As poker continues to gain more and more mainstream acceptance, women are becoming increasingly interested in taking up the game. Until the most recent poker boom, poker was mostly a male populated card game. Less than 10% of the players at a typical casino poker game were women.
In fact, playing poker at a casino or brick and mortar poker club is something many women are still hesitant to do. The old chauvanistic male attitudes and visions of smoke-filled backrooms may account for much of this hesitantcy. For whatever reason, ladies have yet to fully embrace the real world poker games in any large numbers.
Online poker is another story. Studies show that over one third of online poker players are female. Women are the fastest growing segment of the online poker playing public. In general, women prefer playing poker online. Playing poker online provides them with a convenient and less intimidating way to learn and become more proficient at the game. Also,women tend to prefer the lower stakes available online.
While men may gamble for the "action" or to compete, women tend to play poker as a means of escape. In general men play to win and women, while competitive, play for more social reasons. Other reasons women cite for preferring online poker include being able to play poker from a safe home environment, not having to get dressed up to play at a casino, being able to play poker in an environment where gender is not an issue.
Playing poker online from her own home is not only safer, it is also more convenient. The female online player can play poker at a time that fits into her busy schedule. The idea of getting dressed up, driving for miles to get to a casino, tipping dealers, waiting for a table, and driving back home after possibly a few drinks is something few women find appealing. Contrast this to relaxing by playing a few hands of online poker at the end of the day and it is easy to see why many more women are choosing to play their poker online.
On final reason many women prefer to play online has to do with the boorish attitudes of some male players. Whether it's the overbearing bigot, the solicitous suitor, or the patronizing patriarch; women just don't want to be bothered with all that.
Online poker provides a perfect solution. The female player can play in an online environment were gender is not an issue. If there is offensive chat, she can simply turn the offenders chat function off with the click of her mouse. She can choose a screen name that doesn't reveal her gender if she so desires.
So, ladies, if you're looking for a safe, convenient place to polish your poker skills, online poker offers great advantages over it's brick and mortar counterparts. Many women women have already discovered the online poker world. Check it out. I think you'll be impressed. Poker's not just for the boys anymore.
Chip Westley regularly post informative articles and tips about playing online poker at Home Run Poker, http://www.homerunpoker.blogspot.com/