The Premier of the Gender Defender

At last! Just what the world needed and I bet it catches on. To my knowledge, this was a first. It was Lupe Soto's idea. Lupe is the originator of Poker Chix and LIPS (Ladies International Poker Tour.) I have long said that statistically, women are better poker players than men. Tom McEvoy even ran some numbers for me. He said that per the percentage of women who enter open field poker tournaments compared to the men (often only 3% to 5% women), the women place so strongly that the sheer numbers suggest that the women are better players. In other words; if the field were 50-50, the female player would prevail. Lupe had an idea for a "gender defender" tournament so that we could find out once and for all. Here is how it worked:

The Orleans is having their annual Orleans Open Poker Tournament. They added one new  event, the Gender Defender. Yesterday at noon, they held a men's only event on one side of the room and a ladies only on the other. The competition began, there were 45 men and 35 women. We were to play down to 25 women and 25 men and then join the group and start a new tournament with equal chips. Once the ladies had pared their field down to 25, we waited ... and waited. The guys finally got down to 26 and we waited ... and waited. One guy with a relatively short stack said, "I'll tell you what. If each guy ponies up $20 each, I'll walk and you all can continue with the tournament. In an offer like this, folks wanting to make a deal, it is called chopping in a poker tournament (again, to my knowledge, was the first of its kind). However, if one player objects, play continues with no further discussion. In a group of so many (deals are usually offered at a final table and most often when the field is down to three or four.) Of course, one disagreeable, grumpy curmudgeon said, no deal. We gals were watching and listening. We simply took up a collection from the girls, got the extra $20 and the "real" tournament of the day was off and running. Men sat in the odd number seats and ladies in even. It was a fair and level playing field. As we played, the men kind of got into the spirit of the ladies and there was some chatting and joking going on (which you would never see in a men's only field.) At one point Gary from Cleveland raised the pot. Karina Jett and another guy called. The flop came. One player bet, Gary raised, Karina re-raised. Player one got out of the way. Gary fretted and fretted and finally folded. He asked Karina what she had. She answered, "What would make you feel best?"

We had one player who always forgot to put the ante out. No, it was not one of the girls, it was a guy. Finally, Joe told him, "Remember it this way, your blinds are like income tax, once a round, but the antes are like sales tax, every time!

I was amazed to see Archie Karas at my table. If you don't know that name - Google him! He is known as the biggest gamblers in the world, having won over 33 million at one time on a one hundred dollar bankroll. A dozen years ago, he did the same thing but only won 12 million. Hundreds of articles have been written about him, there is a book under way and I have heard talk about a move. Why was he in this little ol $300 event? I reckon he's broke again.

Sadly, I did not make the final table. Sidebar: I did make the final table of the stud eight-or-better a few days earlier where there were FIVE ladies and three men and a lady, Bonnie Leinhos won it. No one could ever remember a final table make up with a female majority! The press was being called at 1 AM on that one.

Back to the Gender Defender, four women did make that coveted final table and although outnumbered, a woman won! Just like I always predicted. As soon as I find out her name, I will let you know. I am writing this in a hurry as I need to get back over to the Orleans to play in the LIPS championship.