There are more women’s groups in the poker community than at any other time in the game’s history. The number of women in live tournament poker may only increase by relatively small percentages each year, but those seeking groups for support and empowerment are growing at a fast pace.
This International Women’s Day is a good time to shine a spotlight on these groups. Women should know what types of groups offer poker lessons, support, and information. In a world that is historically dominated by men, there are more women’s organizations than ever to support the most underserved demographic in poker.
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Here are some of the most prominent of the women’s groups.
FLIP (Fantastic Ladies in Poker)
Daiva Byrne of Lithuania has been playing poker for over a decade. Living in London, the poker pro plays quite a bit of poker online but veers out into the live tournament scene as well. She was one of many women in the game who saw a need for women to have a space of their own, a group in which they can support each other without fear of intimidation or male influence.
In March 2017, she created a group on Facebook that became the Fantastic Ladies in Poker, better known as FLIP. The hope was to create a large online community in which women could support and help each other, encourage their dreams, and get together – both online and at live events – to play poker.
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Byrne noted that an important part of the dynamic is helping each other improve their games and celebrating successes at all levels. “We celebrate members’ successes, so if you register your very first small cash or take down a massive tournament, you can post about it. We like to think this encourages more women to get into poker, which is our ongoing aim.”
FLIP has grown. During the pandemic, FLIP grew at its fastest rate of 35% from 2020 to 2021. At that time, more than 4,150 members belonged to the Facebook group. As of the start of March 2022, the group had increased its membership to more than 5,600.
Byrne’s goal is to hit the 10,000-member mark within the next year. “It’s ambitious,” she said, but she believes in the goal. “We’ll be working to broaden our global footprint and run collaborations with our partners at GGPoker to reward existing FLIP community members and encourage new ones to join.
FLIP has a lot of that type of outreach in the works, including an event in partnership with GG Poker this March which will send the winner to Las Vegas for the 2022 WSOP Ladies Championship.
Globetrotting Poker Ladies
Maureen Bloechlinger hails from Switzerland and has played poker for nearly a decade. She started the Globetrotting Poker Ladies Facebook group in 2016 to provide a single place for information about women’s tournaments. The FB group provided a place to compile all pertinent dates, times, and tournament details for players around the globe.
Bloechlinger supports women-only poker as a path to women playing more poker in general. “For new players, I support ladies’ events as I do believe they provide an environment to build confidence and also bankroll. If you look at the Hendon Mob profiles of the top women in poker, many had their first recorded cashes in ladies’ events.”
Moreover, the group has shown itself to be a place for like-minded women to talk about poker and travel. And by supporting and encouraging each other, more players can improve their games and gain the confidence needed to move up in stakes.
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Bloechlinger is a resource unto herself for a range of poker information. She started a Facebook group for men and women that alerted players about casino closures and reopenings during the pandemic. She serves on the board of the Swiss Poker Association and the Herzdamen Club, the latter founded by poker players Natalie Hof Ramos and Mila Monroe. The Herzdamen Club also hosts weekly women’s study calls, an online poker league, and live poker festivals.
PLON (Poker League of Nations)
Lena Evans founded the Poker League of Nations in 2017. Her goal was simple: to proactively increase the participation of women in poker across the world. Differing from other organizations, PLON focuses on playing open events, not just women-only events. The group now has more than 7,500 members and continues to grow.
Not only does PLON serve as a support system for other women in poker, they encourage each other live and online. Further, they stake women in online and live events where possible – even the WSOP Main Event. There is also ongoing poker education for all members, including small poker discussion groups.
Evans spoke to Sporting News about continuing to grow PLON. “We broadened our leadership base by appointing two co-presidents and a board of directors. We feel this helps us to achieve more hands-on development of opportunities for our 7,500 members, and we are already reaping quantifiable rewards from the new depth of management.” The group is also expanding partnerships with live poker tours like the World Poker Tour.
Poker Power
Although Poker Power is relatively new in the poker space, it has made a significant splash with its take on teaching poker to women. Its mission is to teach one million women how to play poker via a curriculum of one dozen bite-sized, teacher-led poker lessons.
Poker Power GM Erin Lydon explained, “Our flagship offering delivers the curriculum via Zoom in 60-minute classes where all participants play poker on an app in a small group, interactive setting. In doing so, we’ve created an inclusive, friendly community where women learn, practice, and play in a welcoming, virtual space.” And when Covid restrictions become a thing of the past, they will substitute in-person learning when and where possible.
With all games offered for free, women can practice in daily, monthly, and/or quarterly tournaments.
Poker Power now hosts leadership, fintech, and women’s summits, and their growth is already notable. Says Lydon, “Two years ago, we were just getting started, and today, our community spans 28 countries and we work with over 75 corporate and higher education partners.” They currently have 25 expert female poker instructors, and an advisory board that includes poker pros Xuan Liu, Jennifer Shahade and Melanie Weisner.
WPA (Women’s Poker Association)
The Women’s Poker Association is a nonprofit organization, consisting entirely of volunteers with a passion for poker. The Facebook group consists of more than 6,400 members and supports them through all stages of their respective poker journeys, while publicizing women-only poker events.
Recently, the WPA launched a Raise It Up program, a movement to certify poker rooms with zero tolerance for abuse and harassment. As WPA Vice President Tara Windsor-Smith explained, “When we raise the culture of inclusion, diversity, and respect, we elevate the game and promote growth in poker.”
In its effort to educate women in the game of poker, the WPA has partnered with Poker Power. They share the goal of teaching one million women to play poker and learn critical thinking used in the game and beyond the felt. In addition, the WPA works with the WSOP to establish a presence during the Ladies Championship event in Las Vegas, and the World Poker Tour has consistently included the WPA in conversations about initiatives regarding women in poker.
Going forward, Windsor-Smith says the overall goal is to continue to highlight women in poker and provide information and resources to them. Most importantly, though, she said the WPA will continue to be a “neutral organization that, simply put, supports all those that support women in poker in a positive light.”