Where the bitc..er female poker players at?
I've been posting here for a few weeks and haven't seen much female input in the 'meat and potato' threads. Thought I'd try rationing off a section and see if I can't flush some of the other women out into the open.Â
I'd especially like to find out if there are any other women here NOT dating poker players-because my newest frustration is the "You like to gamble?" conversation and if I have to 'justify' myself to one more non-player...well I just would like to hear from someone who might be able to empathize- although, simply being a female who plays qualifies you as someone I'm VERY interested in talking to. The game presents us Girls some unique opportunities and limitations IMHO.Â
If you need a talking point we could go with..how did you get involved in poker, what games you enjoy and where you play? etc.
Here's mine:
My Dad taught me to play, and I'm hoping, that perhaps here; I'm not the only girl who played blackjack instead of barbies and used her allowance to play seven card stud. (although I think my Dad may have thrown the odd game
)
I picked up NL Hold'em (now my game of choice) about a year ago and really only began playing it 'seriously' in the last several months. I've been fortunate and taken down some nice wins in the middle NL MTTs but I still have a LOT to learn! I play on a lot of sites for small$$, but only Party Poker with my intro level 'seriousness'.
Hopefully there are some other women out there, look forward to hearing from you.
I'd especially like to find out if there are any other women here NOT dating poker players-because my newest frustration is the "You like to gamble?" conversation and if I have to 'justify' myself to one more non-player...well I just would like to hear from someone who might be able to empathize- although, simply being a female who plays qualifies you as someone I'm VERY interested in talking to. The game presents us Girls some unique opportunities and limitations IMHO.Â
If you need a talking point we could go with..how did you get involved in poker, what games you enjoy and where you play? etc.
Here's mine:
My Dad taught me to play, and I'm hoping, that perhaps here; I'm not the only girl who played blackjack instead of barbies and used her allowance to play seven card stud. (although I think my Dad may have thrown the odd game
)I picked up NL Hold'em (now my game of choice) about a year ago and really only began playing it 'seriously' in the last several months. I've been fortunate and taken down some nice wins in the middle NL MTTs but I still have a LOT to learn! I play on a lot of sites for small$$, but only Party Poker with my intro level 'seriousness'.
Hopefully there are some other women out there, look forward to hearing from you.
Comments
I hope it's ok for a guy to post in this thread
Good luck trying to get some female discussion going, but don't be shy about jumping into the other threads.
p.s. I didn't post in the Cindy thread (since I had nothing valuable to say), but some of us do respect ladies (hot or not)...
Hey Kristy...don't have much to offer in the dating a non-poker player area since my husband and I both play. But I would say that anyone who implies that you have to justify anything is probably not worth your time anyway.
I agree on there being both limitations and opportunities being a woman playing a game where you're way more likely to be the only woman at the table than not. One thing I've noticed....I swear A LOT more now than I used to.
I got into poker by watching the WPT. The first time I played poker was about 2 years ago in Vegas – 1/2NL at The Flamingo. I was a total fish, but loved every minute of it. At the table a player next to me mentioned that he played online at a place called Party Poker. When I got back home, I checked it out and started playing free for about a month before I moved into real money.
I only started playing regularly about a year ago when a local league started up. Now I much prefer live to online play, and play in local home games 1-2 times a week. I also make the occasional trip to Rama or Fallsview. I mainly play NL & Limit Hold’em.
Looking forward to getting to know you better.
ElElliott..HI!
I agree and promise I am not working too hard to 'justify' but I find myself surrounded by men who truly believe they are thoroughly invested in 'protecting' me. Its frustrating to have them greet my successes with "you won how much? Wow are you ever LUCKY you should take the money and run, QUICK!, before the men and/or the poker gods take it all back" (Thats a slight exaggeration, but you get my point)
It would be nice to know I'm not the only one dealing with this..and I imagine you lucky gals with poker partners are getting considerably more support!
Really interested in hearing your perceptions as to the limitations and opportunities for women playing live. I've just made the jump from online to live in the past few months by playing a small weekly NL freeze out and am thoroughly enjoying it.
So far live I've been guilty of being over-aggressive (which has worked well for me online where I play as a man) and maybe overplaying big pocket pairs on ragged looking looking flops. I wondered, have you noticed a propensity of your male opponents towards calling you down? I'm not sure if they simply do not trust me (individually or as a woman) to actually have a hand or if its just a bi-product of playing against weak opponents? It would be interesting to compare notes.
