How To Win The Ladies Championship (As A Man)

July 13, 2011, Posted by Pokerfarm

As has been widely reported in both the poker and mainstream press, each year more and more brave men are taking on the gaming establishment by playing the $1k buy-in Ladies event at the World Series of Poker. This year, 15 courageous male poker conquistadors decided that for too long, the highest-stakes and toughest cash games and tournaments in the word had been dominated by women, and endeavoured to test their mettle in the prestigious and fiercely competitive Ladies event. Jonathan Epstein (a man) even managed to cash 9th for $13k. If, next year, you decide you have what it takes to challenge the likes of Ladies-event-bracelet-winner Jennifer Tilly, we here at the Poker Farm have the best strategy advice you’ll need to emerge victorious.

The first thing you have to decide is how to dress. The big issue, of course, is drag or no drag? Dressing as a woman can hone your competitive edge by altering the metagame between you and your opponents - so long as you do a convincing job. If you want your opponents to be suckered into thinking you are, in fact, a woman, you need to think “demure librarian” rather than “Vegas showgirl” - rhinestones and bunches of feathers may make you feel like a million dollars, but your chances of a big cash payoff are higher if you blend in with the crowd. When it comes to hosiery, the simpler and more practical the better. That PVC bodice looks great on the mannequin, but you need your arms and upper body to be unrestricted when it comes to game day, so instead opt for something in cotton or silk that lets you rack chips and peek at cards without interference.

You may also choose to go the opposite route and instead rely on your masculine appearance to scare the assembled ovary-sporting competition into submission. If you decide to forgo wigs and makeup, consider growing a beard (women associate facial hair with power - ask Abraham Lincoln or Ron Jeremy) or getting a prominent tattoo.

Sadly, it’s not unheard of for men who choose to enter the Ladies event to suffer verbal and emotional abuse, with some spectators even going so far as to boo from the gallery. It’s a real shame that some women, not content with dominating the international poker scene, feel the need to persecute those intrepid pioneers that seek to even the field. It’s important to not let such chauvinism get to you or affect the way you play - just picture yourself as Rosa Parks (or some version of Rosa Parks that’s brilliant at poker) and try to stay calm.

If you prove formidable enough to make a deep run in the Ladies event, you won’t just take home a cash prize - you’ll also reap the benefits of a fearsome reputation. Take this tweet from poker pro Matt Stout: “Here's a big "F*** YOU" to douchebag piece of s*** Jonathan Epstein, who is deep in the WSOP Ladies Event. Hope you die.” Imagine how much better you’ll do at the tables for years to come when your opponents are so in awe of your talents as a player!