Ladies events
There is an article at Cardplayer regarding Ladies only events. The article can be found at: http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/article/10742/california-bureau-warns-casinos-about-ladies-events
I am going to address parts of the article here. Click on the link to read the entire content. Everything in italics is from the original article.
I concur with the California BGC. I cannot comprehend any reason to limit participants by gender, race, relgion, etc. in a poker game. I do understand limiting the game if the players have a disablity (i.e. all players are deaf) because the players without the disablity have an unfair advantage. This makes sense to me.
And men have crashed ladies tournaments in the past. In September, former Major League Baseballer Jose Canseco and a few of his friends entered the ladies event at the California State Poker Championship. Phil Gordon and crew did the same thing years before.
It is pleasing to hear that a group of individuals challenged the silly rule, however, it is a shame it was under the guise of a joke. Canseco and Gordon have every right to play and should not have to compete in drag to do so.
“That is the spirit of what we’re trying to do; we’re trying to bring more women into the market and get them to the point where they are feeling comfortable and to a level where they feel they could beat an open event without a problem,” Lupe said. “We’ll continue to have women events, but they’re going to be available to men, as well.”
I was unaware that women were not “comfortable” with playing poker. That is very contrary to my own experience. Women seem to have no problem sitting down at a cash game and taking my money with a coy smile. As far as I know, they did not need special coddling to get to this point in their poker game.
Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Card Player’s legal expert (interestingly her relation to the editor of cardplayer is not mentioned) says:
“The Act was intended to protect groups of people being discriminated against by business establishments. The original wording of the act provided that ‘all persons … are free and equal and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, or medical condition are entitled to full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever,’” she said. “This law was enacted at a time when discrimination was fierce and laws were needed in order to force society to behave properly. As time went on, the Unruh Act became more sophisticated and complex.”
Shulman is basically stating that historically, we as Americans, have been very intolerant but that is no longer an issue. Meanwhile, it is ok to discriminate based on gender because we are now a very tolerant society. HUH? This is exactly how intolerant policies are started. Eventually small steps become an unending staircase and people are befuddled how such policy came to be.
As far as being discriminatory, Shulman isn’t so sure ladies events qualify.
Shulman is being very cute here and she appears to be quite proud of it. Comparing Ladies Only events to Women’s Volleyball is absurd. First, there is no co-ed volleyball and a men’s only team exists. They counter each other out. Secondly, sports teams are not a public event where a person PAYS money to compete. A better comparison would be a female only team which allows only female spectators into their events. Which is discriminatory.
“Because many women are newcomers to the game of poker, it makes sense to have women’s only poker tournaments,” she said.”
Men apparently are born knowing how to play poker and thus exempt from being a “newcomer”. Are you kidding me?
“To analyze the issue as one of discrimination is silly, because discrimination laws exist to make sure that people are treated fairly. In my opinion, no one is being treated unfairly when women want to get together, play a little poker, wear a pin that looks like big red lips, and have a good ol’ time.”
Getting together, playing poker, and wearing a big red lips pin are not the issues here, however, don’t do it as a public event. People play in home/private games specifically to exclude outsiders.
I find the entire arguement insulting. Women are not handicapped individuals and are quite capable of playing poker with men. The LiPS organizers don’t believe that to be true.
The bottom line is a public event should not care if a persons money is pulled out of their wallet or their purse. Money is money either way.
-Jereme
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