Students Of Success

Amarillo Slim Preston: From Amarillo, Texas, Slim Preston won the 1972 WSOP, and his charismatic personality made him a celebrity on television talk shows. He became known as “Slim” because of his tall height and thin frame. In his youth, he was a world class billiards player, and the youngest ever to enter in the World Billiards Tournament. Slim has been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Greg Raymer: The “Fossilman” made WSOP history when he won the 2004 championship and the largest prize — $5 million — ever awarded to a poker tournament winner. Formerly a patent lawyer, he won his WSOP seat at an Internet site. His trademark cats’ eye glasses set him apart at the table as does his aggressive play. His nickname, Fossilman, comes from his love of collecting fossils, which he often distributes as card protectors to other players.

Chip Reese: The youngest poker player to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, Reese is respected as one of the greatest high stakes cash game players in the world. He graduated from Dartmouth College, and turned poker pro in 1975 when he stopped in Las Vegas on this way to Stanford School of Law. He never made it to law school, but instead stuck to poker. Though he maintains a low profile, he has been seen on the World Poker Tour television series.

By and large, the majority of women in my life (sisters, girlfriends, Mom) are smarter, better with money, and more decisive than all my male friends combined. So, why aren’t there more female online poker players cutting up the felt?

My initial thoughts were that women are intimidated by the poker masses: those mangy, unkempt middle aged and college age men who clog the tournament tables year after year. But that can’t be the reason, because I’m sure a majority of women experienced far worse in college or at the ballpark from some drunken idiot.

So I think it has to be image. The way poker is marketed. All these TV tournaments have going for them are cars, babes and money. The other big thing, bluffing and table intimidation, is something that women have been able to fine tune after years of relationships. I don’t see that being a big obstacle.

I actually think women could dominate poker, and a few of them already have. But like anything, more variety would be ideal, and I think the “sport” of poker would benefit immensely from an image makeover. The game is pure, but the marketing piled on caters only to one type of person.

Bring on the women poker players!