Poker is still a predominantly male-dominated world where misogynistic prejudice is difficult to eradicate. Tournaments and websites are trying to feminize the environment, but this task is proving difficult. When we talk about crash rocket games, the women who play them don’t surprise anyone anymore, but things are different in poker.
Men’s and women’s poker
Poker remains a predominantly male pastime with slightly less than one female player per four men. However, at the turn of the 2010s, the popularization of poker opened up the prospects for feminization. The organizers of the tournament have launched Ladies — competitions designed only for women. This format, which has proven itself well on the other side of the Atlantic, is designed to provide women with the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of casino gaming tables. “This is a step. To let women take a chance, come to the casino and play in a relaxed atmosphere; and then play in a mixed team, if they so wish,” explains Karin Nogueira, a retired former player and tournament organizer. “Women are much more friendly,” says Juliana, a gambler from the Alpes—Maritimes.
The problems of mixed poker
These competitions excite greed. Some men get involved in this, seeing it as an opportunity to make easy money in a competitive environment that is considered less tough. Even online gambling has this practice. Men are more greedy for 1xbet best first deposit bonus casino, and also do not disdain to join women’s poker, mistakenly believing that it is easier to win there.
To counter these unwanted players, tournament organizers are doubling down on their ingenuity, for example, increasing the registration fee for women tenfold compared to men or giving bonuses to women who knock out players of the opposite sex.
The stratagems that don’t touch Thomas Fougeron: “I don’t find it offensive to ban the presence of men. Because it’s a very masculine universe, I think it encourages women to start playing with each other.” However, in the mid-2010s, Ladies stopped being used due to a lack of interest from a sufficient number of people. Today, such tournaments are mostly limited to online gaming. Only Winamax and PokerStars, which account for three quarters of the online market, still organize weekly women’s tournaments.
Online games advantages for women
Online games have another advantage for women. Without eye contact, with the anonymity provided by aliases and avatars, gender differences are less noticeable and no longer affect the game. “Some people prefer to remain incognito in this masculine world without being labeled,” explains Karin Nogueira. Some female gamblers even admit to logging into their husbands’ accounts to avoid misogyny. When Kristel, a 42-year-old resident of Lille, finds herself at the same table with men, she feels that “she is much more watched.” When I win, there’s a touch of envy; when I lose, it’s a kind of mockery.” Juliana, who has participated in dozens of tournaments, notes: “I have a strong character and a certain physique, so in general I have no problems with men. But I know that friends who are also players have already had the right to comment.”
There is less machismo among professionals… but also fewer women
The proportion of women among professional players is rapidly declining. At the 2019 World Series of Poker, the world championship in this discipline, they accounted for the smallest share of participants: 4%.
It is easier for women to obtain the status of ambassador than for men. Besides, it’s always good to have a woman as your muse when you’re targeting a male clientele. When you want to sell something, you put a girl in there: it always works!
According to Karin Nogueira, machismo is also less common among professionals than among amateurs: “When guys reach a good level, they stop seeing a woman in front of them. They see the same thing in a player as in any other, and you can’t trust him.” To become a formidable opponent, there is nothing better than taking part in the co-placement of players, which is a common situation in professional poker. However, it is not easy for those who strive for the highest level to find a place in these hostels for men. Tournaments that take place every month around the world also make it difficult to combine professional career and family life.
Conclusion
According to Gael Baumann, although the poker world opened up to women in the early 2010s, the situation is stagnating today: “Sarah Herzali and I have been laughing about this because we have been asked this question for ten years. And that he doesn’t move much. “For this to change in poker, a lot of things have to change in society.”
