The Rise of Women in the World of Poker

Poker remains predominantly male-dominated, yet more and more women are entering its fold. Many find poker to be both an empowering and competitive form of entertainment at the table.

Women have long made strides into the poker world, but recently their influence has only become stronger. Thanks to several influential female poker players leading this cause, female poker players now look more optimistic than ever about the future of female players in poker.

Lena Evans

Evans is best known as the founder and leader of PLON (Poker League of Nations), one of the world’s premier women-specific poker forums. As two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner and tireless advocate for gender equality in poker, she has earned the respect of players as well as those involved with its development.

She runs her own free private Facebook group that brings together some of the world’s top female poker players to discuss strategy, as well as her PLON Power Investment Group which invests in talented female poker players before staking them in tournaments.

Her recent TEDx talk on poker was yet another way she sought to inform and educate the public on this sport, among various other projects she is involved with.

Evans remains dedicated to helping others despite her obstacles, serving as president of Jade Phoenix Corporation (a company which donates clothing for Vietnamese refugees), as well as being an avid fundraiser for March of Dimes.

Daiva Byrne

Daiva Byrne is one of the most successful women in poker. After over a decade playing the game herself, Daiva established FLIP (Fantastic Ladies in Poker) four years ago when she realized there was an urgent need for women to support each other through poker.

FLIP’s founder is an outspoken supporter of women in poker, having built one of the most active and influential online communities focused on growing poker among female players – currently boasting 5,400+ members! We recently met up with her to discuss its future.

Byrne has used her success in poker to raise awareness of misogyny and discrimination within the industry, prompting GGPoker Ambassador status as well as acting as Outreach and Community Advocate.

Byrne’s new position ensures she will be an advocate for female players within poker; however, her influence comes with restrictions; she cannot directly criticise GGPoker.

PLON

Lena Evans, founder of PLON (the Poker League of Nations), has set out on a mission to expand the poker field beyond five percent female representation. To achieve this goal, women need to enter early into the game and receive opportunities to hone their skills.

Evans has therefore initiated the PLON Rising initiative, uniting instructors such as Maria Ho, Amanda Botfelt and Barbara Enright in teaching younger women the game of poker. This endeavor hopes to draw more young ladies to poker as potential future poker pros.

PLON is helping expand the game of poker by offering satellites for tournaments, giving deserving women access to larger buy-ins at reduced costs.

PLON boasts over 7,200 members on Facebook, hosting strategy discussions with some of the world’s best poker players such as Phil Hellmuth. Furthermore, they partner with organizations like WPA in raising awareness for gender equality in poker and encouraging more women to play.

888poker

888poker is one of the world’s most beloved online poker sites, boasting an expansive selection of games with top security measures in place and an excellent record when it comes to paying out players on time.

888poker offers hundreds of cash games as well as various tournaments such as MTTs, Snap tournaments and Omaha variations.

888poker lobby provides easy and quick access to different game types and formats, making it effortless to locate what you are seeking. Plus, their software is extremely smooth and user friendly!

Kara Scott, Sofia Lovgren and Jackie Glazier are their three top female ambassadors who all help promote the brand while increasing women’s presence in industry.