The concept of a “poker night” has always been painted as a guys’ night in (or out), and poker remains somewhat male-dominated, with poker star Daniel Negreanu even recently suggesting that the male sex is more willing to enjoy the game. However, the idea of a ladies’ poker night really shouldn’t be considered a weird option for a girls’ night in either. We don’t have to spend each evening together sipping mimosas and venting to each other – so why not add some poker to the rotation of activities we do together?
Poker can be combined with other activities
While it’s true we don’t have to be sipping mimosas together and venting… we can absolutely do these things while playing poker at the same time. It can be combined with any other get-together, be it cocktails, a dinner party, or even just a simple conversation with girlfriends. Poker night doesn’t have to mean shutting away in a den for 8 hours with cigars… you can break out the cards during a hangout.
The “women don’t play poker” narrative is outdated
That’s right. While the average poker room is still mostly men, plenty of women have made it big. Jennifer Harman is perhaps the leading pioneer, considered to be one of the greatest female poker players of all time, and really one of the best overall. In fact, she has two WSOP bracelets and has more than $2.7 million in lifetime live tournament winnings. With more women playing games online generally, it stands to reason that more might be involved in poker than we know – and we may see more successful poker-playing women like Harman soon.
You can have your own poker room
Unfortunately, it’s the attitude of the “good old boys’ room” that Harman and others have mentioned that deters women from playing poker in the first place. One way around this is to play at home where you can just enjoy the game – in a space where you and the other players feel at ease. We recommend getting a poker mat that can be used on any old table you have, and a nice poker set that you can pull out at a moment’s notice. For the ladies with a thing for interior decorating, making a poker room or area in your home can be the perfect challenge – think comfy chairs, a nice poker table, and even poker-related decor that gives a subtle yet perceptible sense of comfort and ease.
Forget the rules
No one said that poker was a man’s game anyway. If a poker game is what we want, it’s what we’ll have. When we get together with our friends, we don’t need to conform to anyone’s standards or expectations – especially when it comes to something as simple as what we do in our free time. With studies showing that women have less leisure time than men (surprise, surprise!), the way we spend it is no one’s business but our own. And if it includes a “man’s” activity such as poker, I say we break out the cards.
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