World Series of Poker Main Event and The Ladies
July 26, 2006The WSOP effectively began in 1970. It wasn't until 1978 when saloon owner, Barbara Freer, paid her $10k that a woman even played in the Main Event. Over the years, pros like Susie Isaacs, Jennifer Harman, Cyndy Violette and many others have played in the Main Event without getting terribly far.
Annie Duke has made it to 10th place, just shy of the final table. She did that in 2000 while 8 months pregnant. For anyone who's ever been 8 months pregnant, you can understand how difficult a feat that was! Tiffany Williamson, an American-born corporate lawyer currently living in England, who plays at the Gutshot Club, made quite a splash last year when she finished 15th and earned over $400,000 for her efforts.
But a woman hasn't come any closer to winning than Barbara Enright. In 1995 she took 5th place in the Main Event.
There are certainly a plethora of talented ladies planning to play in '06 including Duke, Violette, Harman, Liebert and more. Will this be the year? Some have speculated that a chimp has a better chance of taking the Main Event title than a lady does. That's just mean. And unfair.
Poker is a fairly democratic game. Women can play just as well as the men can; and, in some cases, better. Women have taken top honors in many tournaments. Some have won millions doing it. It's true that there aren't as many female poker players as there are men EVEN TODAY. That's changing as more and more women are discovering and playing the game.
Any woman who can pay or win her way into the World Series of Poker Main Event has just as good of a shot as a man does to win the whole enchilada. The 'glass ceiling' that is so prevalent in other industries was effectively shattered in 2004 when Annie Duke took top honors at the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions.
Why hasn't a woman won the World Series of Poker Main Event? The answer is a mystery wrapped in an enigma that would just come out sounding like a bunch of excuses. The truth is that perhaps the right woman hasn't come along yet. Or the right woman at the wrong time. Maybe this year will be the year!
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