Men in a women’s World Series of Poker Tournament: Can they or should they be excluded?

 Men in a women’s World Series of Poker Tournament: Can they or should they be excluded?

Poker tables have been a place of male chauvinism for a long time. Here, the cigar smoke swirls while the testosterone-fueled banter veers to the X.

The majority of women who play poker do not like the way men treat their women. But, the gaming industry knows this and wants to encourage as many women as possible to ante up.

Harrah's sponsored World Series of Poker women's event at Rio this month has caused such a stir.

A dozen men took part in the $1,000 no-limit Ladies Hold 'em Championship. It ended June 14 with a win by Vanessa Hellebuyck from France. She defeated 1,053 other competitors to take $192,132 and a bracelet as the winner.

Her win was seen as an afterthought considering the amount of discussion and attention that party crashers have generated online since then.

While this isn’t the first year that men entered the event, this was the biggest. And some of their antics, especially for female players, will not be forgotten.

Susie Isaacs (a Las Vegas poker pro and author) says, "This tournament is the most prestigious for women in all of the world." She is a two-time winner. "This is regal. It's our Olympics. This tournament is a great opportunity for women from all walks of the world to save their money. It's also a way to show your support by letting a man have one of your chips. Men are not allowed to participate in this tournament. It's wrong.

A man who put a tampon over his cards at a table was the one that caused the most anger. He was punished for two rounds worth of hands. This meant that he lost chips that only two players per hand were required to supply, also known as the big or small blinds. There is also the possibility that he could have used good cards to pursue opponents' chips.

Nancy Todd Tyner, a Las Vegas poker pro and political advisor, says that "he was there to make fun of women" and should have been banned. Tyner is the 2008 World Poker Tour ladies champion. "Harrah has failed to see the point on that. A tampon is not a good card protector. A two-round penalty of nothing is a penalty at all."

Shaun Deeb in drag

Shaun Deeb appears in drag.

Shaun Deeb video statement

Shaun Deeb, a professional player, dressed in drag with lipstick and a hairstyle. Deeb later apologized via an Internet video to those he offended about his attire. Deeb said he was wearing drag after losing prop bet, a side wager that poker players often use. However, Tournament Poker and Domination – no, Not of the Series