Hello, Ladies of Poker Pages
By Susie Isaacs

Next to playing poker (and winning), writing is my favorite passion, and when I can combine poker and writing it becomes the best of two worlds for me. I am a regular columnist for Card Player magazine and have been since the very first issue over 12 years ago, but surveys tell me that only about 10% of that readership is female, so when offered a chance to reach a wider audience of female poker players, I was delighted. I am and always have been a strong advocate for women in poker. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Mark and Tina of Poker Pages for allowing me this new venue.

When I first started playing poker in Las Vegas 15 years ago, there were only a few weekly "ladies only" tournaments around town, hosting from maybe a dozen to 25 female players. In any poker room I would enter, to say that it was a male dominated arena is an understatement. The number of female players was never more than about 10%. I'll admit it, the male domination in the poker rooms was, at first, intimidating to me. I had started playing poker as a tourist from Atlanta on my visits to Las Vegas back in the late '70s. My visits became more and more frequent and that led to my moving to Las Vegas in 1986.

I soon discovered ladies-only weekly poker tournaments. I was very comfortable there and made a lot of new friends. I then began getting serious about tournament play and decided that if I wanted to be a winner, I needed to study, practice and get a poker coach. Over the next few years, I did just that, but if it weren't for the small buy-in ladies tournaments, I would not be where I am today. In case you don't know "where I am today," I hold the 1996 and 1997 Ladies World Series of Poker titles. Time does have a way of changing things and I am happy to report that the Ladies Poker Dream Weekend held at the Commerce Casino over Labor Day weekend hosted over 200 ladies for there first event and in every cardroom I visit, all over the country, the percentage of female players has at the very least, doubled, if not tripled.

I have not only seen the number of female poker players increase over the years, they are also becoming more and more talented. Although the number of female players in major tournaments remains at about 10%, more and more of the ladies are making it to the winners circle, which percentage wise means that as a whole, the ladies are stronger players. This increase in talent can be attributed to the accessibility and poker friendly atmosphere from the casinos which make an effort to promote women in poker through having ladies tournaments and beginner classes. Although these very social poker events are not necessarily profitable for the host casino, it is a wise business move to try and develop the female player. If they enjoy these tournaments, their next steps into the poker world will be into open field competitions and also into open play, thus increasing the casino's player base and profit margin. Years ago, a very wise casino executive told me that the potential female player was a large untapped market. He then proceeded to develop ideas to tap that market. His efforts far exceeded his expectations, and Jim Barbo of the Commerce Casino, continues to promote ladies in poker.

I look forward to writing about female participation in competitive poker and also sharing with you a variety of human interest stories along the tournament trail. I hope to make you laugh, think, cry, but most of all my goal will be to inform and entertain you. If you are a beginning player, your goal at the poker table should be first and foremost to have fun. If you then have the desire to take your play a little more seriously and learn how to make money while having a good time, you'll take the necessary steps to improve your game. If you are a more seasoned player or even a pro, your goal should be to continually improve your game.

Remember, you don't have to be great to begin, but you must begin in order to become great. If you have the desire and will, you can be as good (or great) a poker player as you want to be. The next ladies poker extravaganza will be the Ladies' State Championship at Ocean's Eleven Casino in Oceanside, California beginning September 21st-25th, 2000.