Maybe the last word on the Ladies Event at WSOP…….

But Probably Not……..

Since writing the first blog yesterday, a number of other posts have emerged……this is a very interesting subject and the opinions are strong and heartfelt. Am taking this opportunity to add a few more thoughts to my earlier post.

Next week I will be playing in my first WSOP events ever…. my first event will be the $1500 NLHE on June 23…… When scheduling this trip, I could have come at any time during the series and played any event(s) that I wanted to. I knew that I would be playing some of the lower buy in events….. and the Ladies Event could easily have been one of my choices. “Choices” is the key word here……and the Seniors Event could also have been one of my choices.

For my first event, I wanted to have the whole WSOP experience..not play an event that was not open to everyone. This was my choice……. in reality, I would have been far more welcomed and maybe even comfortable in either of the afore mentioned events but it was just not what I wanted to do. I have no illusions about how I will be treated, or my chances to make it past the first day….or even the dinner break for that matter. The point is, it is my choice.

The main issue as I see it is whether it is right to have the three closed events that currently receive bracelets. Why do the feelings run so high about the gender issue but the age and casino employee events being closed is ignored??? …if one is dropped, they all should be…….why would one closed event bracelet event be dropped while others are not????

Personally, I do not want to see any of them dropped. There is nothing about these three events that is harmful to anyone and in fact do give a great deal of enjoyment to those that play them. The last thing I want to see is a bunch of pissed off women, old people, and dealers……..

This year the discussions on this matter have been more strongly voiced and seems to have lasted longer…… probably due to the unnessary actions by Harrahs/WSOP and their staff when some of the men registering were harrassed. That was totally uncalled for and hopefully they will not continue this behavior in future years….. It really put a black eye on the event……

I do understand the argument by some that by having a Ladies Event that somehow women are being marginalized but it is not our job to save the women that want to participate from this horrible fate. We are all adults here and it is their own personal choice. It is a little disheartening to me to have this somehow compared to the Civil Rights Movement……… trust me, it is not the same thing. I am an old lady……I have kids the age of Howard Lederer, Ted Forest, Chris Ferguson, and Jeff Lisandro……… I was there for the Affirmative Action movement, supported JFK and LBJ and their efforts for equality…… We are talking about a game here………we are talking about one event (or maybe 3) out of 57……. while some will continue to feel strongly about this issue, it pales in comparison to the historical events of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

So on June 23rd I will begin my first WSOP experience and will play at least two events. Am excited and a little nervous but can hardly wait……. If any of you reading this are at the Rio during that time and see an old lady with short blonde hair…….be kind….don’t hate me……..think of your mom or grandmother and know that I am having the time of my life…….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *