Women in Poker
Women can certainly be considered outsiders in the game of pokern, but if they learn the same winning strategies men employ, as well as utilizing their feminine wiles on the felt, they are more than formidable opponents for men. If they can withstand the innuendos as well as the harsh and abrasive environment that generally exists at the average poker table, they can find themselves big winners and determiners of their own destiny.
Women like Annie Duke and Barbara Enright have paved the way for women like Beth Shak and Jennifer Tilly to play in tournaments and side games, and be feared and respected as players in the same way men are. Of course, there will always be men who don’t respect their games, but these individuals may just as well not respect another man’s game, so it is really irrelevant. Women tend to have a more passive image at the table, so women that learn a strong aggressive style throw men for a loop. The advent of online poker has brought about many young female stars like Annette Obrestad, Jennifer Leigh and Vanessa Rousso. They have served as spokeswomen to get more ladies to embrace the game, and try it for themselves.
A tough female opponent can drive a man crazy, as he will be more likely to make the wrong decision based on emotion. If a woman is bluffing on the river, he is more likely to fold, and if she has the best hand, she is more likely to get paid off. A woman with a strong verbal command at the table, who can talk her opponents into making the wrong decision, is almost unstoppable. As poker continues to thrive in the mainstream, look for more women to be making names for themselves in the poker community, much to the dismay of the grizzled veterans of the felt.
