Jena Delk’s Blog

There has been much debate about Ladies only events in poker. I understand there can be strong feelings for both sides of the debate. You hear many of the same arguments over and over.

Here’s one you may not have considered:

Ladies only events bring women into the casino. These gals enjoy playing poker. Before and after each event you see a substantial increase of women playing cash. Give them what they are looking for—a good time at the table. They will open their wallets for you. So quit complaining the ladies events are sexist, and enjoy the benefit$. Don’t spoil the fun by crashing the events.

Ladies events are positive EV for poker in general.  They bring BEGINNERS (aka fish) to the game.  These are the players you want to join you at the tables.  For some ladies, the ladies event is the only way they will venture into the casino to play poker, because it feels safe to them.  I am begging you guys to leave them alone.

Internet young guns, stop sulking in your hoodie and smile at that gal sitting next to you. She is probably intimidated and could use a friend. Help her to feel comfortable.  Let her know how things work in the game, if she seems unsure. Always acknowledge someone who speaks to you.  You spend way too many hours in your cocoon anyway. 

Men who have wives, who don’t understand all the hours at the tables, should bring their lady along for a weekend of spa, shopping, and poker. Have her bring along a couple of friends. She will be so busy have fun that there will be no time to nag you. Hopefully she will find the experience so much fun that she will pick up the game. Once she is playing regularly her daily nagging allowance will be sharply decreased. There is one drawback; she may become a better player than you!!

Tournament Directors: Please add a male only event to occur at the same time as the Ladies Events.

Early last week I have added fingernail tips to my hands. They are pretty but the nails takes much getting used to. No small movements like putting on earrings or a necklace. The first evening after I got them put on, I developed a case of hives. I developed hives from time to time for no apparent reason but that is a different story, so I get to really scratching my thigh. I scratch so much that my skin has welts on it. It becomes red and angry; I get an ide4a to put some lotion on the angry skin. As I rub in the lotion, little round blood spots develop. By morning the red blood spots had turned to bruises. These bruises are beginning to heal and have yellowing mixed with the purple,

To prepare for playing the Ladies Event at the WSOP this past Friday I got a two hour massage in my house. I love Vegas for this. You can get anything you want here. L Barbara is an amazingly skilled body work specialist that I met last year from an internet search for therapeutic massage in the city. I was happy to be able to get another appointment. This added thumb prints on my upper arms and various other locations.

So two nights ago, I get hives (again) this time it is the other thigh, cause still unknown, I do not allow myself to dig in as much with this round, but by this morning there was more bruising. Yesterday I played at the Venetian Deep Stack Series and had a neck massage table side. Rough life, Huh? I just noticed another thumb print.

I am playing the WSOP $1500 no limit Hold’em event #30. I am all registered. You will find me starting at Amazon Yellow Table 151, Seat 8 to start. Please disregard any bruising; I have a game to get onto.

I am sitting at my summer home in Las Vegas, still pouting that I am not playing over at the Rio.  I am sad to say, I did not get very far in the WSOP Ladies Event. I lasted into Level 4, which is pretty miraculous since I was short stacked and card dead the entire time.

I was seated at table 8, along with the always lovely, Vanessa Rousso and Tiffany Michelle.  I was fortunate to last longer than these two pros.  After they busted, their seats became a revolving door of ladies who would sit down and play a few hands, then bust.  As they busted, I continued to nurse a 1,100 stack.  I would move my small stack all in and the table would fold, so that I could earn enough to post my blinds.  This continued for nearly two hours.  Then when I finally got a real hand, I was called.  I had queens (the bitches, as I call them). My lady in the number four seat had Ace King, so it was an easy decision for her to call.  The ace came out on the flop, but I had already started packing my bag.  Busto!  Those bitches have knocked me out of 50% of my ladies events.  I probably should stop playing them!

You can check out the results at http://www.wsop.com/tournaments/results.asp?grid=764&tid=10843.

There is one aspect to being a lady professional poker player that may not come to mind when considering the gender differences in poker. Let’s set aside the differences in the game itself and focus on the business side.

The ladies often have higher travel expenses. In the world of poker, guys pile three or more guys in a room and split the cost several ways. This results in a much lower cost per day. I very often have to bear the entire cost of lodging by myself. If a lady player has a bed available in her room, can she ever offer a male player the extra bed? Will it be assumed that sex would be involved? Or just hanging out? Should you find a guy who is capable of seeing a room sharing arrangement for what it really is (money savings) what will be the perception of others? Will this sort of arrangement damage her image? This does not even begin to address potential safety issues of sharing a room with a poker acquaintance.

I was with a group of guys last week discussing poker and life in general. It was a relaxing time and everyone seemed comfortable with each other. After a while another female poker players name came up. The guys started immediately bashing her, saying that she is just a tease. I explored this with the guys and learned that she mostly earned this image by going out with a group of the guys and saying no to their advances. Each one told how they hit on her and was struck down. These guys assumed that if a girl when somewhere with them, that they had a right to hit on the gal. Really? Come on guys! Think about how much time you spend with your buddies while playing poker and realize us girls need social time too!