Great to talk to another woman who enjoys the game! (and you too Beanie-thanks for the welcome!)
A player as adept as that is truly something to behold and I would look forward to mining her brain for pearls of poker wisdom; unfortunately you boys frightened her off..so we will never know the genius that is, I'm sure, xxcindyxx.
If you gamble and the other person doesn't or worse doesn't understand anything about gambling give it up. I've dated females who are passionately against gambling and once they find out that I partake in the venture they are gone like the wind.
BTW Kristy welcome to the forum.
Thanks for the welcome!
I agree if they are vehemently against gambling you should bail...but what I'm encountering is more along the lines of 'your a girl..there's no way you are anything other than shark bait' If I win I'm just lucky..and if I lose well 'time to get back in the kitchen dear and quit worrying your little head about a MAN'S game' and this is coming from people who's knowledge base is completely centred on watching a few WPT episodes on TV
I think you poker couples have an interesting advantage because you can analyze each others play and instead of lucky vs. unlucky OR win vs. lose- it would (I imagine) become a discussion of +EV and good decisions. I guess my comment earlier was intended to see if there were any other women out there experiencing my particular circumstance. I thought if there were others this would be a GREAT opportunity to give each other the feedback that you poker couples have already built into your lifestyle.
Women are the minority in poker, but women who don't access the game by means of an enthusiastic male partner even rarer still..I'm the minority's minority.
Honestly I've seen the exact opposite - opponents expect me to have a good hand if I'm aggressive, and I've heard the comment "women don't bluff". That's probably the only gender oriented comment I can distinctly remember. There have been times when opponents have been overly aggressive in their bets against me - but I'm never sure if it's a gender thing, or just their style of play.
Thats really interesting I wonder if its a cash/tourney difference because what I'm referring to is more along the lines of "the blinds are high,stacks are low- I push with some reasonable hand...and am called by the most bizarre stuff" (My personal favourite was last weekend at the small freezeout..I was called by j-4s from another shortie..which sucked out on my a-j rather spectacularly) and refusing to lay down second best hands..I'm Irish..but apparently not Irish enough because I get sent home on something sick every week! They actually started calling me the bridesmaid at one point there because for two consecutive months I made it to heads up and lost EVERY ONE on a bad beat
For some reason it appears as though their start values are much lower when up against me. I'm not complaining I win money every week but I think its interesting to watch. Maybe I'm just guilty of coming off too doe-eyed and friendly for them to believe I know what I'm doing ... works for me!
Any man who thinks women can't play this game, has NOT faced either of these two ladies!! Both play solid games, and are very competitive. If women don't bluff, I have yet to believe it from you two (although, Kristy, I only had the honour of playing you for a short period of time before my eventual BUST OUT
Only gender at my table is CASH! Hell, I'll even take money from my own mother if she wanted to play against me...I'd feel like crap for doing it...but I would do it!!
you best bet it to find a guy who plays poker to date... I learn to play poker due to the fact that Joe played all the time.. If I wanted to spend any time with him i decided to join him .. Instead of giving up a great guy.. Just because he gambles..
It has worked so far, I really enjoy the game.. It has been fun learning more and more about poker. and other card games..
I have met lots of great people... YOu really should try to get out to some of the home games and stuff .. There is always lots going on...
The advantage that Eleanor and I have playing poker (which Joe and Aimee have too) is that we are able to discuss how and why we play hands a certain way and get some honest feedback which is tough to get in the poker world.
Thanks again for the excellent insights, look forward to discussing poker and learning from you!
Kristy
Welcome to the forum!
LOL @ THE CLEAVAGE..I'll have to try that
Always nice to find another girl who's as enthusiastic about the game as I am.
Here's my history so far: I've been playing cards and board games since I was a kid. From an early age I realized I was extremely competitive and always wanted to win, even if there was nothing at stake. About 10 years ago one of my guy friends taught my gal pals how to play poker. I became obsessed with the game on the first hand..... you could say it "had me at hello." We'd get together about once a month and play dealers choice for quarters. I was the consistent winner at our little home games, and took alot of good-natured ribbing about being so overly competitive.
