Pocket Queens:

[DingleBelle]

"Miss, do you think that a card room is an appropriate place for you?  Does your father know that you are here?"

Binion's Poker Classic. Las Vegas, NV. June 2012.

Ah, the trials and tribulations of the female poker player.  The above statement was dished out to me last summer, shortly after beating one, rather 'old-school', gentleman during a fairly standard hand where I managed to bluff him off a wet board with A high.  He didn't know he'd been bluffed, but was angry that he perceived he had been out-played by a girl.  Heaven forbid.  I have some sympathy for our villain.  Mine had been the latest in a long line of difficult positions he had found* (*read 'put') himself in and the inevitable tilt had followed.  Despite this, I was intrigued as to why his frustration had manifested itself in a suggestion that a poker tournament was no place for a girl.  Last time I checked, it wasn't 1950 and I am pretty sure we now even have the right to vote.  The male players at the table had been given pats on the back and "nice bet" or "good job" when they had pulled the same trick.

My response?  "No Sir, but my husband does and he is sitting right behind you.  Perhaps you'd like to take it up with him?".  Strangely, his concern for my welfare dwindled somewhat.

Now let's clarify one rather important point before we settle down.  The above incident is an extreme example.  When I sat down to scope the contents of my summer diary, it would have been tempting to stray into a feminist rant at how male-dominated the game is and rally for the elimination of sexist behaviour.  But that would, in my opinion, be straying into dangerous territory.  Creating a complaint that doesn't exist.  Reclining into a self-pitying martyrdom.  The vast majority of poker players judge their opponents on skill and not by chromosomes.  Nonetheless, I am intrigued by the dynamics of the female game and the idea of focussing on this as a topic excited me - I could share my enthusiasm for the ladies game, whilst at the same time giving the readers a different reading matter during a blog-heavy summer of live poker.

The background to this is my involvement in the WSOP Ladies Championship 2013.  I will travel to the Rio on 28 June 2013 and take my seat alongside around 900 fellow ladies (and inevitably a few men, but let's save that for Episode 2).  Some will be top pros.  Some will be recreational players.  Some will be first-timers.  All will be dreaming of bracelet glory.

Preparation is key and so I need to do my research.  I start in the most obvious way I can; I type "Ladies and Poker" into the oracle that is Google.  Frustratingly, the first hit brings a rather lively blog entitled "25 Hottest Female Poker Players of 2012", seeped in a clichéd array of girls either parading in their underwear or pulling provocative poses.  I sigh, but soldier on, refusing to be drawn into 'that' rant.  Hit number two is the Wikipedia entry entitled "List of World Series of Poker Ladies Champions".  I need to widen the scope.

If we are to start this story at the very beginning, let me put the name Alice Ivers to you (or "Poker Alice" to her closest friends).  Poker Alice was an Old West legend who terrorised Western American poker tables during the 1800s.  Rushing from town to town, she crushed each field and is even reported to have won $6k in one single session.  She was also English, having been born and raised in Devonshire.

Sadly, Alice's pioneering style was not capitalised upon and the ladies game laid dormant for many more years.  Not that ladies didn't play (far from it), they just chose to do so in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Fast forward a couple of centuries, and we today boast a list of women who have excelled at the modern game; step forward Vanessa Rousso, Liv Boeree and Annette Obrestad.  These are highly intelligent women, boasting degrees in economics, law, politics and astrophysics, who also happen to have an accumulative total of over $9m in tournament winnings.

And take a bow Vanessa Selbst.  The highest earning female player of all time (around $7.4m at last count) and, regardless of gender, one of the best multi-table tournament players of the modern game.  Selbst coached 2012 WSOP ME runner up Jesse Sylvia.

These are women who love the game and know how to play it.  And when they win, they hail their victories all the more loudly in recognition of the less-favourable odds they beat to get there.

Like all of my fellow friends and table comrades, I love our fair game and the rush it gives each time a hand is dealt.  But I am also proud to promote and encourage more ladies to dismiss their doubts and take to the tables with pride.  Come join the community.

Next up; Episode Deuce - The History of the WSOP Ladies Championship

[Graham C]

Great read, looking forward to reading some more.

Welcome to blonde and good luck at the WSOP 

[tikay]

Ha!

Welcome to blonde at last, Natalie. What kept you?

Is your Dad going to join blonde, too?

See you later today, I hope. I SO wish you'd arrived here a day earlier.

Enjoy blonde - I am sure you will.

PS - Talk less, yeah?

[Magic817]

Nice post love, get back and make sure hubby has a drink while he is playing!

Now the question is, you know me but will you recognise me with this alias?

[TightEnd]

Hi Mrs Brommers, didn't realise this was you earlier

Welcome along and enjoy Vegas

[Jac]

Nice post love, get back and make sure hubby has a drink while he is playing!

Now the question is, you know me but will you recognise me with this alias?

Hint Natalie

He's not the biggest!

[Young_gun]

Welcome aboard brommers, good luck in WSOP!

[outragous76]

How's the packing going?

Welcome and glgl on the felt!

[tikay]

Morning Natalie.

I must warn you - this is NOT next door.

When you start a Diary here, you are obliged to Post on it regularly, not just make an OP & then run away.

We want NEWS. How much you talked today, that sort of thing.

Failure so to do will incur penalites, or even a ban.

[tikay]

Thought of you yesterday.

Was at Golden Nugget, & they had a Super Satellite to their big Annual Ladies Poker Championship thing.

HUNDREDS of runners in the Super Sat, girls & ladies of all shapes & sizes, but all loving the sense of occasion.

There were 25 seats up for grabs, then some money left over, & with 30 left, some sort of deal was proposed, & they all got something. A show of hands was needed, & they all put their hands in the air - except ONE. Who refused to deal. 

Cue a chorus of chunters, booing, & FLT's (faces like thunder).

They play on, then reach the magic 25, everyone gets a seat, & there was enormous cheering, clapping & whooping.

It was wonderful, just wonderful, to see everyone enjoying themselves so much.

Poker needs to do a better job of marketing itself, there is so much fun to be had out there.
 

[tikay]

The Royal Couple have arrived in Vegas.

They came to see me in the Media Centre at 9am, & have just left, 3 hours later, & during that 3 hours, Natalie never ONCE stopped talking, or even stopped to draw breath.

Anyway, good luck to Natalie today, she is playing the WSOP Ladies Event, Brasilia Red, Table 66, Seat 4.

Click to see full-size image.

[Big_D]

Good Luck today Nat :-) x

[tikay]

Natalie in action, with Adam on the Rail.

FETCH ME COFFEE, & AN APPLE says her Ladyship to the long suffering Adam.

Who do you think I am, Dylan? says Adam.

Seems fair.

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[Claw75]

great opening post - looking forward to the next one.

good luck out there!

[Big_D]

Haha, wp sir :-)