Seminole Hard Rock hosted the World Poker Tour (WPT) Event No.48: $250 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em tournament on Saturday night. It had 83 players who created a $17,430 prize pool. Surprisingly, Dave Hughes was the only male entrant in the tournament.
Still, he beat all his opponents and took $5,555 home. Florida’s gaming law prohibits gaming management from preventing a man from engaging in a ladies’ competition. Ebony Kenney shared the game on Twitter.
Frank Stepuchin, Jake Ferro, Michael Berk, and Jeff Platt contributed to the ordeal. Kenney stated that Hughes had a 6:1 chip advantage when heads-up action began and wanted a refund of the $100 he paid for the bounty. The lone male player later lost some chips, and his lead dropped to 3:1 as he despised the dealer.
What Was the Ladies’ Event’s Prize?
- David Hughes – $5,555
- Dayanna Ciabaton – $3,400
- Abby Merk – $2,115
- Joy Benn – $1,430
- Helene Corcoran – $1,090
- Karen Cleveland – $875
- Solange Lucas – $725
- Betty Davis – $610
- Lisa Levy – $560
- Melissa Kaiser – $560
- Aleeyah Jadavji – $510
The Poker Community’s Reaction
Hughes’ victory made many popular poker community members react. Linda Johnson, a Poker Hall of Famer, said she believes men should be banned from women-only events. She added that she wouldn’t sign up for a men’s-only event.
The female poker pro stated that the men who compete in such tournaments cause an overreaction as they are interested in getting attention. She urged female poker players to ignore such opponents and make their best moves.
Kevin Martin sought other opinions about Hughes’ win on Twitter. Charlie Carrel boldly responded that his victory was hilarious, adding that anyone can get into women’s spaces by identifying as one.
Carrel added that it is a sensitive issue which some individuals are exploiting in changing areas, prisons, and sports. He said he wouldn’t use women-only spaces, and he believes that it is easier to address the transgender issue in poker due to its low stakes.
Matt Glantz, another poker pro, pointed out gender identity as Andy Bloch claimed Hughes might be a nice guy despite identifying as a woman.
Was This the First Incidence?
Most states in the country prohibit men from entering women’s events. For example, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Nevada. Even so, the WSOP made a $10,000 buy-in Ladies’ Event in 2013 that gave women a 90 percent discount.
It allowed men who were willing to part with $10,000 to sign up for the tournament. Tony Roberto lost a prop wager in the event in 2017. Yet, Tom Hammers recently registered seeking charity funds.
Abraham Korotki bagged $20,982 in 2009 after beating 268 players in the Borgata Poker Open’s $300 Ladies Event. Ray Stefanelli, the then Borgata Director of Poker Marketing, stated that some of their clients love specialty events like the ladies’ tournament.
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