FEMALE ADVANTAGE STRATEGY

Until fairly recently, poker was a male-dominated world with few woman taking part. It has always been considered a man’s game and only now, with so many excellent female players, are perceptions changing and women no longer feel intimidated when playing at a table full of men. Through online poker, women have been able to teach themselves how to play Texas Holdem, and with lots of practice in free cardrooms, such as the ones at PokerStars.com and AbsolutePoker.com, they have become skilled players and a worthy opponent to any poker expert. By improving their skills, women have also taken the next step and are now playing at live poker tables in casino cardrooms in increasing numbers.

Women’s participation was only about 10% of the total poker-playing population a decade ago; this number has risen to approximately 25%. Women Poker Player magazine estimates women’s online presence is at 35% and growing. The World Poker Exchange found that even though more women are now playing in live cardrooms, a far greater number (about 6 times) prefer to play online.

The main attraction for women to play online is that it is stress-free insofar as negative male attitudes or social innuendo are not present. Generous sign-up bonuses, such as the ones offered by AbsolutePoker.com where they’ll match your first deposit by up to 150%, or online Texas Holdem tutorials offered by PartyPoker.com, also encourage women to try them out.

As with all games, practice makes perfect and online poker lets you do that in the comfort of your own home. The fast game turnover allows you to play a large number of hands, which will give you lots of practice in less time than it would take playing only live poker. Once you have the skills and confidence, you can use your femininity to your advantage. Why not? It’s time for the male poker players to make room for their female counterparts. Poker is a game of skill and psychology, so if flirting with your opponent causes them to make a bad play, so be it!

GENERALIZATIONS AND MALE PLAYER TYPE

We make snap judgments when meeting new people, and some men invariably make generalizations about women and do not consider them as equal players. They see women as passive and not as willing to take risks; as more emotional, and, therefore, weak; and not too sharp when it comes to playing the game.

Generalizations usually don’t hold water and women are just as diverse in their emotional makeup as men. It is actually true that men seem to be the more emotional poker player, and when a lady is present in a game, some men often play more with their ego than with a strategy. Just ask poker legend Barbara Enright, and she will tell you that men whine more and throw more tantrums than women.

Actually, research shows that women are the more cautious players with more respect for the odds than male players. They also take the trouble to do more research on their opponents’ playing style.

In general, women improve their play faster than men and the following are some of the reasons: they are more patient and have more discipline, women can read their opponents better, and they seem to act more on their ‘good hunches.’

Of course, we also pigeon hole male players: we think of them as generally more aggressive than women. Many men think that they can’t lose against a woman, therefore, they call more hands just to stay in the game. However, there are also male players who enjoy having a female player at the table and thus tend to play a little softer than they should.

These are some types of male players that you can easily identify:

1. GENTLEMEN PLAYER: They don’t feel good about taking a woman’s chips. He’ll check you more often and feels uncomfortable raising the stakes.

2. OLDER GENTLEMAN: They will play a tighter game.

3. BUSINESS MAN and MOST PROFESSIONALS: They’re there to have fun, enjoy the evening and if he looses a little, that’s fine, too.

4. YOUNG AND NEW: They really want to win (ego plays a role here), and will play more aggressively, resulting in playing more hands.

Your best defense when playing against these players is to practice lots and to brush up on your poker strategy. Poker legend Barbara Enright suggests the following for women’s strategy:

• Trust your instincts – they are usually correct.
  
• Realize that because you are a female player, you are going to be played more.
  
• Keep your demeanor the same no matter what your hand is, strong or weak.
  
• Don’t let others read you.
  
• Realize your comfort zone and that you might have to transcend it. There will be times when it is necessary to be more aggressive than you usually are.
  
• It is also advisable to take care of your image. Dress for success: no headphones (until later) and no short stacks in front of you. In other words, look sharp and professional.
  
• Another point to consider is your choice of tables; a lively one is usually more productive.
  
• Also, find a seat near an expert player.
  
• Bluffing: this should be a rare occasion and only bluff knowledgeable players, or those who have the impression that you are tight, or those on the brink of having to call it quits. Beware of bluffing beginners, those who call everything, or those with a short stack as they may want to gamble all before they are out.
  
• The most important thing to remember is to keep cool, stay focused, listen and keep your emotions in check.

 

To strengthen your poker skills, you will benefit greatly by practicing online. An excellent site is UltimateBet.com, where you will find a multitude of different tables that spread Texas Holdem in varying betting formats and limits. They also have occasional sign-up bonuses as high as 111% for first-time real-money deposits.

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