by
Simon Prodger
Category: Life:Womens Issues
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According to the UK’s fastest growing
poker website, Victor Chandler Poker (http://www.vcpoker.com), it’s no
longer just a man’s game. One in six new players joining Victor Chandler
Poker is female – up from virtually zero just 2 years ago. The typical
female player tends to be between 24 and 25, internet savvy, shops online
and has a professional business career.
Why women are taking up online poker
There are 5 main reasons why women
are taking up online poker:
• Poker is gaining a lot of media
attention. TV games shows, high-profile tournaments and the traditional
portrayal of poker in film and TV gives the game a glamorous, exciting
image.
• More and more women are playing
the game professionally. The success of women players listed on the Women’s
Poker Hall of Fame has created some powerful role models.
• The web creates a safe environment.
Logging on to a poker website is nowhere near as intimidating as walking
into a male-dominated casino. Good online poker rooms are moderated, mostly
by women.
• Online poker caters for the novice
player in a way that was not possible before the web. First, the anonymity
means no-one has to worry about looking stupid. Second, there are extensive
tips, articles and tutorials online that rapidly educate the novice player.
• Games can be played just for fun
or for small stakes. One fear is getting into a game where the stakes are
continually rising. But fixed cost games mean that if women want to bet,
they know exactly how much they stand to win or lose.
Anecdotal evidence from the gambling
industry suggests that traditional female traits such as assessing difficult
situations, taking in information from multiple sources, make women ideal
poker players.
But do women really make good poker
players?
Research from Cambridge Professor,
Simon Baron-Cohen in his book “The Essential Difference” suggests that
men and women do show different personality traits. These traits undoubtedly
influence how both men and women play poker. Professor Baron-Cohen identified
three brain types – the female brain, the male brain and the balanced brain:
• In the female brain called the
E-type, empathizing is the dominant characteristic
• In the male brain called the S-type,
systemizing is the dominant characteristic
• In the balanced brain called the
B-type, both characteristics are finely balanced.
According to Professor Baron-Cohen
the female/male difference is not absolute but on average, more women have
E-type brains and more men have S-type brains. His conclusions:
• Women tend to be better at decoding
non-verbal communication, picking up subtle nuances and judging a person’s
character. Even online, players exhibit certain ‘poker tells’ that can
indicate the strength of their hands.
• Introduced to new situations, women
will stand and watch while men rush in, trying to be the centre of attention.
The ability to observe and assess other players before joining in brings
an advantage
• Males show more direct aggression
while women tend to show indirect aggression.
Women are becoming more aggressive
And if that was not enough to intimidate
the male poker player, research from Purdue University suggests that they
will face even stiffer competition from women in the future.
Social psychology Professor Amanda
Dickman surveyed over 800 adults on the personality characteristics of
men and women and found that women are increasingly exhibiting personality
traits typically associated with males. According to Dickman, "Women are
perceived as having become much more assertive, independent, and competitive
over the years."
The future of women’s poker online
Research shows that women do indeed
have certain personality traits that predispose them to be good poker players.
Add to this a layer of aggression and experience and it seems inevitable
that potent and successful women poker players will emerge.
Online poker websites have already
noted a significant growth in women players. The market savvy among them
will be quick to see the opportunity and provide facilities and tournaments
to encourage more women to play.
Simon Prodger may be contacted at
http://www.vcpoker.com Simon.Prodger@vc-bs.com. Click here to view more
of their articles.
Simon Prodger is Product Marketing
Manager with Victor Chandler Poker, the UK’s fastest growing online poker
website, http://www.vcpoker.com
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