Poker Players Make High Society

Casino City Times

As poker's popularity swells and viewers spend more time riveted to the action, our attention occasionally wanders from the game itself to the attire of the players. The high visibility poker players now enjoy is exposing their personal style, and we're all beginning to pay attention. Just like any televised sport, clothing companies and poker rooms are seeking product placement opportunities. Alongside what poker players hold in their hands, the clothing they wear can potentially enhance their image and their pockets.

Two Hawaiian surfer dudes are showing poker players the way and the wave of poker fashion style. Meet High Society, a young company, who believes it is extremely important for a poker player to portray his or her personal style through fashion, because they insist when you are wearing clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in, it is inevitable that you will play better.

'We are creating a lifestyle brand that the new, hip breed of poker players wants to be a part of. Until High Society, there was no clothing company in the poker world creating gear that truly expresses the x generation poker player.' Ryan Haneberg CEO of High Society told me when I talked to him recently.

Haneberg, 28, a former aspiring pro-beach volleyball player and model, launched High Society with his partner Justin Britt, 30, a web designer. Their background in Hawaiian surf culture suffused with their love of poker gives the poker world the boost in style they say it needs.

It appears to be working. They recently launched their product successfully at the World Series of Poker main event and Phil "The Unabomber" Laak wears their gear from time to time. Team member Sean "Sly" Ly wore High Society threads during his run at WSOP. He made the feature table on ESPN twice and finished in the money

The current range offers mainly hats, hoodies and t-shirts. There are immediate plans to add jerseys, track jackets, collared button downs and a women's line in 2006. Eventually they'll cover everything from sunglasses to jeans. So what exactly are the considerations when designing around the poker concept?

'Comfort is the number one priority,' insists Haneberg, 'aside from creating an image that people want to associate themselves with. Players also rely on certain articles of clothing to help conceal facial expressions like hooded sweatshirts, hats and sunglasses.'

Even their name comes courtesy of ultra hipster and poker fan actor Matt Damon. In his famous poker movie Rounders, Damon walks into the poker room and says "give me three stacks of High Society" referring to a $100 chip or a $10,000 bankroll in poker slang.

'When I heard Matt Damon say it, I immediately knew that High Society was the perfect name for us.' Haneberg reveals.

High Society currently manufactures their clothes in the United States because it's easier to maintain quality control, and, like many of their generation, they will not support sweatshop labour.

With the arrival of this skater/surfer clothing for the poker crowd High Society predict change is afoot.

'Poker players have just started to get savvy with fashion, but in a couple of years I think they will be just as savvy as any other sport or game.'

To learn more about High Society poker wear please click here: www.hspoker.com