Playing Poker
Traditionally A Man's Game

Pt. 2
By: Mar

In my last segment I talked about respect, and how we as women poker players have to play a better game to gain respect of men in this game. So just how do we do this? it's an easy statement to make, but one that is harder to back up, especially if you happen to be sitting at a table where it is predominately male, and you pick up that sense of disdain for you being there, from even just one of them.

As I can only speak for myself, I can tell you that I play a much more technical game. I may not know all the terminology, or the correct positions to make card specific calls from, but I definitely watch my opening range of cards more carefully, I make appropriate bets, I pay very close attention to all of my opponents moves and very diligently observe all show downs and what lead to those show downs, because each show down is a tell about the person you're playing against.

When I am in a hand, I use all the knowledge I've gained from watching show downs, non show downs, and table attitude to help me make my determination as to whether or not my male counter part has me beat. Does he hesitate, has he hesitated in past hands, what was the outcome? Is he busy trying to type a message and if so what does that specific pattern show. Does he raise, re-raise, check raise, on each hand I'm in, and if so what information have I fed him through out the tournament to give him any clues to my game, and has he picked up on it. Each keen piece of knowledge we obtain from our male counter parts during the course of play goes into making that final decision on whether or not to make that call. And of course, my intuition. Can I really put them on a hand that is better than mine, using all the information he has provided during regular play.

When we as women poker players take full advantage of our senses and knowledge that we have obtained from being vigilant in observation, we have a unique type of freedom in the poker world. We have the power to read our opponents more accurately than they would like to think. It is precisely the very thought of them thinking we do not belong, that gives us, our greatest advantage. From this position, we can act with precision and stealth in taking down the pot, the table and ultimately that tournament.

With continued accurate plays, pot take downs, player take downs, tournament take downs, you begin to create that respected name for yourself. The comments slowly turn from "let's take her money", "easy chips", to comments more like "she's a great player", "she's a good player", "I've enjoyed my heads up with her". It is when we hear comments such as these among the many other forms of compliments, that we as women poker players know we have accomplished what we set out to do. Play poker just as good if not even better than some of our male counter parts.

Until Next Time,
Mar