Check-Raising Chicks

Although you wouldn't have known it glancing around the final few days at the WSOP Main Event, poker chicks are rapidly filling seats at poker tables and tournaments.

Just look at this year's Women's $1,000 NLH tournament at the WSOP (won by Jennifer Tilly).  In 2004, a record field of 201 participated.  This year, it nearly tripled to 601. 

The Times Online ran a story over the weekend about the rising number (and success) of poker chicks.  It cited a recent study that found "...53% of those gambling online in America were female."

While Wicked Chops Poker doubts the numbers are actually that high, one thing we do know is this: based on our observation, the per capita "hot girl" quotient is significantly higher among poker babes than any other type of sport (including tennis). 

And this is a major advantage for the female of the species (which, according to Kipling, is more deadly than the male).

Annie Duke puts it well in the Times Online article, "An interesting thing happens when you put a woman at a poker table.  Some men become unhinged and forget that they are playing a ruthless game in which emotion should be separated from strategy."

She says that since a lot of guys see poker chicks more as date-material than as an opponent, that she uses this to her advantage by "flirting right back."  And if it's not someone flirting, then it's some Alpha-male type that can't stand a woman at the table.  For these, she suggests to, "Giggle girlishly when you win pots..."

That would put just about any self-respecting guy on mega-tilt.

Harmon, Violette, Gowen, Leibert, heck, even Tilly.  And there are many more solid female rounders on their way.  So a warning to guys reading this: keep an eye out for the new poker chicks.  You can't miss 'em.  They're the hot ones sitting across the table from you collecting all of your chips.