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Men and women are different! One size poker strategies do not fit all, and here's why:
BRAIN BIOLOGY--
Women are better at multi-tasking than men. Women have near-phsychic abilities to read hidden emotion in others. Women have stronger "gut feelings" than men. Men have an easier time bluffing because it is harder for women to conceal emotion. Men are constantly distracted (several times a minute) with thoughts of sex. The average women thinks about sex 1-3 times per day. Men are more susceptible to going on tilt than women because of their high levels of testosterone.
SOCIOLOGY-- While studies show that men and women have the same capabilities at mathematics, most women feel that math is a weakness for them...perhaps due to its reputation for male-domination. Poker is dominated by men and has been for centuries. Like football, the male influence on poker has shaped its norms. Poker has adopted male values and feminine habits and mannerisms are deemed foreign. How else can you explain the term "the nuts?" Looking at the social side of our biological differences in sex drive, any woman who thinks she can sit down at a male-dominated poker table without sex being an issue--to one degree or another--is mistaken. Women are socialized to be cooperative rather than competitive, to be passive rather than aggressive. While most modern women enjoy a little healthy competition and despise "doormat" behavior, it is still part of our framework.
Courtesy of PokerDoodle.Com
Because of these differences, we as women will have more success at poker if we approach the game differently. Many of the strategy books push the importance of math and odds over "gut feelings," however, women players should pay great attention to gut feelings. On the other hand, women can become highly successful at poker by learning how to calculate poker odds.
Additionally, strategy books tell you that the best time to bluff is on the button when everyone else has limped in. While this is good advice, women can very successfully time bluffs by how they are perceived at the table by male opponents. The best time for a woman to bluff may be after losing a heads up showdown or when you first sit down at the table--because the male players are likely to assume our feminity is our weakness.
We are all already experts in the social differences between men and women because we live them everyday. However, the more you understand the biological differences, the more you can tailor the male-influenced poker literature and strategy out there for you. Check out these videos that explain the differences between men and women's brains. Cat Hulbert's poker tips for women video is included as well.
Copyright Poker4Girls.Net (2008)
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