Changing My Mind
By Jennifer Newell

It is a woman's prerogative, right?

Until now, I have been a big proponent of ladies-only poker tournaments, supporting their right to exist as a part of tournament series and touting them as stepping stones for women to make their forays into poker.

While I still agree that they should exist in some form to encourage women to play tournament poker, I now believe that ladies-only events should be conducted on a small scale and not as part of a larger series of tournaments, most importantly the World Series of Poker.

What led to the change of heart? The 2007 Ladies World Championship at the World Series of Poker.

Before the event even began, Harrah's officials made it clear that this tournament would be treated differently than all other WSOP bracelet events by sending out a press release that read, in part:

In addition to winning the highly-coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelet and the lion's share of tournament cash, this year's Ladies Champion will receive an exclusive, high-end Corum watch as well as unique benefits from the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. The winner will also participate in a Harrah's exclusive lifestyle and makeover event called "The New You" from Nely Galan, creator of "The Swan."

"The Ladies Champion is sure to be a strong competitor who knows how to take charge of situations," said Galan. "She will be a great example of how women can improve their circumstances by taking a proactive approach to challenges."

First, it's quite presumptuous to think that the winner of the tournament will need or want a makeover. And to offer a slew of other prizes is to say that winning a WSOP event isn't enough; is it necessary to offer the women other prizes besides the load of cash and a championship bracelet? Second, it's bold to assume that the winner of the tournament will be an example of how women can improve their circumstances. I'm not even sure what that means or what it implies, much less why it's appropriate to say. Do men who win WSOP tournaments show how they can improve their lives? Ummm, usually not.

Once the tournament began, my first reaction was a positive one, as I saw the rail filled with men supporting their wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, and daughters. I also noticed a number of men roaming the hallways outside the tournament room - some holding purses, others pushing strollers. And the women filled the tables, ready to play some serious poker... or so I thought.

While I do believe that many of the women there were truly skilled players and serious about poker, I was disappointed to see some of the ways that play was handled. For instance, I saw a number of women apologize for busting another player. Sometimes, there were hugs involved when a player was eliminated, and I saw more than a handful of eliminated players crying. I do understand that emotions get the best of people sometimes, but this was no isolated incident. And this just doesn't happen in most tournaments.

When Nolan Dolla announced that the remaining players in the tournament were in the money, he reminded them that they were "all winners!" Forgive me, but isn't that something you say to elementary school children when they go out onto the soccer field so none of the kiddies feel like losers? And though I may be overanalyzing that particular comment, what happened next was over the top. When each player was eliminated from that point on, instead of the dealer announcing "Seat open!" to the floor staff, he or she said, "Winner!"

I spoke to the Assistant Floor Supervisor working the tournament about this, and he said, "We usually do that in second chance tournaments." Wait, this is no second chance tournament! This is the World Series of Poker where a good deal of money, not to mention the bracelet, is at stake! He went on to say, "They're ladies. They should be treated differently."

To add to the cringe factor, this particular floor supervisor was offered up as part of the prize - jokingly, of course - and then proceeded to tell the women at the final several tables that he cooks and does laundry.

When I mentioned this particular situation to Kristy Gazes, a consummate pro player who did not play in the Ladies World Championship tournament, she was stunned that the dealers were calling the eliminated players "winners." "Are you kidding me?" she responded in disbelief.

Finally, I had the opportunity to view some of the final table action on the Bluff website feed. Though I realized that each of the women at that table must have played some good poker to get there, I was amazed at the slow pace of the action and the unwillingness to take any risks or play aggressively. Katja Thater, the professional player and favorite to win, ran over the table in the beginning, though she eventually watched her luck turn and other players finally come back at her with decent hands. (She finished in fourth place.) But many of the other players were holding their chips so tight that they would fold very playable hands on the button - like suited connectors and middle pairs - when no one else had entered the pot. Even commentators like Lacey Jones and Liz Lieu noted that the women were playing very tight and not taking advantage of opportunities that stared them right in the face.

I'll say right now that I've never been at a final table, so I do not know how I would play in that situation. But I have seen numerous final tables, enough to know that many of these women would have played an entirely different strategy if faced with male players or they would have been crushed long before reaching the final table.

A ladies-only tournament does bring more women to the tournament poker arena, and I believe that is a positive step for poker. But I don't believe that these events should be part of a series of tournaments like the WSOP. If women want to be respected as skilled tournament pros, they will need to enter co-ed tournaments like everyone else. If they want to be treated differently, win makeovers, and make each other feel special, they can do that somewhere other than the World Series of Poker.

This may sound harsh coming from me, always a proponent of giving women the same opportunities as men, which comes from my upbringing as the daughter of a feminist who took me to E.R.A. marches when I was in elementary school. But I am also a firm believer in competing on an equal playing field, without prejudice or handicap. The great thing about poker is that it does not discriminate against gender, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, color, or ethnicity. Everyone comes to the table with an equal amount of chips and an equal shot at winning.

If women choose to handle their wins and losses differently than men, that's surely their prerogative, and they can cry and hug until their hearts are content. But if they want to be taken seriously as poker players and given the same treatment as their male counterparts, they will need to compete in co-ed events. The Ladies World Championship at the WSOP should be abolished, especially if the tournament staff is treating it as a second-chance tournament or a fun little ditty for the ladies.

It's time to buck up, ladies. There is a level playing field out there, and it's time to take your place in it.

Note: I have a feeling there will be some strong opinions about this topic, so feel free to e-mail me at jen3351@msn.com, and I will incorporate your thoughts into a future follow-up article.

Until our next rendezvous...

Jen

Jennifer Newell is a freelance writer, originally from St. Louis but now living in Los Angeles. She fell in love with poker while working at WPT and began writing about it in 2005. Please feel free to e-mail her with your comments, experiences, and feedback at jen3351@msn.com. She looks forward to your thoughts.