Dealers say Women are Better Poker Players

Texas club dealers agree women play better poker than men.

What makes a good poker player these days? Mathematical skills are important. A player with the ability to quickly calculate pot odds and expected values when the action is coming their way will have an advantage over another player who makes decisions based on whimsy. The ability to correctly interrupt behavior and body language is critical, especially in a live setting. Having an unbreakable poker face, recognizing and exploiting weaknesses, pulling off an expert bluff—these are all ways in which the best poker players in the world consistently deposit cash in the bank.

Throughout the history of the game, there’s been a stereotype that men are better poker players. Statistics show that, on average, only 4% of the seats in major land-based tournaments are occupied by women. So, is it true that men play better poker, or are there just more of them?

According to a group of professional dealers from Texas, women are better poker players by nature.

Dealers Say Women Play Better Poker Than Men

Dealers at the Prime Social Poker Club in Houston, Texas see a lot of action. Day in and day out, they deal the games and watch people play poker. Who better than these keen observers to weigh in on the topic? Following a recent poker training night scheduled as a ladies-only event, the dealers collectively noted just how good female poker players are.

Nancy Laster is one of the club’s dealers, and also plays poker herself. “I prefer to play against men because they’re easier to read,” says Nancy. She says women have a better poker face, and also notes that, “Women are tighter players,” than men.

It’s a known fact that playing a tight game will produce better long-term results, especially against other skilled poker players. And, as noted above, a good poker face combined with keen skills of observation are imperative in reading and exploiting opponents on the felt, without being exploited in turn. But is there any merit to Ms. Laster’s evaluation of the gender role?

Yes, there actually is. Psychologists are Harvard University conducted a study that clearly supports her theory. A group of men and women were asked to watch a silent film and decipher the meaning behind the body language of the characters. Only 42% of the male participants were able to do so accurately, while 87% of the females were successful.

Why Women Read Poker Tells Better

Among the women who accurately decoded the body language in the silent film study, most were mothers. Think about that for a moment. An infant is unable to communicate through words. For the first 2-3 years of a child’s life, the mother relies mostly on nonverbal forms of communication.

It’s what we call “female intuition”. Women are inherently better at nurturing, and those who are practiced at it (i.e. mothers) are far more capable of reading the signals. Women have proven to be more perceptive negotiators for the very same reason.

Interestingly enough, the male participants in the study who were described as having “nurturing” occupations—especially nurses and those with artistic roles like acting—were far more successful in the study. Gay men also performed better on average than heterosexual men.