WHY WHY WHY have wome/seniors only events in poker

[Ironside]

poker is a sport where everyone no matter how strong physically has the same chance (skill dependant) the best player in the world could easy be a woman this isnt the case in most sports. Also age is an advantage poker experiance is a huge plus, so why do poker festivals have women and seniors events, what next disabled events or even MALE under 40 events?

i know lucy rocash thinks that the ladies event encourages women into a male dominated envoirement, but i feel that by going down the road of ladies events it is holding back ladies poker.

ladies have won bracelets and major events without the need of all female fields and this should be the encouragement women need. in golf where strenght is an advantage there is a need to have a seperate tour because 99.99999% of women would have no chance on the mens tour but there are a few breaking into the main tour and quailfying for THE OPEN is now open to women. this is needed but in poker it isnt.

if there was a tourny with 500 women and 500 men all of equall skill playing the poker would find that 250 men and 250 women approx would make the top 500

in golf you would find 498 men and 2 women would make the top 500


so please why poker is still growing lets stop this segragation before it goes too far

[Colchester Kev]

im all for segregated tournys,  if they have one for fat balding blokes with a wonky eye, i might make the money

[londonpokergirl]

I think having ladies events is terrible.

Seniors I can handle, everybodys gonna be a senior someday, .... but having just a ladies event eeeeekkkk .

I can handle a couple of girls at the table for me to natter to, but a full table, no way!!! Sorry but PMT, hormones and bitchiness x 200 is a horrendous thought, mainly cos I know what i'm like, but NO BLOODY WAY!

I wholeheartedly agree with Annie Duke, who boycotted the ladies event for similar reasons

Should be mixed tournaments all the way plus its fairer. 

[AdamM]

I think you're wrong Ironside.
You're under-estimating the effect of testosterone and sexism on a game of poker. it's generally a room full of blokes butting heads and beating chest s (to mix metaphores).
Don't get me wrong, I agree totally that women should be competing on an equal footing with men but it takes exceptional women to do that because the world's not set up that way. In the world outside the poker room women aren't treated equally. whether consciously or sub-consciously we all treat women differently to men (yes ALL) and simply sitting at a poker table isn't going to change that. I have a lot of admiration for those women that do successfully take on a field of male poker players and win because it takes exceptional women to do it. maybe a field of 500 male and 500 female would result in a 250/250 split for top 500 because the field starts equal. HOWEVER I suspect that if you start with 1000 players made up of 900 male and 100 female you wont end up with a top 100 consisting of 90 male and 10 female because the men, however consciously or sub consciously would look to dominate the women. reverse the situation and have 900 women and 100 men and I suspect the men would be well represented in the top 100 because, also subconsciously, women often consent to this.
I stress THIS ISN'T BECAUSE I THINK MEN ARE SUPERIOR TO WOMEN! I just think society is still inherantly sexist and men are still to varying degrees pigs. Take the recent stream on the Hendon Mob Forum following Isabelle Merciers ladies night victory. This woman is a respected/feared player on the European Circuit and from what I saw justifiably so. The first stream to start is "I love her". although the poster is trying to be complimentary it undermines her whole performance as a player."look at the pretty female poker player, I'd poker all night" he may as well have said. The stream went on to compare other female poker players in regard their sex appeal. Every time Vicky C plays on TV the pro/anti sexually attractive Vicky arguement seems to come up. It's a shame but society isn't there yet when it comes to the battle of the sexes.

As for seniors, well generally thats just old bloke fearing change isn't it? As A martial artist I entered the realms of 'senior' a couple of years ago at 30 and as a rock guitarist I'm ancient at 32. To an old school poker player Im a new rbeed player. It's all about perspective isn't it?

As I've typed this Mel has posted. From what I've seen and heard you would fall into the 'exceptional' catagory that deals with it well. not all cope under attack from a table full of blokes.

by the way, I emailed Eugine for a product list / brochure. could you remind him?
thanks

[londonpokergirl]

no probs i'll get him to sort it out tomorrow for ya

[RED-DOG]

Women/seniors, tikay is over qualified for one and almost qualifys for the other

[Ruru]

I'm all for it as long as they bake buns and cakes for the rest of us who have to endure it.

[AdamM]

That's what I'm taking about.

Maybe not particularly offensive, but underlying sexism.

[Ruru]

Remember, you can be mysogynist without being sexist. As I'm actually a misanthropist (and a keen baker!), it's more irony in this instance 

[action man]

great point ironside, was thinking that myself. its almost saying that women have no chance against the men, but i believe that it is a marketing/publicity stunt to guarantee a bracelet for a woman. Next there'll be paying no juice for the tourneys, half fare for the codgers.

poker is a level playing field, sort it out

[Ruru]

To make a serious point, I genuinely think women-only tourneys are counter-productive. It's basically self-subjugation or at best a cheap marketing ploy. Either way, you've got to admire Annie Duke for boycotting them.

[AdamM]

I don't beleive it's self-subjugation. That's basically saying it's a sexest world because women allow it to be. It's not a level playing field as Action Man states, and if he's taken on board any of my points he'd see that.

It's wrong but I believe it's how it is.

As for women like Annie Duke not playing them, good for her. She's one f those exceptional women I mentioned who are strong enough to take on the men in their environment and win.

On the other hand, opf course it's a marketing ploy by WPT but hopefuly it has a positive effect of showcasing good poker play from women and maybe the long term efeect is that more and more women will enter the game because of the strong female role models in the game.

Maybe poker will even help re-dress the imbalances in societys sexual and also racial prejudices.
Although, am I the only one who finds the constant Phil Ivey / Tiger Woods comparison a little off?
"Look, theres a young black man beating a load of white men. I've seen that once before." Know what I mean?

[RED-DOG]

Remember, you can be mysogynist without being sexist. As I'm actually a misanthropist (and a keen baker!), it's more irony in this instance

did you hear about the dyslexic agnostic insomniac?

He used to lay awake at night, wondering if there really was a dog!

[Ruru]

lol

[tikay]

I don't see the Phil Ivey / Tiger Woods thing like that - I happen to think there is a striking physical likeness about the two of them, & they also share that trademark "in the zone" stare.

I am told that Phil is very "cold" & dull at the table - anyone know if that's the case?