LAS VEGAS June 10th Location: Planet Hollywood Las Vegas HHPT Tournament Academy Learn from some of the best female pros in the industry. Barbara Enright, Susie Isaacs, Karina Jett, Lisa Adams, Marsha Waggoner, and Beth Gains. Tuition: $495 Includes: -Instruction -Lunch -Free entry into our sit-n-go extravaganza at 7pm at the Hard Rock.  Where 1 of every 10 ladies will get a seat to the ladies event at the RIO on the 11th ($125 value). -Raffle give-a-way of a $1000 Ladies Event -$5 donation will be made in your honor to www.PokerGives.org To make a reservation: tina@highheelspokertour.com or register online at: www.highheelspokertour.com

NEW TOPIC

Instructor Beth Gains uses these concepts as part of her everyday and poker life.  She has so graciously accepted the invitation to share these concepts with you, to help you improve your life and your poker.  We are excited to have her teach us ways we can improve what we think may be broken or underutilized in our game and using certain tools about life and ourselves to create a new “poker” you.

My housemate and I left the house last evening setting our sights on playing some cards.  We went to the MGM Grand first.  The room had two 2/5 NL tables with a short waiting list and 1/2 had open seating.  I sat down on a 1/2 table until my 2/5 seat was available.

This table liked to see flops and they wanted to see them as cheaply as possible.  I was given the opportunity to see a flop for “free” when  5 others limped in on my big blind.  I held the Jack four off suit.  I flopped a full house on a 4JJ board and dutifully checked.  I love flopping full houses–don’t you? It continued to check around until the button bumped it up to $20. I call as do 3 others.  The turn is a queen.  I check again.  It checks around to the button, who fires another bullet at the pot.   This time he bets 2/3 of the pot. I call as does the other remaining player. The river is a blank.  The other player checks and I take a stab at the pot, to which the button folds and the other player shoves the rest of his stack (an additional $45) Of course, I call and he proudly flops up 45. Nice hand, Sir!

My housemate likes to play limit and the game at the MGM was not the greatest, so we decided to move on.  We stop by the Wynn.  There are only 6 or 7 tables going with no list.  Next!

At the Mirage, we see games that meet both of our needs. I help get a 2/5 games started, which remained strong until I left at 3 am.  There was a nice mix of regulars and tourists.  It was an enjoyable game.  The room was well run and there was no complaints with the staff.  I look forward to playing at the Mirage again this summer.

I am working the evening shift today.  My housemates and I are going to check out the MGM Grand’s poker room.  I will be playing a bit of $2/5 no limit hold em.  To prepare, I got an overdue manicure and pedicure today.  A girl always feels more confident when she is all put together.  I am ready to win.  Look out Vegas!  Here I come!

Copied from http://preventcancer.org/newsroom2c.aspx?id=4560#tourney

On May 4, a record 130 poker players from across the country brought their best poker faces to the nation’s capital to support cancer prevention. The Prevent Cancer Foundation raised $215,000 at its Sixth Annual Bad Beat on Cancer Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament. After an exciting evening of tournament play, Jeremy Coon took the grand prize donated by Harrah’s Entertainment—a $10,000 seat at the 2010 World Series of Poker Tournament.

The event was attended by top professional poker players Andy Bloch, Lee Childs, Annie Duke, Rafe Furst, Jena Delk and Howard Lederer, members of Congress and players from corporate and poker communities. Professional poker champion and Foundation board member Phil Gordon—renowned for his commentary on televised poker matches such as Celebrity Poker Showdown and the World Series of Poker—served as the master of ceremonies for the evening.

The tournament, sponsored by 1-800-Contacts®, Amgen, Astra Zeneca, General Dynamics, Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., Legacy, and the Poker Players Alliance, featured 10 players at each of the 13 tables vying to win a seat at the final table where they competed for fabulous prizes, each of which had been generously donated to the Foundation. Prior to the tournament, Gordon and the other professional poker stars in attendance held a poker clinic for first-time players and for those in need of a refresher course before the games began.

“Poker is an exciting way to bring people together to beat cancer. Most of our guests recognize the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s mission is important and they are more than happy to help fulfill it,” said Jan Bresch Mahrer, the Foundation’s executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Since its inception at the World Series of Poker in 2003, the Bad Beat on Cancer initiative has raised more than $3.2 million to support the Foundation’s mission.

Learn about the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s other signature events.

I had dinner with my girl, Brianna, last night.  I met her when she first started dealing at the Venetian and we became fast friends.  I owe her a huge debt for helping me secure my housing for my summer in Vegas.  I had asked her if she knew of anyone looking to rent out a room for the Series and just a few days later she did!  So now I am the very happy housemate of a great group of people who live and work in Vegas.  It is so nice not to feel like such a tourist this year.

I am here to secure my future in playing professional poker. I am looking add a WSOP bracelet to my collection of jewelry, and I intend to take down the first event I play–just to get it out of the way.  I will be leaving to head over to the Rio in about an hour to begin that journey,  Wish me Luck!

This is my first trip to Vegas this year. I am excited to be playing many WSOP events, starting with the $1,000 event, which begins for me on Saturday, as there are two day ones. I am expecting a huge field on this holiday weekend.

Today I will be taking it easy by playing a short cash session at the Venetian Poker room.  This is probably my favorite poker room in Las Vegas.  The seats are amazingly comfortable in this beautiful room.  The room is well run and managed, so it is a pleasure to play there.  The room is always full of good and bad players–always nice to have a fish or two for my dining pleasure.  Additionally, you can get any beverage your heart desires from Fiji water to freshly made carrot juice, as well as BOTH Coke and Pepsi products.

I selected the Venetian for my cash play today because today is Event #1 of the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III. I want to be there as players get knocked out and might be tilting.  This event is an affordable $340, which had approximately 700 players last year.  With 12,000 chips and 40 minutes levels, this tournament offers great value.  The Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza III continues through July 15, with a variety of buy ins and tournament types.