PokerStars Joins PokerPower for Boot Camp to Empower Women In Poker
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After reports that women make up just 4 percent of the 100 million poker players in the world, PokerStars announced it is teaming up with Poker Power to launch a four-week boot camp "aimed at women with a keen interest in the game who want to strengthen their skills and evolve their experience."
The partnership with the women-led Poker Power, previously known as Poker Powher, is "a key part of PokerStars’ commitment to the growth of the game and to supporting women in poker," according to a press release.
"These boot camps are an essential first opportunity to pique interest in women who have never played the game before and to motivate those that play poker, to continue to evolve their skills and gain confidence at the tables," said Rebecca McAdam Willetts, PokerStars Director of Partnerships, PR and Consumer Engagement. "We’re committed to making poker as inclusive and accessible for everyone and it’s our mission to create equal opportunities and a safe space for the poker community.”
Helping Women "Build Their Confidence"
The four-week boot camp curriculum will include practice sessions on Poker Power Play, Poker Power's teaching app, and specialized tournaments and home games on PokerStars, with modules "tied to themes of confidence, boldness, determination, perception and discipline."
The boot camp will also include one-on-one tutorials with PokerStars’ Ambassadors Jen Shahade, GJ Reggie and Lali Tournier to help prepare the women to play to win a place at a special event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague stop in December.
Ultimately, the collaborative boot camp "will see novice women players around the globe learn gameplay skills that translate to real-world success including negotiation, strategic decision-making and capital allocation."
“Our four-week course will not just teach women about poker but equip them with important life skills that can be applied to business, parenthood and general life," said Poker Power Managing Director Erin Lydon. “I hope through this partnership, we can create more opportunities for women, and that perceptions of poker will begin to shift and more women will feel empowered and safe to step up to the gaming table.”
A Chance to Win a PSPC Platinum Pass
After the four-week boot camp, the participants, who were selected through an anonymous survey, will have the opportunity to play at EPT Prague for a Platinum Pass to the PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas in January.
Should they win the pass, they will join other recent female Platinum Pass winners including Giada Fang and Rishva Iyer, who won the Bahamas trip by taking down the first-ever Road to PSPC Women's Event at Live! Casino in Philadelphia.
A Platinum Pass includes:
- Buy-in to the $25,000 PSPC
- Six nights of hotel accommodation for the winner and a guest in a 5-star hotel
- Airport transfers
- $1,900 expense money
- Platinum Pass Winner experiences during the event
The Latest Poker Power Initiative
The boot camp is just the latest initiative by Poker Power, whose instructors include Xuan Liu, Amanda Botfeld and 2021 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Player of the Year Kyna England, to help women discover the game and empower female players at the table.
In March 2021, the organization partnered with World College Tour for the Poker Powher Global Women's Poker Tournament on PokerStars.
The previous year, Poker Power advisory board member Melanie Weisner appeared on the PokerNews Podcast for a "Women in Poker" episode and talked about the organization's efforts to empower women on the felt.
To learn more about Power Poker, visit the organization's website at pokerpower.com.
Photos courtesy of PokerStars
