Where's Your Attention While You Play?

I was playing a no-limit tournament in one of our local sports bars, where I played weekly in a free poker league. This story comes from one of the first few times I played here. There were about five or six full tables in the tournament - mostly men, of course. I was told how all of the "girls" who played here just came with their boyfriends, and didn't know their turn from their river. All of the regulars were just sure any female who sat down at the table was to be lumped in with these poker dimwits. "So are two of these cards good?"  You know the type.

Beautiful girls from all around the world, strutting their stuff in scanty bikinis for about two full hours. I quietly and unassumingly played my game, while the majority of the gentlemen at the table were completely distracted and talking loudly to each other about the televised girl of the moment. Well, I happily took the chips off several of these gentlemen, freeing them to ogle the televisions without the cumbersome task of paying attention to the table!

I not only won my first tournament at this particular venue, but also played my first live quads against one of the few players that were paying attention. I only wish that the laws of our fine community allowed for real money tournaments. I would make sure that I played during those championships every single year!

by:  Crystal Jordan West, Memphis, TN

Just a Woman

Walking into a poker room for the first time in over a decade found me me literally trembling with nervousness, but the moment I began stacking those chips, a sense of calmness came over me.

Immediately, the presence of a woman player at the table was met with disdain by a player who claimed to have never lost to a woman in the forty odd years of playing poker. The trash talk began, and I remained silent.

I tried not to smile, as I was told a woman's place was in the kitchen. I frowned as I was told I would be leaving with an empty wallet. I held my breath and gritted my teeth as I was told I should leave the poker playing to a male friend of mine.

During the next few hands I had folded, I felt the eyes of the other players on me. The timing was perfect, as I had grown tired of the bully's ramblings.

I held pocket aces in my hand. Mr. Bully himself went all in, and so did I. It was time for one of us to leave the table. We showed our cards--his pocket Queens against my pocket Aces! Flop came A-K-K and two other cards that left him in the dark.

As he left the table mumbling to himself, he just about knocked over the chair. The young guy sitting next to me stated what I had wanted to say all along! "There's always a first time--now you have lost to a woman!"

by: Heather Anderson, Vancouver, B.C.

These two tales of true poker adventures have tied for first place in our first short story contest on Facebook and each share the $50 prize.  See:http://www.facebook.com/womanpokerplayer and watch for our next contest coming early in 2011!  Might be a good idea to start keeping notes on your poker games and not only will you find it will help your strategy, you may just discover your own winning story.