Women have slowly been breaking through gender stereotypes within the poker industry in recent years. Yet there remain several barriers which must be broken before female players receive equal opportunities as their male counterparts.
Over time, various organizations and companies have made efforts to recruit more women into poker. One such example is Poker Power’s launch of an online training program for teaching women the ropes of this popular card game.
Barbara Freer
Gender stereotypes are an ongoing source of concern for feminists, who believe that they contribute to patriarchy by setting limits on women’s lives. Society shapes these expectations through socialisation of children by both parents and peers.
Boys, especially, are susceptible to becoming immersed in an environment shaped by male dominance from early on in their development, further reinforced by socialization practices that assume male-dominated division of labor at home and society.
Gender stereotyping is being addressed through various measures, and changing how gender is socially understood may be one of the keys to creating equal opportunities in both the private and public sectors of our economy.
Studies have been undertaken to explore whether increasing women in leadership positions is effective at dismantling negative gender stereotypes about agency. We found this effort was worthwhile and that positive stereotypes about women in leadership positions increased with its implementation.
Kathy Liebert
Kathy Liebert, former business analyst for Dunn and Bradstreet, was born in Nashville, Tennessee in October 1967 and raised on Long Island New York before attending Marist College to earn her Bachelor’s in business and finance.
After graduation, she worked for the same company for one year but quickly grew disenchanted with it and decided to resign to play poker full time instead.
At first she played nickel/dime/quarter games with her family but later discovered a book on poker tournaments and started to make a living from playing tournaments herself, eventually purchasing her own home in Las Vegas.
In 2002, she made history when she won the Party Poker Million – becoming the first woman ever to take home such an honor and one of only three women to take home World Series of Poker bracelets that year. Since then she has cashed in various events and been honored as a member of Women in Poker Hall of Fame.
2003 World Series of Poker Main Event
The World Series of Poker Main Event is an acclaimed international tournament that annually attracts 6,000 poker players from all over the globe. Each participant stands a chance to claim first prize and enter poker history!
This year, an anticipated record number of players are anticipated to take part in the main event – though these figures likely won’t compare to when Chris Moneymaker won his coveted championship title in 2004.
Chris Moneymaker made waves around the globe after winning the 2003 WSOP Main Event by winning for an astounding $2.5 million prize pool and setting off an avalanche of poker enthusiast enthusiasts worldwide.
ESPN provided coverage of the 2003 WSOP Main Event through seven episodes that highlighted each day’s play at a featured table and notable players left standing.
Vanessa Selbst
Vanessa Selbst is one of the most successful female poker players ever, having amassed three bracelets and over $12 million in tournament winnings. Additionally, she serves as an exceptional representative for her sport by drawing newcomers into it while challenging gender norms in an otherwise male-dominated industry.
She has long been part of the PokerStars Team Pro; however, recently she decided to step away from poker altogether.
After spending some time away, she’s ready to show her worth once again.
Vanessa doesn’t currently play poker full-time but is active on its social media sites. Additionally, she’s a graduate student at Yale Law School studying civil and LBGT rights.
She is an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights, especially when it comes to marriage equality. She was active with Yale’s queer/straight alliance as a member, and enjoys an extremely close bond with Miranda, her partner in life and love.
