The Queens of Poker
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 - Sydney
As a VIP host on daily basis you have the opportunity to be in contact with some of the best online poker players in the entire net. Every now and then some have enough time to speak about poker, all the hoops and loops about it, and make you feel as if you’ve been soaked on poker techniques and lingo to the point in which you feel that digesting so much information is close to impossible. I am a poker player and enjoy the game tremendously and to be able to have such an experience is just amazing and unlike no other.
One day I had the chance to speak to a very nice lady via phone line. I was amazed to find out she is an outstanding poker player and found it as an inspiration. I just couldn’t let go the chance to ask her about her experience in the poker world as a woman, not only online but in the real live games. I ought to admit it is quite intimidating for someone as myself to walk into a casino, head for my place in the poker table and come to realize the only girl in the tournament is me, after I said this her words resembled those of The Duchess – “Poker is one of the few sports where a woman can compete on a totally equal footing with a man”. Not long after our conversation was over.
All through the night I felt intrigued, thrilled and excited. I wanted to get out of the office right away and head back to the poker table, take my seat and pay more attention to my opponents for a moment set aside all the odds and just see all the psychology involved in every aspect of poker, look in more detail to those little things most of us poker amateurs pass by.
As days went by the same question was asked to any VIP who would lend me a small portion of their precious time. I analyzed their answers and tried to understand why gender for some people plays a potential role, in the game technique of a poker player, and even sometimes in the outcome of the game. The opinion of everyone varied, one player told me –“When I have to face a woman on a live game I feel intimidated, as if I am being dissected and every blink, twitch and drop of sweat are studied and analyzed” meanwhile another stated –“I feel nothing, I think women shouldn’t feel intimidated to play against us men. In a poker table we’re all the same and that makes no difference”.
After exposing myself to all sorts of opinions I decided to do some online research and read about whom I like to call The Queens of Poker. Find out about their rankings, earnings and personal experiences before and after every event they played in. I came across names like Barbara Enright (who is the first women in the Poker Hall of Fame), Jennifer Tilly, Cyndy Violette, Jennifer Harman, Tiffany Michelle, Nani Dollison and my personal favorite Annie Duke. It was so reassuring and encouraging to find out that most of them got very nervous and shaky before a game and how they managed to get a hold of their nerves on the poker table and overcome several of the best players all around the world and even reaching the top and proudly be called some of the best poker players which have ever been around.
Enjoying a sense of encouragement after reading for hours and listening to many opinions for days I reached the conclusion that it makes a difference only if you want it to. It comes down to your personal opinion of yourself, your game and how confident you are. To all those girls and boys out there who want to give a shot at poker, I’d say do it! It is exciting and an opportunity not to only meet amazing people but to learn more about one another as human beings and how things in our minds work.
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