2023 Main Event – Cardplayer Lifestyle https://cardplayerlifestyle.com Wed, 23 Aug 2023 05:02:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3 What Would Inspire More Women to Play the WSOP Main Event? https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/women-in-2023-wsop-main-event/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:47:57 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=59902 Expectations were high for women at the 2023 World Series of Poker. Specifically, those interested in growing diversity in poker hoped to see more women in the series in general. By most accounts, people did notice more women at the tables.

Growth of women in poker is difficult to quantify, however, as most tournament operators do not provide gender breakdowns.

The World Series of Poker hosted 95 live tournaments in the summer of 2023, with several dozen more online. The WSOP Online contingent never provides gender breakdowns. The WSOP’s live series is hit or miss. In 2022, I received the number of male and female players in the Main Event and for the entire live series. This year, I asked for both but only received the Main Event number. That makes it very difficult to gauge progress – or lack thereof – for women in poker.

Since the Main Event number is something that the WSOP provides year after year, we can see the trends with women in that $10K buy-in tournament.

WSOP Main Event women stats

First, let’s look at the actual number of women in the WSOP Main Event in each of the last six years. The number itself grew consistently prior to the pandemic, dropped in 2021 (during the F-it-lets-try-it-despite-Covid-wear-a-mask year), and then jumped back into place in 2022. This year, there were 395 women in the Main – 20 more than last year.

From a different angle, we can see the percentage of women was on a solid upward trajectory… until this year. Even in the unusual 2021 circumstances, the percentage of women grew in relation to the overall field. Growth slowed a bit last year and then dropped this year. The record-setting WSOP Main Event attendance left the percentage of women to fall 0.4%.

  • Good news? More women played the Main in 2023.
  • Bad news? A lower percentage of women played the Main in 2023.

Polling the Public

When Joey Pigtails asked what can be done to positively impact the number, I decided to ask women.

I tracked the answers on Twitter, and I asked the same questions in two popular women’s poker groups on Facebook. I received hundreds of responses, most public but some private.

A Lot of Money

Most women in poker are not full-time professionals, and very few play at the highest buy-in levels of the game. While the WSOP Main Event is not often considered a high-stakes tournament, it does require a $10K buy-in. That is, in fact, a lot of money for one tournament.

That was the most common theme from women’s responses: They can’t afford a $10K buy-in.

These were the most common comments, paraphrased:

  • My bankroll doesn’t justify a $10K buy-in.
  • If/when I have $10K, I’d rather play more events with smaller buy-ins.
  • The WSOP Main is a bucket list item, not a realistic or justifiable expense.

There were other big concerns as well.

  • I can’t afford the 7-10 day trip to Vegas.
  • If I have to choose between Ladies Week and the Main, I choose Ladies Week.
  • I can’t get away from work/family/children for 7-10 days.
  • Taxes on winnings for Europeans and Canadians are prohibitively high.
  • I don’t like the idea of playing in a male field with 4% or less women.

It’s important to note that time is a factor in the WSOP Main Event like in no other poker tournament. There are four starting flights and two “Day 2” iterations before players combine. And the money bubble may burst late on Day 3 or – like this year – into Day 4. Even if a player competes in Day 1D, they would need to book a six-day stay just to ensure they could play into the money and not have to worry about flight changes until they ran deep enough into the payouts that an airline fee wouldn’t be a second thought. Add on travel days to the beginning and end, and a player could be away from home for 7-8 days at a minimum to play one tournament.

Solutions Abound

Women were quick to include suggestions for ways to solve some of the above issues.

Since the primary hurdle to playing the Main Event is the buy-in itself, the most common suggestion was more satellites. That broke down into a variety of ideas:

  • More low (less than $1K) buy-in satellites like step satellites
  • More satellites outside of Las Vegas – across the US and around the world
  • More online poker satellites
  • Home game leagues with money contributed weekly/monthly to a Main Event seat
  • Ladies-only satellites
  • Satellites at WSOP Circuit event stops
  • More satellites through women’s organizations like FLIP, WPA, PLON, etc.
  • Some satellite wins that include money for travel expenses and accommodations
  • More staking opportunities

Poker League of Nations (PLON) was quick to note that they offered satellites for women to win their way to the Main Event. PLON also offers staking opportunities via its Facebook group.

