I've been dominating a local game for a few days and today, after I sat down for about 30 min and had built up my stack some, two of the men at the game got up an basically left (chips still sitting at the table). (I've played with both before and won some money off them in the past.) There were only five players and when two left, we played 3 handed a bit, but then the game broke. I hung out for about 30 min waiting for other players to show up, but them decided to cash out and take a break. As soon as I cashed out, the two guys came back and the remaining players decided to play another game (pot limit Omaha). It was obvious to me that they just didn't want to play with me at the table. They know I don't play Omaha. I'm not sure I did the right thing by leaving.

P.S. I should add that this is in a state where there aren't cash games but timed sit-n-gos that last about an hour, with a chip down to the max buy in at the end of a session, wherein the next game starts. It operates much like a cash game, but players are supposed to stay and play until the end of the session. Unfortunately at this place they don't blind you out if you aren't at the table. I feel gipped cause of the times that I've stayed with a large stack and lost some of it because I felt obliged to stay through the end of the session.

Any thoughts about this, maybe how to handle this when it happens again?

PPS. I should also add that one of the guys sexually harassed me to try to tilt me for about five hours two days ago. I put up with this **** and took his money, but I think he just didn't want to get beat by a woman, again.

Are you making sure to shower at some point before going to the casino?

I'm not sure this has anything to do with you running the table for a couple of days. Do you often run the table? How long have you been playing in that room? With those players? Are there other female players? If so, are the other female players as skilled as you are?

Despite all of these questions, I would press the card room to enforce their own rules, and explain why you feel disadvantaged, given that you stick to the rules of playing until the end, but others walk away when they are losing money.

It might not have so much to do with the fact that they're scared of playing with you, but just good old-fashioned misogyny. Unfortunately, they're well within their rights, I don't know that there's much you can do.

It could also be unrelated to that, and they just don't like you for some other reason.

Thanks all for your responses. I do shower (haha) and the next day the card room made sure the men in question abided by the rules, so things got better. I still had to put up with fairly obnoxious behavior, but that just comes with the territory of being an older, queer woman who does well at the table.

Curious what state this is? Is this an Indian casino? after each hour long session, are you able to go South? Does everyone have to start with the same stack for each new session?

As far as their behavior, I would def make sure they are adhering to the rules of the room, and if they are not being blinded out for the duration of the hour, then they should get some sort of warning.
If this was an isolated occurrence, I am not sure I would read too much into their leaving as far as being scared or whatever...there are lots of reasons they could have for getting up, even though it's not really allowed. If they however, do it every time you are playing with them, then you have a real issue that needs to be taken up with management.
Good Luck!

This is definitely one of my concerns about moving over to live play from online, being nonbinary. Obnoxious people are everywhere, but I feel like there'd be a higher concentration at a casino (especially when you mix in alcohol). Is this something you encounter often?

Depending on stakes and the individual casino, you might see a bias towards women or non-straight males (watching some of the people in New Orleans during Decadence comes immediately to mind). However, as a general rule, it seems far better (as viewed from the perspective of THIS older lesbian) that it is far better now than it was five to ten years ago...

Obnoxious people are potentially going to be everywhere, but I have also noted that floor staff are often doing a better job at keeping that in check. I've even had dealers that called for the floor without being prompted by me...

What does being a lesbian have to do with playing poker?

In theory, nothing. However, some areas still have some mouth-breathers that get deeply offended when women don't fawn over them. I'm sure some NOW would try to justify it as just another mode of 'speech play' instead of just calling it a good old-fashioned bias manifesting itself by the individual having been an a-hole...

There isn't much you can do, it's their choice if they want to leave. I had seen regulars leave the table like this when I was playing regularly at Commerce Casino.

It has less to do with poker than it has to do with the attitudes/beliefs that many older, straight men have.

Lmao

Maybe they are scared that you can play and can pick up other female players ( if you and they wanted) all without having the nuts. Potentially very tilting. I suggest you come across as fun and friendly.

As my grandfather told me when I first started playing poker in high school with great success, "You can shear a sheep many times, but you can only slaughter it once."

If I'm getting my ass kicked by a superior player, I don't play against him, or in this case, her. Money is genderless. Glad to hear the room enforced the rules the next day at least.

It's almost certainly a combination of both those reasons.

Really? I change my sit to be in position and wait for a good hand to trap or cooler))
To the topic starter: that's why I travel to different casinos every weekend from NYC. I don't want to be too recognizable.