Annie Duke Interview Controversy regarding Ladies WSOP event.

[Moose]

Fact: The existence of WoEs in an activity where women can compete as equals is degrating. It implies through its existence that women cannot compete as equals in this matter: In theory, women strive for equality. Therefore, for women _en masse_ to accept something that goes AGAINST the notion of equality simply must be a sign of its necessity. That is, if women want to be equal, we would only segregate an activity by gender if we HAD to.

Now, that statement is not true because women have long since left "equality" for "utter superiority" as their goal. But that is what such segregation says, and Annie is right: It is demeaning, by its existence, to the abilities of women.

Fact: They only have WoEs so that they can "have women winning bracelets" at the WSOP. In that sense, it is an insidious kind of affirmative action.

Fact: For every dollar they spend marketing these "female champions" to get women in the game, they spend many more dollars using it to market the game more to 18-34 males. There are already plenty of female champions. I have sat at poker table after poker table full of men who talk about Jennifer Tilly as a poker player, and how "good she is", but ask them if they've heard Barbara Enright? Blank stare. Poker Stars.NET crocheted into Isabelle Mercier's ass-seat of her pants? Yes, yes, they're trying to market the game to women, I can CLEARLY see it now.

Fact: Annie Duke is a hypocrite for selling out her principles to make a buck. If she really believed in what she was doing, she would be protesting against the segregation of poker by gender. Having Annie Duke with a picket sign outside the Ladies bracelet event site would be good for poker IMHO.