Some women noted that those who are newest to the game may not be familiar with all of the different women’s groups in poker, nor do they have the time to peruse long Facebook threads or scroll Twitter. They don’t know about staking opportunities, how to organize home games live or online, or how to find the online poker sites that offer sanctioned satellites. Some don’t even know how satellites work and why they are so popular.

Mo Problems, Fewer Solutions

There are, of course, issues for which there are no easy solutions.

First, an oft-mentioned concern is the sexism and misogyny still present in poker. Obviously, this is a problem the world over, well beyond poker, but it is more pronounced when women are such a minority at the tables. When a woman knows that she will likely be the only woman at her table at any given time, it can decrease the desire to play that event.

Further, if women are not confident that any sexism or harassment will be met with swift consequences by the tournament staff, it further deters women from wanting to play.

Second, there is the high tax for players from the European Union and Canada, among other parts of the world. For example, Canadian women mentioned a 30% tax off the top of any winnings exceeding $5K, which would be a min-cash in the Main Event. Add to that a plethora of paperwork to apply for some of that money to be reimbursed in the next year or more, plus an unfavorable exchange rate for US currency for everything from hotel to buy-ins, and it becomes a complicated, prohibitive mess.

Third, there is the loneliness that can accompany a journey to Las Vegas and playing the Main Event. If a woman does not have a family member who can afford to also make the trip to Vegas or if the woman has no poker-playing friends, the journey through the Main Event can be a lonely one.

Finally, comments from women expressed a need for child care references in Las Vegas, more education about staking and satellites, a forum to connect with women for traveling in pairs or groups, and online poker satellites in parts of the USA and world that have no WSOP-affiliated options.

There are some groups in poker that address some of these issues, with the exception of child care and online poker satellites. Some Facebook groups provide the space for women to network and connect. Pocket Queens is a group that focuses heavily on game education. PLON and WPA focus on community.

Women can find most of what they seek. However, there is trial and error in finding the right group with the right resources, the one(s) that will benefit them the most.

Perhaps, though, women will never flock to the WSOP Main Event in big numbers. They may stick to lower buy-in events and cash games. Some will always prefer women-only tournaments.

Time and the availability of resources will tell.

]]> The Proud Poker Papa: David Botfeld’s 2023 WSOP Main Event Experience Cashing and Rooting on Daughter Amanda https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/david-botfeld-2023-wsop-main-event-daughter-amanda/ Sun, 16 Jul 2023 06:17:00 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=59626 One of the most exciting stories to come out of the 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event was that of father-daughter duo David and Amanda Botfeld, who both managed to make it into the money. It was a beautiful encore to the Botfelds’ previous poker success, having finished third in the 2021 WSOP Tag Team event. Amanda’s involvement in the poker world over the last couple years, in particular working with WPT Global, has been well documented in poker media. In fact, she’s even a Cardplayer Lifestyle contributor! So we thought we’d take a slightly different angle on this year’s story and try to see things from David’s perspective as the proud papa. So, we reached out to hear how he experienced the pair’s twin deep runs in the most prestigious tournament in the world.

david botfeld

Photo credit: PokerNews

Surprisingly, David wasn’t sure if he’d even be playing in the Main Event at all! “I really was 50/50 on actually playing. Would have been fine with me to see Amanda make a deep run. But this was a ‘no regrets’ kind of decision: largest Main Event in history. I played two satellites and didn’t get through. Then I played in a $5/10 cash game the night before Day 2 and had an incredible run… I made just enough to register, so I strongly considered parlaying those winnings. It still seemed crazy, but Amanda and I do well together. And her mother gave me permission to take my best shot. So I did a late reg on Day 2 and started around 3 PM.”

