PokerStars empowering women to fight abuse and turn table on sport dominated by men

Girls across the world are often told they're not welcome in 'men's sports', but poker is a different matter altogether.

Or at least it should be given any game of intelligence, wit, deception or calculation is a fair playing field. On the face of things, at least, as there are still many men out there who would have casinos, hotels and card halls restrict the fairer sex from participating in the action.

That much quickly becomes evident speaking to female poker players today, both those who play online and the ones brave enough to breach testosterone-dominant live tables. But PokerStars is one brand championing the female cause and actively fighting the issue to ensure its games are safe spaces for anyone wanting to take part.

The Women's Winter Festival - which takes place at London's Hippodrome from Thursday November 21 to Sunday November 24 - is a prime example of the company's commitment to campaigning for equality. And Mirror Sport spoke to some of the cardroom's most prominent women's ambassadors and other players to get a sense of where the cause stands today.

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Poker content creator Marle Spragg is one such figure who has had to endure her share of abuse en route to the top of the sport. The American - who is married to fellow player and streamer Ben Spragg - is one of the fortunate few whose profile today means she isn't subject to the same level of disrespect from male peers she once received.

"My view is a little bit skewed, because I'm a little bit known now," she said while attending the European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus event in October. "So when I sit down at a table, I'm treated really well. I haven't had a bad experience in years, especially on the EPT.

"But I think if you're a [lesser-known] person, you might get a little bit more of it [abuse], because you're an easier target... I do hear stories from women that it is still happening, but I think overall it's got better. Obviously we have so many more resources now with women's events exploding, the Women's Winter Festival coming up and bootcamps for women. There are just so many more resources, so I think it's only going to continue to get better."

Spragg - who has earned more than £350,000 from table winnings - is something of an anomaly in that her popularity on the circuit affords a certain level of treatment. But it's an ongoing dichotomy that even an amateur male beginner is all but guaranteed to never experience rude behaviour, sledging or worse simply for wanting to play.

From speaking to numerous women's players on the EPT, it's a common trend that women felt they were treated better once they became more known and earned a certain respect from male rivals. And yet that's somewhat antithetical considering intimidation tactics - even unwanted compliments or overt sexualisation - will make it harder for anyone to perform.

"I think there's been a real drive from a lot of poker companies to cater more to women, which is really nice to see," said PokerStars ambassador Georgina James, who started playing at the encouragement of a male friend at university. "There are so many initiatives out there now to help grow the game for women, become more confident and better poker players.

"You've got Poker Power, which helps to get women into the game and educate them, basically with the emphasis on good decision-making. Because that applies to all aspects of life! Also groups like Pocket Queens, which is a great initiative and support group for any woman looking to make it in poker."

And it's not only the women themselves who are noticing the efforts organisers are going to in an attempt to even the playing field. Marle's husband, Ben, told Sport he felt poker had "gone to great strides to make the sport a lot more welcoming" for women, adding the landscape had changed drastically over the course of his 15 years competing.

The same could be said for Parker 'Tonkaaaa' Talbot, who has stood as one of the best players on the EPT in recent times. The Canadian - who boasts around £2million in tournament cashes - is noticing women make up more tables on average more and more these days, even being outnumbered by women on certain tables in Las Vegas.

"It seems overall very good, on the EPT circuit at least," he said. "And I think just as we progress more as a society and become more like human beings, it's slowly going to get better."

That human element will dictate how quickly things progress, with some still yet to see the progress they desire. Some of those women interviewed even said they prefer to play anonymously online, because certain experiences around live tables had made them feel intimidated.

Women are estimated to make up around 5% of all poker players, which gives some idea as to why they might feel intimidated entering such a male-dominated environment. A 2020 survey found around 50% of women responding had played poker at some point, but almost a third of those were put off playing more due to men's behaviour.

Turkish chess champion and online gamer Elif Arslan only took up poker in early 2024 but has already shown great promise. However, she confessed she is subject to misogynistic behaviour almost daily, stemming mostly from live games.

Elif - who qualified to play the EPT Cyprus despite her inexperience - recounted how she was left fearful after being contacted in the early hours of the morning by an opponent who found her number. That being said, she's defiant against women-only events and insisted the correct way to combat inequality is to change the game for the perpetrators, not those in the minority.

"I would like women to be encouraged to play more mixed games, actually. To draw women in, we should work on men's behaviour," she said, adding she deserves her chance to play as much as any man. "Change the environment in a positive way.

"Because women are capable of beating men in this game. We don't need to do women's only events, because this is not a physical sport. We're as smart as them! I think if we work on the approach and respect and boundaries, women will be more encouraged to join these events. They're lovely and fun, but I would like to see [women] beating the best players!"

It's evident that almost any female players - or at least those competing on the EPT - want exactly the same thing. And PokerStars is doing its part in the fight to make that fair and welcome environment a reality sooner rather than later.

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