Since time immemorial, gambling has largely been a game of men. Either women have not had the fascination for Poker or have been offered limited opportunities to try their hand at the game. However, the trend of women in poker has changed over the last few years. The explosion of online gaming has marked a new era of convenient gaming that offers gambling opportunities to women as well. If women have found it hard to enter into a ‘men only’ gaming club, they now have an attractive alternative in the form of online gaming sites. These sites also offer an opportunity to earn some extra bucks for women who prefer to stay at home. The internet has removed the impediments that women earlier had with regard to gaming.
A study conducted sometime ago had found that the number of online women gamers has doubled over the last five years. And this growth trend has been witnessed primarily among corporate women who have entered into the gaming industry. One of the primary reasons suggested for this phenomenal growth is the anonymity offered by online gaming. With the choice of non-disclosure of personal details, women no longer have to face lewd remarks during a game. The risk factor in an online environment is much lesser and women find it easier to learn the game through the web.
It has been observed that the number of winning women players has been increasing in online poker. A study had attributed this to the fact that women get less intimidated by a player while playing online. Women players have been found to be less prone to bluffing. And in a real-environment, a bluff from a female player has a higher probability of getting caught. However, online poker is a completely different scenario. Female players do not have to face other players who might be successful in reading the ‘tells’ if the game is in a real setting. This factor increases their chances of winning.
Another trend that is increasingly observed among women poker players is the use of bots. They seem to have a significant advantage over other players who do not use bots. However, this opinion is restricted to a few male players who are annoyed with the increasing winning tendency of women players. It is obvious that male ego plays a major role here. Moreover, the usage of bots is not limited to female players alone. There are a lot of male players who use the same tactic. And there are males who prefer to play with female usernames. In any case, this trend is still unconfirmed.
When it comes to online gaming, women seem to be the stronger gender. It is quite natural for a male player to underestimate the skill of a female player and subsequently, lower the quality of his game. Women have been able to master the skills of the game by learning and practicing online poker. They have learnt to use the misconception of male players to their advantage and exhibit an unanticipated combination of skill and aggression. Online poker is no longer a field that is dominated by men!