When asked how he felt actually playing the Main Event, David’s answer was insightful: “I didn’t start very well as I went from 60K to 20K in just an hour of play and had work to do. I felt surprisingly comfortable. Seemed to me that everybody else had more fear on their faces than I did, so I played a more aggressive game. Players seemed to think an older guy never bluffs or 3-bets light, so I took advantage. Once we were close to the bubble, I just shut it all down until it burst. Folded J-J twice and A-K until we made sure we got through. Then it was pure joy.”

Once the bubble burst, David went to look for his daughter and they gave each other a big hug in a beautiful moment that captured the fascination of the poker world.

“That moment was just pure love and relief and joy. What a victory! The dream is alive and real, for BOTH of us!”

From the Felt to the Rail, Cash in Hand

David was eliminated on Day 4 and finished in 1,166th place, cashing for $17,500. Amanda advanced to Day 5 and eventually finished in 341st place, earning her personal-best result of $44,700.

When asked if he would play the Main Event again or if it was a one time thing, David’s reply was unequivocal: “I would play again. Thought I didn’t have what it really takes to play the fabled Main Event before entering, but I left thinking that I could into the future. Amanda is a pretty competent coach, and I actually learned quite a lot from her.”

It’s funny how sometimes the coach becomes the student. David had taught Amanda how to play poker 17 years ago. But who taught him to play? What was it that attracted him the most to poker in the beginning?

“My father was actually a national bridge champion, and his mother was the real card shark in the family. I played a lot of poker in high school and partially put myself through college playing in Gardena in the 70s. I really loved it all, but got a “real life” and didn’t play again until No Limit Hold’em started surging in popularity around 2000.”

As for whether David himself was a good poker teacher, he replied honestly: “Amanda actually lost a lot of money when she first started, and so we needed to get her familiar with the basics of how to play Texas Hold’em. She had a real aversion to the math at first as well, and so she made her own set of poker flash cards to begin to memorize the odds (33% chance of hitting a flush draw after the flop, things like that). I’m a numbers guy, so once she had basic competence in that arena, she could then became a real student of play and began to educate herself. These days often times I will text her to get her opinion about plays I’ve made, and her analysis is sharp and spot on.”

In the world of poker, women have historically been in the minority. As such, we were interested in David’s take on how that might perhaps negatively affect Amanda at the tables. “I know she loves the game, and that is the most important thing. Many times I would go to poker clubs with her to make sure that nobody gave her a hard time, but at the end of the day she had to learn how to handle herself and deal with challenging situations. She will often nowadays surprise other players with her astute play, and they will then back off quickly when they recognize she is nobody to be taken lightly. I love that she can be a dangerous player, and making those astute plays is what she loves.”

David and Amanda Botfeld

As for Amanda’s Main Event run in particular, David was practically beside himself reflecting on the rollercoaster experience from his perspective. “First she loses Nadya Magnus‘ Twitter contest, only to then get put in by Scott Ball. At some point, she’s the chip leader… Then she finds herself on the ‘freeroll of all freerolls’ after Bill Perkins bought some of her action midway through the tournament. Meanwhile, we both end up cashing the darn thing. This whole experience has just been surreal and incredible.”

A Proud Poker Papa

Asked for his thoughts on Amanda’s growth as a player, writer, content creator, and teacher, David said that “For me, playing the Main Event is like your daughter playing at Wimbledon. Best in the world. How could I miss seeing her play? She is a great writer, too, and her social media presence is always entertaining. She also learned a lot by being a trainer/teacher at PokerPower, where she has worked with women to play better poker. They say many times the teacher is the one that learns the most, and she has become a very skilled coach in doing so. Her deep run was no accident, and I truly believe she has the intelligence and love for the game to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. I would love that more than anything.”

david botfeld

David during the 2021 Tag Team / Photo credit: PokerNews

As for what it was like to experience that magical run to third place in the 2021 WSOP Tag Team Event together with his daughter, David responded that “The Tag Team is a little different than other tournaments. It’s great to be able to take a break when you need to. And it was an incredible experience to make a deep run together. Then again: who plays the Tag Team with their daughter/father? We were such an unusual commodity that we got people rooting for us. And they still are!”

