I am an Asian American female in her mid-20s who plays $2/5 as a semi-reg at Borgata. I have a full-time job and travel on weekends to play.


I often find myself in spots that I don't believe I would be in if I were a guy. So, I'd like to know what you all think about this:

• Whether through play or observation, what is your take/feedback/experience in playing against females in cash games?
  
• How does (if at all) any part/combination of my description (age, gender, physical appearance, race, etc.) have any affect on how players view me and play against me?

I'm open to questions and sharing scenarios...

I am also a female player, but white and 47. When I play other women, I usually assume they are tight/passive until proven otherwise, even young Asian women. However, if there is ever a player I pay really close attention to, it's a young Asian woman! I expect to be wrong about the tight/passive often and expect to see a lot of aggression and good play if I am wrong. Seriously.

My general impression and stereotype is that I will usually assume a lady will be much tighter than the average poker player.

For me age generally holds very little factor for me. Apart from being very very old. Apart from that I personally don't have any dramatic shifts in my game if I were to just sit down and play with you. I doubt very much any other players having a differing view from mine.

Age is a big factor for me. I consider an older Asian woman like any other woman. If they are not tight/passive, I figure it out, but I'm not watching them as closely and expecting them to turn aggressive as with a young Asian woman.

I am a male and I have more of a stereotype when playing against a younger asian than a female.

btw there is a whole forum just for women called thats what she said http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/18...what-she-said/

Against unknowns, your bluffs will work an insanely high percentage of the time.

And if you're attractive, you're going to get alot more action pre-flop. Guys will make looser calls to play with the pretty girl. But when serious money goes in, they "let you have this one".

Hard to imagine this thread passing the PC test...

All I can say is that anything that deviates from optimal can be exploited, and further it deviates, more it can be exploited.

I don't mix it up during the 1st 4/5 orbits. Being 60, I like to sit with a cup of coffee, so I'm stereotyped as 'OMC' after 5 rounds. So, if I just sat down at your table, it wouldn't make any difference as I would have a decent idea of how you play by the time I start getting involved.

If you show a lot of cleavage & like to flirt to put your Vs off guard, I go for the jugular more decisively than against others. However, I will not make looser calls as others might. Since I'm 60 and I've yet to meet a woman in her mid 20s lookin' for a 'Sugar Grandpa' my goal is to see your sexy lips pout when I turn over the best hand.

Probably more important to know how the bad players see you, but for me, I will automatically assume that you are not terrible and have some grasp of the game. I will also be on the look out for more than average stationy behavior in large pots because you think you are being bullied.

The younger the player the more I assume the money matters to them more. Most young asians in my game are nitty as hell.

To start off with, in what spots do you perceive yourself being treated differently? It is hard to discuss in generalities.

I'm not looking for PC responses. I'm talking straight up candor, whether sexist, ageist, or racist, or not.

HH from two weekends ago that debunks the perceived tight/passive image:

$2/5 ($200min/$500max)
V1 (big blind) has $150 and has been very loose by stating that he would and does call any pre-flop bet
V2 (button) has $800 and has a LAG image
Heroine (MP) has $800 and has a TAG/winning image
It's a new game on a Saturday early afternoon that's been open for less than 2 hours.

PREFLOP:
UTG straddles for $10. UTG+1 blind raises to $20. I am in MP with AdQd and raise to $50. V2 calls. V1 says “This is the worst hand to do this with but what the fvck… I’m all in. I have 6-deuce.” He actually tables the 6-deuce off, too! I call the V1’s $150 all-in (though in retrospect, I could’ve raised here, too.) V2 calls.

FLOP ($350):
Qh6h3d
I bet $200. V2 goes all-in for $650. I snap call putting myself all-in as well.

TURN ($350 main pot & $1300 side pot):
Ks

RIVER ($350 main pot & $1300 side pot):
8c

V2 looks at me to table my hand. I tell him that he’s the last aggressor. So he turns over A10-off for ace-high.
I’m not complaining… TPTK holds up for me a ton at showdown. But does this happen for/to dudes? I doubt it does, this isn’t 2003 (from what I hear, I wasn't old enough to play then.)

Omg... lol.

I agree with the standard 'tight/passive' assessment. I think there is also a tendency for females that don't fit into the tight/weak/passive/ category to go too far in the opposite direction and sometimes be way overly aggressive.

It seems like some of the females that are aware of the general trend towards being perceived as too tight and try to swing the pendulum back in the other direction but go too far. They overcorrect and then their over-aggression becomes exploitable.

So I guess the best thing is to try to play in the optimal range in between the two extremes and when you find yourself in a spot where your image is leaning too heavily towards one end of the spectrum or the other, use that image to your advantage and exploit it to the max.

That hand has nothing to do with being a female imo. That's just what maniac gamblers do. Imo you will be better served to not worry about being a female and just exploit each villain as well as you can.

IME, the Asian part of that (which is stereotyped as "gamble-gamble") cancels out the female (stereotyped as tight and MUBSY), though most regs will realize that the "gamble-gamble" stereotype applies more to middle-aged Asian females than young ones.

I suspect that your image is approx neutral, with extremes to either side from folks who apply one stereotype, but not the other.

This exactly.

Unless given reason to believe otherwise I think most players will give your bets a ton of credit and never think you would ever bluff or play 64 suited, etc. If you mix it up even a little bit, but only show solid hands, cbet a bit more, raise on combo draws etc they wont ever expect it. Be the opposite of who they think you are without letting them realize. Play the role of the tight quiet asian while being a silent assain. I envy your position.

Yes, it does when the stacks go in on the flop.

You made a weak 3bet, which indicated that you didn't have a lot of confidence in your hand. A LAG is going to try to put you to the test.

Women in general go in the tight passive or tight aggressive bucket. the younger, hotter, and more stylish (materialistic) they look, the more credence I give the idea that they might be a competent LAG. Square the last part if they are also Asian with great nails and an expensive handbag/shoes.

One side note, in my 25 years of playing live, I have met a lot of really good, really mean, really aggressive female players. However, I have never met ONE with the same disregard for money as a degenerate male player. I don't see women blowing stacks willy nilly, raising it up UTG with the 35 suited in Limit Holdem, running off to the pit to get unstuck in one fell swoop, or betting her last 2.7K on the Blue Jays on a Wednesday night. Not saying she is not out there, but if she is, I haven't found her, and she is my dream girl, so get her number for me.

You made the perfect play for your image given the agressive player behind you. Weak three bet, plus the flat call of a raise when you got showed the 62. He is calling thinking he can take it away from you on the flop, I probably make the same play, yet it is an auto muck pre if you had been a male LAG.

I thought this was a thread in which OP gets shown the nuts or gets free card...

There is an attractive blonde girl that regs the borgata 2/5 who is one of the better players in the field (not saying a lot but still true).

You should try playing with her a few times and observe how the table reacts to her.

What on earth gives you the impression that great nails = LAG? Do I need to start getting manicures?

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Much better to look like a school teacher or librarian and selectively lag it up in secret. Flashy, shallow, stylish people are much more likely to be LAG, it's just they way they are.

You on the other hand, should hone your lag game while sporting little sweaters, clear coat polish over little nubbys, comfortable walking shoes. No one will see your super system moves coming.

Red claws, prada bag, face full of makeup, constant texting on an I phone 6, and observant males will be on the lookout for bluffs.