My Poker Valentine

Author: Simon Dexter

Valentines Day has always been associated with cards, be it the deluge of sweet-smelling mail that prevents you from opening your front door, or more touching moments such as when you receive that special card from a loved one but its fair to say that 14th February is not usually a day for poker-playing cards, at least not until now.

In anticipation of the big day, fun-loving poker couples assembled at the Bicycle casino in Los Angeles last weekend to compete in the Battle of the Sexes tournament during the casino’s “Sweetheart Weekend”.

Ordinarily, given the option of an over-priced candlelit meal for two at a restaurant where owners can be spotted rubbing their hands with glee at the number of diners taking part in this annual commercial-fest, or playing poker, a majority of ladies would, we reckon, opt for the former. So did we witness the start of a significant social change in California last weekend?
Well, the “Sweetheart Weekend” comprised three tournaments, the first of which, a + No-limit Hold ‘em event for both sexes, was won by Rene Larson, a person of indeterminate sex, despite our best efforts to establish whether he was a she, or vice versa. Either way, there were 181 entrants in the event, so Rene deserves credit for coming out on top. However, the ladies-only Queen of Hearts NLHE tournament, won by Mona Najimy, attracted a total of 196 entrants.
What does this tell us, apart from the fact that the ladies-only tourney attracted 8% more competitors than the mixed event?

If you’re male, it may signal that turning down the lights, putting on some soft music and suggesting to your better half that joining you at the laptop for some poker fun is not a euphemism for anything. Furthermore, if you say that, she’ll be doubly impressed. Poker prowess plus a vocabulary! What a potent mix.

If you’re female, then hey, what more do we need to say? Girls are obviously more enamoured with poker as events in California last weekend proved, so if he forgot to send you a card, how about a little more poker practice before going off and beating the living daylights out of him (at the poker table we mean)?

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