Poker: Annie Duke is Leveling the Field

Poker doesn't care if you're male or female. The only thing that matters is how well you play the game. Poker is historically rooted into dark, smoke-filled basements, with men guzzling beer, and throwing out insults between bites of greasy chips and burps. Poker was the highly protected man's game, with a boisterous 'No Girls Allowed' policy taped to the door.

However, plucky chicks like Annie Duke have not only broken through the gender lines in Poker, but have outright demolished them. Annie Duke, sponsored by top online poker site Ultimate Bet, was recently interviewed by the Washington Post. In the interview, she clearly states that the world of poker now offers a level playing field. Here is an excerpt from that interview:

Washington Post: You talk a lot about what it's like to compete with men and how poker is a place where the field is level. What's your feeling about women like Michelle Wie or Danica Patrick competing with men in physical sports?

Annie Duke: It's great. I mean, if they have the skills to compete physically, then they'll get to the point were they'll be able to match wits and not be intimidated by the situation.

And poker provides that opportunity?

Annie Duke: It doesn't matter that men are bigger and stronger than you, so it comes down to your mind. I would like to think that Danica Patrick, with her reflexes and racing, it wouldn't matter how big she is.

If the field is so level, why aren't there more high-level female poker players?

Annie Duke:Yeah. I mean, if you look at the main event at the World Series, about 8,800 entered and only 270 of them were women, which I, frankly, find completely puzzling because this is the place where it doesn't matter.

Is that a matter of it being intimidating to play in the WSOP?

Annie Duke:You know, the number of women has held pretty steady. Steadily low, unfortunately. And I think it has more to do with social biases in the way women are raised.

With the international availability of online poker, women from all over the world can take advantage of this level playing field in participate in what is a very lucrative 'sport'. The 'No Girls Allowed' sign is down now, and women should easily prevail in competitive poker, if not dominate. Let's get real, girls - we CREATED the poker face. Kudos to Annie Duke for showing us the light.

To test your poker skills, check out UltimateBet.com

-- Submitted by Payton O'Brien (a chick)
Gambling911, May 5, 2007