Finally, we asked David about the Botfelds’ future in poker, specifically what other achievements he would like to experience together with Amanda now that they’ve both cashed in the Main Event together. In response, David said that “We know there is a certain magic that happens when we play together. I think at this point we are open to suggestion.”

One thing’s for sure, that whenever and wherever the Botfelds make their next magical run, the poker world will be watching and rooting them along!

]]> 23 Must-Follow Twitter Accounts for the 2023 WSOP https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/23-must-follow-twitter-accounts-for-the-2023-wsop/ Tue, 16 May 2023 23:05:38 +0000 https://cardplayerlifestyle.com/?p=58632 There are only a few days left until the start of the 2023 World Series of Poker, which will be played from May 30 through July 18 at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos in Las Vegas. It will be the 54th annual WSOP and the second in a row to take place on the Strip in the city that never sleeps.

If you have plans to play some tournaments or if you want to keep up with the results of all the events and the players doing deep runs, Twitter is the place to do it. For that reason, we put together a list of the 23 most important accounts that you should follow to be aware of all the action of the 2023 WSOP, including media outlets, top professional players, and even some other great accounts to fill you in on what else is going on in Las Vegas during what’s almost guaranteed to be a record-breaking poker summer..

Without any further ado:

Twitter 2023 WSOP

1) World Series of Poker @WSOP

The official WSOP account is the first one you should follow to stay up-to-date with news, results, and changes that may arise in the schedule. There you will also find the schedule for each day during the 2023 WSOP. If you want to see the 95 events that will be played, you can check them here.

2) PokerGO @pokergo

PokerGO will broadcast the 2023 WSOP for 47 days in a row and there you will be able to see the live streams of each day. The action will kick off on Thursday, June 1 with the broadcast of two tournaments: Day 2 of Event #4 Tournament of Champions at 4 PM E.T. and Event #2 High Roller 25K at 8 PM E.T. The coverage of the Main Event will run from July 3-17.

3) Kevin Mathers @KevMath

Kev will be part of the WSOP staff and will be able to help you with any doubts and queries you may have. So don’t forget to follow him, as he can be of great help if you have any problems during your stay in Las Vegas. If you @ mention him with a Tweet, he will surely respond to you in a friendly and fast way.

4) Daniel Negreanu @RealKidPoker

Daniel plans to play over 80 WSOP events and will likely be filming his traditional vlogs as he looks to win his seventh bracelet. By following him you will be able to live with him the adrenaline of the tournaments he participates in and watch his videos where he details his experiences in first person.

5) Phil Hellmuth @phil_hellmuth

Arguably the greatest player in WSOP history, Hellmuth has 16 bracelets and this year he will be looking to increase his total once again. Will he be able to do it? If you follow him closely you will be able to find out before anyone else when he reaches a new final table.

6) Cardplayer Lifestyle @PokerLifeMedia

You seriously don’t follow us on Twitter yet?! 🙂

All kidding aside, our account will continue tweeting out new original articles covering the goings-on at the WSOP, as well as interviews, and other great evergreen WSOP content we’ve published that you may have missed over the years. Plus, it’s ground zero for full coverage of our Mixed Game Festival V, which will be played from July 2-6 at Resorts World in Las Vegas.

7) The Hendon Mob @TheHendonMob

On their website you can see all the festivals that will be played in the different casinos throughout the summer while the 2023 WSOP is going on. Also, the HendonMob website is THE place to investigate your rivals at the table to see their results on the poker circuit.

