Last night I dealt a corporate event which was raising money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.  The winner would have $10K donated to the hospital in their name, which would be a very nice tax deduction come next year.

At my table were three women: two blondes, one brunette.  Since this was a corporate event, I asked if they knew how to play poker.  One of the ladies played dumb saying they weren’t sure, but later admitted they did.  To put this event in perspective, this event was sponsored by a hedge fund, so most of the people playing were men and I was one of the few females at the tables.  The game was no-limit texas hold’em, single elimination (no re-buys, no add-ons).  Blinds would double every 20 minutes and it started at $100/$200.   Bankroll per player was $5,000.

Both blondes (the first in seat 4, the second in seat 8) continued to play dumb, asking for advice from fellow players who had folded out.  Normally I wouldn’t let that behavior slide, but because the guys at the table asked me to let it slide, I went by majority table rules, this was supposed to be a fun event, after all.  Eventually the blonde in seat 4 was knocked out and she asked blonde at seat 8 to bankroll her (which later was bankrolled by her boyfriend, who was added to our table).  I called floor , but the floor manager is a dude who likes pretty women, so he let it slide saying “just this once”.

At this point, I wanted to take a frying pan to both these women because they were obviously manipulating these men, messing with my control of the table, and the guys were letting them.  After blonde in seat 4 got banked a 3rd time (again, with no floor support – *bat eyelashes*, and there you go), she started flirting with me to allow her to stay in the game.

I told her the following:

“Your flirting maybe working on these guys, but you have to remember, I’m a female dealer, and your flirting does nothing for me.”

She got offended and rather than me blowing my gasket, I called floor to swap me out, citing that I needed to use the restroom, which was true.  After I took a minute to get my head straight, I headed back to the table.  Shenanigans ensued, but this time, the dude in seat 3 wasn’t having it.  Then again, this time around he was short stacked.  Once he was knocked out, nobody rebanked him so he called foul, pointing fingers at the blondes in seat 4 and seat 8 and their rebanking hi-jinks.  After that, since most of their supporters had been eliminated, it was easier for me to take control of the table and finish the game.  Toward the end, however, they were playing real poker, showing they knew what they were doing.

As for the lone brunette at the table, she survived after the blondes were knocked out, but not for long.  She never got rebanked and I applaud her for her audacity to stay in the game on her own merit.

The moral of the story?

1. Flirting with your fellow players isn’t good poker strategy.
2. Playing dumb will only get you so far, until they figure out they’re being played.
3. There’s a reason why professional female poker players rely upon good poker skills to get them through.

Post script – It is the responsibility of the dealer to ensure that the rules of the game are followed.   We control the table so that the integrity of the game is maintained, particularly when most folks don’t quite understand the rules of tournament play, or when they are inebriated.  We are not clowns or court jesters, even though we are considered part of the entertainment.  Event dealers will joke with you, will sometimes be sassy with you, but overall, it is their responsibility to make sure everyone has a fair chance to win.  Never put your dealer in a position to cheat solely on your behalf.  For you it maybe a game, for us, it’s our reputation.

Are you a woman who wants to learn how to legitimately play good poker and do some good by it?

On May 8th, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in partnership with Poker Divas is having their first ever executive women’s charity poker night at Classic Car Club in Tribeca.  This event will not only be a great opportunity to learn the game of poker and poker strategy, but will be an opportunity to enhance your business skills and strengthen your confidence as a negotiator.

To sign up for this event, head here.  For more information on charity casino nights and poker tournaments in the New York area, please head over to our calendars page and add our google calendar to yours.

Also, if you’d like us to put your event on our calendar, please contact us at onthefeltmag@gmail.com.

Thanks!