Betfair Official Blog

Poker Discriminates Against Men

BIG news is that Ladbrokes is hosting its Third Annual Ladies Tournament This Weekend.

It'll give the little ladies something to do while the menfolk are wathing the football on the telly, scratching themselves or playing a version of poker that doesn't discriminate by gender.

The press release on the Poker Anorak's desk says that the event is to be stud by stars of the calibre of Abi Titmuss and Lizzie Cundy.

That's Titmuss, the straight-to-tissue home move star and Cundy who is married to a former professional footballer, a man known to nearly everyone in his house as Mr Lizzie Cundy.

In all 53 ladies will be playing in the tournament, including someone called CatGirl.

And there right down in the fine print is the news that our own Annette Obrestad, WSOPE Champion, will be in attendance, adding some much needed credibility to the event.

To the winner there's the first prize of $30,000 as well as a trip to Las Vegas during the World Series - an event which features both men and women.

Samantha Alleyne, spokesperson for the sponsor, says: "Increasingly women are going head-to-head with the opposite sex and coming out on top as 19-year-old, Annette Obrestad also playing in the ELC, proved last year when she won £1m in the WSOPE. However, the ELC tournament is ideal for those who want to be guaranteed a warm welcome into the world of live poker."

A warm welcome? Why, because only women are allowed to take part and women always give other women a warm welcome?

Any women like to help her out?

The whole thing smacks of a marketing ploy to get women to play poker. The trouble is that it makes women appears inferior to men and in need to special treatment.

They are not.

Come one, come all and play online at Betfair.

We'll give you're a bonus. You too, darling. Although, you'd best ask a man to look after all that money...

• Poker
• Poker Anorak