International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 and a few poker operators are offering some promotions in the coming days to celebrate women in the game.
The special day has been celebrated since 1914 and offers a day to reflect on gender equality and women’s role in society. In recent years, poker companies have worked to get more women in the game.
Those efforts continue as female players are recognized on International Women’s Day.
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PokerStars celebrates with big Sunday event
Sunday is the biggest day of the week for online poker players and PokerStars is using March 13 as part of the Women’s Day festivities.
The Women’s Sunday tournament will feature even more on the line including €11,500 in live tournament packages and qualifier tickets. On top of the usual prize pool, the top 20 finishers win:
- 1st – €8,500 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event package
- 2nd – €2,800 France Poker Series Monte Carlo package
- 3rd and 4th – €55 live event qualifier ticket
- 5th – 20th – €5.50 live event qualifier ticket
“We know our community is excited to get back to the live felt and that women’s qualifiers to live events are something our players tell us they would like to see,” Stars associate director of consumer engagement and public relations Rebecca McAdam Willetts said in a news release.
“We’ve taken this on board and to celebrate International Women’s Day as one day in many where we want to engage and improve, we’ve given our female players an extra opportunity to win their way to one of our most loved events. Rewarding and giving opportunities to our communities is something we’re passionate about, and this is just one moment in which we plan to do so, with plenty more to come.”
Even more planned for Women’s Sunday
The weekly $22 Women’s Sunday tournaments provide a platform for players wishing to play with other women. A number of satellites are also offered from Thursday to Sunday, starting at just $0.22.
As part of the festivities, PokerStars ambassador GJ Reggie will play and stream the event on Twitch.
A bounty is also on her head in the form of a $215 ticket to the Sunday Million 16th anniversary event. That event runs March 20 with a $10 million guarantee.
“PokerStars is committed to the growth of the game and to supporting women in poker,” the company noted, “encouraging more to sit down and have fun at the tables, as well as ensuring women have a comfortable and safe place to play both live and online.”
GGPoker teams up with FLIP for special event
The Fantastic Ladies in Poker (FLIP) is also again teaming with GGPoker to offer a special event.
The $25 International Women’s Day Bounty Celebration plays out tonight with a $50,000 guarantee.
The event allows the site to recognize women in the game. GG has also run freerolls over the last week for entries into the tournament.
WPT highlights women’s organizations
The World Poker Tour is also getting in the act for International Women’s Day. The company is spotlighting four organizations advocating for women in poker including:
- Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS)
- Poker League of Nations (PLoN)
- Poker Power
- Women’s Poker Association (WPA)
LIPS is a nonprofit organization providing greater access to poker for women through live events across the United States.
“LIPS is the first poker tour established for women and expands the game of poker through live and online events across the US,” founder Lupe Soto said.
Poker League of Nations works to increase the participation of women in poker. The organization runs special events, staking opportunities, and an active online community.
“Our community welcomes all who are aligned with our goal of empowering women through the game of poker,” CEO and founder Lena Evans said. “We aim to make women more confident in all facets of life through honing the skills necessary to be successful at the poker table”
Reaching out to players
Poker Power focuses on the connection between lessons present in the game and real-life application.
“Our organizations share a commitment to bring more women to the table and to empower them with game-changing skills,” Poker Power general manager Erin Lydon said.
“The power of poker is that by playing a game of strategy, we learn to master the game of leadership. As more women learn and play, the impact will be transformational for generations to come. It’s time to stop playing not to lose and start playing to win.”
The WPA advocates for women in the poker industry by increasing the exposure of current female poker players. The group also hopes to foster new women players in the game.
“It’s crucial that women, at any stage of their poker journey, always feel welcomed and supported, plus know what resources are available to them within the poker community,” WPA Vice President Tara Windsor-Smith said.
“Through strategic and thoughtful partnerships within the poker industry and purposeful WPA programs, we continue to bring awareness to women in poker within our industry.”
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Recognizing women, special tournament
WPT management noted that it was proud to honor the women who have helped build and shape the company. Some of those include:
- Angelica Hael – vice president of tour management
- Hermance Blum – vice president of marketing
- Deborah Frazzetta – vice president of finance
- Loc Sondheim – executive director of ad sales and distribution
- Cathy Zhao – senior director of tour management
- Mandy Glogow – supervising producer
- Chelsea McGuire – senior director, business and legal affairs
- Lynn Gilmartin – show anchor
The tour’s online subscription poker site, ClubWPT, is also hosting a special event with all those women above participating. The Women in Poker Bounty Tournament is set for Sunday and awards $9,000 in cash prizes and WPT Prime Passports.
The champion receives a $1,000 Passport. Each participating organization will also enter a designated player with a $1,000 Passport bounty.
The tour is awarding an extra $1,000 to the top tournament finishers. The action will stream live with Lynn Gilmartin as commentator, alongside WPT Honors recipient Linda Johnson and other guests.
“As we celebrate our 20-year anniversary, we are grateful to the women and men who continuously strive to increase the number of women in this game we love,” Hael said.
“We continue to be committed to increasing the number of people in our global poker ecosystem, and one of the ways we will achieve this is to energize, encourage, and empower more women to enjoy the game of poker.”