And then came Rounders and the WPT ........ after the first show I was more obsessed than ever. I wanted to learn how to do that more than anything. I started reading books and entering local tournaments. I remember how intimidated I was at the first one. I literally walked into a room of about 40 guys and me ....... not one other girl. I realized that if I wanted to keep playing I'd have to get over it pretty fast because it was always going to be this way ........ I'd always be a minority. I do see a few more girls at tourneys now, but it's still only 3 or 4. I do think guys try to run over you sometimes, but it stops after you've raked in a few pots with good play. The guys I see regularly at the 2 card rooms I frequent don't treat me any differently from any other player.
I still have soooooo much to learn but I've had a pretty good couple of years..... tons of SNG wins online, a few live final tables. Back in April I won my first tournament. I took my winnings and entered the WSOP Ladies event (won enough for the buy in and travel and living). It was the best experience ever. It was my first trip to Vegas and I can't wait to go back ........ it's poker heaven. I finished 500-ish out of 1126. I was pretty disappointed, but I just didn't much to work with and was short stacked by level four (it's a pretty tough blind schedule). I did make the final four in a smaller tourney at The Flamingo a couple of days later. Table agreed to a chop, although I really wanted to play it out as I was 2nd chip leader. Again, that competive streak kicked in and I asked if we could play it out anyway to determine a winner........ no go (lol). Played tons of 1/2NL cash games too.
My next goal is to hopefully find a coach ....... proving to be very difficult. I really need to work on my reading skills, which totally suck. I need to learn to be more aggressive as well.
What part of town do you live in ..... maybe we can play together sometime.
I completely understand the 'over competitive' part..I've been acused of the same. Congratulations on your win and playing in wsop! Finishing in the top half on your first visit...That's incredible!
I haven't been to vegas, but I do have the 'coach' ...informally. My advice, if you are just looking for someone to compare notes with- is to chat at the table. I was fortunate to make some great acquaintences at the 100+ sngs and one, a ranked player on Pocketfives.com actually recently asked to take ME under his wing and teach me..its incredibly generous of him and I'm so excited! I've done pretty well for a new kid, but this guy earns more in a good week than I could hope to make in year. Found several other players far more skilled than I to swap war stories and advice, and I've really learned a lot, and enjoyed talking to similarly motivated people. (just don't admit that you want advice or poker conversation until after you've left the battlefield
I'm in Kitchener, Victoria Park...and would gladly host a game, I've got a shop set up for probably a max of 8. Maybe we could do a ladies night? I wonder if there are enough of us to get a game going? If we can't find enough on the forum I do have a couple female friends who play, but not seriously..and won't come for more than a $10-20 sng TOPS, and definately not cash games. I think it would be great to get an all-girl game going. Let me know if thats something you or any of the other girls whom I hope are 'observing' would be interested in and we can pick a day.
And I, being the gentleman that I am....graciously volunteer to deal!
I am back from holidays now and getting caught up on all I missed.
This is something that Beanie and I have been talking about for a bit now... getting us ladies together to play. In my game circle there seems to be a few more women popping up.
I have found that there is such a contrast between the male players, most guys treat you with respect but try to "read" you more because they don't know what to expect. I've also been in situations where the guys think I am a donk just because i am female. I can hold my own at the tables (now) but i love it when they think this because I'll take all their chips and watch them get MAD when they leave the table!
This sound exciting! I would love to play/host a ladies night of poker!
How I got started playing...
Sounds silly but while at a friends house one night the guys were talking about NLH and wanted to get a game started, so i told the other ladies why not try it? So we played a few games and I actually had fun. I have loved it from the start. Trev and I are able to talk about our games, struggles and frustrations. This is something that we enjoy and are able to do as a couple and yes there is a competitiveness between us when we play... we always have a last longer bet. We host games often in our home, usually a few tables and I love it! (plus playing here is cheaper then getting a babysitter.)
Looking forward to chatting more with you
I'm in Brampton...I'm happy to drive to Kitchener for a game (as long as it's on a Friday or Saturday night).
Maybe we can set the first one up closest to the majority -however that plays out when we get a few more interested parties?
(note the word "first" it would be great if this went well and we could have a second or third...I'm really excited! Look forward to the game.)
Maybe the following weekend?