8) PokerNews @PokerNews

As the name suggests, by following them you will be able to find out about the main news about what happens at the 2023 WSOP. Their excellent tournament coverage includes up-to-the-minute live updates as well as daily recaps and feature stories.

9) PokerAtlas Las Vegas @PokerLasVegas

You will be able to find out all the tournaments that are played every day in Sin City. The account is so detailed that it uploads a Tweet for each tournament that is played with its start time and structure. Very informative!

10) Vital Vegas @VitalVegas

This is how they are defined: “Your essential source for Las Vegas news, casino industry chatter and WTF”. It’s a fun source of entertainment about everything that happens in the city.

11) T. J. Jurkiewicz @tj_jurk

T.J. is a certified nutrition coach who last year created a guide to healthy eating on the Las Vegas Strip, which he turned into a book that you can download for free. With his tips you will be able to eat healthier during the 2023 WSOP and avoid junk food. You can also check out our interview with him.

WSOP eating guide

12) Jeff Platt @jeffplatt

The award-winning broadcaster and sideline reporter will be doing a lot of player interviews, commenting on live streams and also playing some tournaments in his spare time. He usually notifies followers who he is going to interview every day, giving you the opportunity to submit your questions, which he may ask in real time.

13) Ethan “Rampage” Yau @rampagepoker

The popular poker vlogger and “Dreamers” documentary protagonist is coming off the best year of his live poker career and will be looking to continue the hot streak at the 2023 WSOP. He is one of the most charismatic, easy-to-root-for players, which alone makes him a great follow.

14) Phil Galfond @PhilGalfond

The universally respected poker pro and Run It Once Training founder shares his valuable knowledge via threads on different topics that can help improve your game. Some highly recommended reading before signing up for any tournament. Phil will be looking to win his fourth bracelet this summer.

15) Jamie Kerstetter @JamieKerstetter

The WPT Global ambassador will be commenting on a large number of events and will also be playing several live tournaments. She is considered one of the best commentators and has a great sense of humor.

16) PokerORG @pokerorg

This newer website stands out for its excellent staff of experienced poker media veterans and provides original and unique content, using a number of state-of-the-art audiovisual tools. This summer will mark their team’s first WSOP, and their coverage will surely be excellent and engaging.

17) Las Vegas Locally @lasvegaslocally

This popular and active account shares and reports everything related to the city of Las Vegas. Informative, fun, interesting and colorful.

18) Shaun Deeb @shaundeeb

Shaun is a very interesting poker player to follow for several reasons: he has been fighting for the WSOP Player of the Year title for several years, he loves prop bets, and he is very active on Twitter. He’s looking to win his sixth bracelet this summer.

19) Jonathan Little @JonathanLittle

The Pokercoaching.com founder is a renowned player, coach, and prolific writer. On his account he shares valuable tips for players and shows his progress in the different tournaments he plays. He’s got a WPT title and will be looking to win his first WSOP bracelet this summer.

20) Chad Holloway @ChadAHolloway

Chad is one of poker’s longest-tenured and most experienced journalists and he will be covering the WSOP once again for PokerNews. He’s often privy to scoops and the first on the scene to dig up interesting info and other stories, so he’s a great follow especially around WSOP time.

21) Barny Boatman @barnyboatman

Barny, one of the original members of the Hendon Mob, has been playing in the WSOP since 2000 and has eight Main Event cashes. The veteran player will be back in Las Vegas and always shares his adventures with a lot of humor on his Twitter account.

22) Global Poker Index @gpi

The GPI draws up the most important live poker rankings and they have delivered the Global Poker Awards for four years. Everything that happens during the “summer of Vegas” will add points to the GPI rankings and potential prize winners will emerge at the Global Poker Awards. So if you like captivating races, leaderboards, and all sorts of poker statistics about the game’s top players, this account is a great follow.

23) Horseshoe Casino @Horseshoevegas

We close our list of recommendations with the official account of the 2023 WSOP venue. There you will be able to see announcements, videos and possible changes to the events.

Twitter 2023 WSOP

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