Online poker chips away at sexual stereotypes
Women are being increasingly attracted to the excitement
of online poker. Many professional women now shop extensively
online and it’s natural that they should explore other
ways of having fun and spending their money online.
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, empathising is
the dominant characteristic
- In the male brain called the S-type, systemising 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.
References
"Women are perceived as having become much more
assertive, independent, and competitive over the years,"
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1272/2680_130/82012984/p1/article.jhtml
They just can't help it
http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/feature/story/0,13026,937913,00.html
Women and gambling
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/08_10_01/monday/info3.shtml
http://sundaygazettemail.com/news/Valley+&+State/2004032710/
http://www.mycasinoagent.com/women_only_articles.htm
http://www.winneronline.com/articles/january2002/women_online.htm
http://www.camh.net/egambling/issue8/
http://www.russellherder.com/YourIndustry/Industry_Entertainment_2.asp
http://www.casinochoice.co.uk/news_archive/d/1308
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