If you are a poker player and you didn’t make it to the Rio to be part of or even witness the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), you definitely missed out! As one friend of mine said, the WSOP has definitely matured. Kudos to Jack Effel and his entire staff for the many, many hours of planning they put in to make it run so smoothly.
When it comes to details, they seem to have thought of everything. The food problems of the past were settled by the creation of the Poker Kitchen, where players could grab food during dinner breaks without having to walk all the way into the casino. By the way, the fresh, custom, “more than you could eat” salads they served this year were incredible and the $10 food comp players got when they entered an event was sufficient to pay for a meal there. They had extra “executive” bathrooms outside the Amazon Room that were actually so deluxe that one would never know they were there temporarily.
They had plenty of stages for final tables. The bracelet ceremony was held each afternoon at a large center stage in the Pavilion, providing the bracelet winners an opportunity to be honored by their peers. I had the incredible opportunity to deliver the “Shuffle Up and Deal” speech from the center stage to kick off the Ladies Event. Here is a copy of the speech I wrote:
“I’m honored to be part of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 WSOP Ladies Event. 2010 is my 30-year anniversary of playing in the WSOP.
When I entered my first Ladies Event in 1980, I had no idea that it would be life-changing. I had decided that if I did well in that event, I would quit my job and become a poker pro. That year – 1980 – I came in fifth place. I went home to California and gave notice at work. Two weeks later, I moved to Las Vegas and began my new life as professional poker player.
I’ve never regretted that decision. The past 30 years in poker have been incredible. Many things have changed in poker over the past 30 years.
Instead of starting with $400 in tournament chips, today we’re starting with $3,000 in chips. Instead of 65 entries, today there are more than 1,000 participants. Instead of paying three places, more than 100 will be paid. Instead of Seven Card Stud, the game has changed to No Limit Hold’em. Instead of playing downstairs in the Mexican restaurant at Binion’s that was converted to the World Series poker room for two weeks a year, we are here at the Rio in the biggest poker room in the world. Isn’t this setting spectacular? Instead of it being rare to see women in poker rooms, women have become an integral part of poker.
Women are accomplished players! There are now 15 women with gold bracelets in open events. You can’t open a poker magazine these days without seeing the picture of a woman who just won a big poker tournament.
Despite the changes in poker from 1980 to 2010, one thing has remained the same: the excitement that we, as poker players, feel every year at the WSOP.
As I look out today, I see excitement on your faces. I hope the 2010 Ladies Event changes many of your lives like it changed mine! I remember it like it was yesterday – the thrill I felt 30 years ago as I heard the tournament director say… Shuffle up and deal!”
At the time I gave the speech, I wasn’t aware that approximately 12 men had entered the Ladies Event. Of course had I known, I could have added the line, “Instead of only women playing in the Ladies Event, today we have men and women playing.”
There have been many articles and blogs written about whether or not men should be allowed to play in the Ladies Event and even whether or not there should be a Ladies Event. Here’s the bottom line as far as I am concerned: There is no reason to have a Ladies Event because women can’t compete with the men… they can! The reason to have a Ladies Event is because of the atmosphere at the event, which is different from an open event. It is pleasant and provides a great opportunity for women poker players to play with their peers. More than 1,000 women showed up to play, so they obviously support Ladies tournaments.
In the five open events I played in, I was almost always the only woman at the tables. Therefore, the conversation was mostly about sports, the cocktail waitress, and things that didn’t interest me. I witnessed at least two very vocal arguments between players in each of the open events I played in.
It really was a treat to get to play with ladies in a congenial atmosphere and to have conversations that interested me. In fact, the two penalties I saw given during the Ladies Event were given to men.
I would never dream of crashing a man’s bachelor party, hunting trip, or fishing trip, so why should they play in a Ladies Event? However, that doesn’t make it right for the women to cheer when the men get knocked out. They should just be ignored, in my opinion.
I hate to see the 2010 WSOP come to an end. It was a great Series for me, with three cashes in the five tournaments I entered and success in live games as well. Could we make it last a little longer next year?