSOP grounds in the Paris Las Vegas hotel, you’ll find masseuses at the ready for a quick hallway chair massage or to provide a treatment right at the table. Instead of spending their nights at the club like many Vegas vacationers, the players often turn in for a good night’s sleep so they can be in the right mindset come morning, and most have a pre-tournament routine, whether its manifestation, a massage or a manicure.
Ho, for her part, has a regimented pre-tournament routine that involves physical activity, mindfulness and finding the right outfit. “Anything that you can do that’s going to put you in the correct headspace physically, you want to do,” explains pro player Katie Porrello. “I feel good if I have my nails done. Confidence is going to make you a better poker player.” This year, Porrello chose a matte black set for the festivities. As it turned out, her standing nail appointment with freehand nail artist Alison Inglis, AKA @fancyphalangies, was booked for the same time a tournament started (the millionaire maker, which has a $1,500 buy-in). “I chose to be late to the tournament,” Porrello explains. And once she arrived, she cashed in.
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