BeOS Poker Software Central

Is poker a man’s game? Nowadays, such a question seems retrograde, even rude. However, a close examination of the way poker is actually played and portrayed in media shows that this is still a relevant question.

Let us examine some of the most popular poker-centric movies like The Cincinnati Kid, Maverick, and Rounders. In the first one, the story centers on male rivalry, and may be said to imply the main character’s quest for his own manhood. In Maverick, we do get to see a smart, funny, well-rounded female character who plays poker (played by Jodie Foster), but at the end of the day, she still plays second fiddle to the title character—a man, of course. Rounders might be said to represent a backslide on the gender front. It has two major female characters. The first one is a pretty but insufferable shrew who doesn’t understand the male protagonist’s greatness. The second one is a leggy sexpot who is good at poker and understands its allure, but whose most important scene involves being sexually rejected by the protagonist to demonstrate that he is a “classy” man. Furthermore, the “classic” image of a card game as shown in many other lesser-known movies and music videos is of a men playing and women lingering decoratively in the background. Try imagining the gender-reverse of that: women sitting at the table, and a bunch of Chippendale types serving them drinks. An odd image, isn’t it?

So much for the media. Now what about burnpoker.com playing? Well, if we look at a lot of tournaments, we will find that female players tend to be quite scarce, and only get rarer as one proceeds through the higher and higher elimination rounds. This might be a function of the general male-dominated atmosphere of poker, so we cannot say that women are naturally inferior players. After all, there are several prominent women players who have done well and won large prizes in the World Series of Poker and other prestigious tournaments. Annette Obrestad, who plays for Team Betfair, is one such player to watch.

Quite recently, several women’s tournaments, large and small, have sprung up. It is still a matter of debate whether these events are a triumph for female players, or a sign that they are simply unable to flourish when there are men around.

Either way, man poker players and officials should probably re-examine the way they look at gender—of both men and women—in relation to game play. Whether the status quo is ready for them or not, women on Poker Stars net are making inroads, and in some cases, giving the men a run for their money. Addressing gender prejudice and stereotyping is not just important for sparing women’s feelings, but should be done for the sake of pure fairness and sportsmanship—or rather, sportspersonship (if there is no such word, there probably should be one). In addition, poker can only be improved if it makes more room for the contributions of women.