You're still comparing apples and oranges. The 2004 TOC was a 9 (or ten?) person INVITE ONLY sit-n-go for well-known professionals. No person, man or woman, is going to watch that and think "hey if she can do it so can I!" because they're not allowed to enter in the first place.

Whereas when a random accountant from Tennessee turns $40 into a couple million, lots of every-mans think "hey I can do that too!" Just like women might think if a seemingly-normal woman wins the Main Event.

Edit: A female professional winning the Main Event would help bring women into poker, but a female non-professional would help a lot more, and for the sake of this argument we can consider Moutinho a non-professional because she's an unknown player.

I'm arguing this from the point of view of the hoi polloi. You know about the enormous variance in the game, I do too, but to the average person?

That's where the argument is: *if* the average person sees great value in Main Event results, then the average person would see great value in seeing someone beat people who very recently had great Main Event results.

Fair enough. Obviously we won't know for sure until a woman does win the main event. I just don't think it's automatic, 100% guaranteed. Women ARE getting the message right now, and it's doing nothing.

+1

tbh, I think all the right things are happening for more women to be interested in poker, it just needs a little time. It would take a massive cultural shift, and that would never be immediate.

I think it is important to see fresh faces climbing the ranks. I also think that Erika's backstory is a nice boost for gaining interest in American women casually watching the WSOP. She's not someone's famous family member or some genius phenom from far away. She's a regular girlfriend that took interest in her boyfriend's gaming and learned to play at a skilled level. It's something that they can do TOGETHER, and still highlight individual success. Gotta love it. Plus any camera time for women in poker is a benefit.

I don't think anyone can argue against the fact that each time a woman is shown playing in any events during TV air-time, winning or placing or just playing, is going to add a certain level of reinforcement to something they might already know. Every one of these instances brings those women that are interested but might just be afraid to enter "a man's world" makes them more comfortable with the idea. I don't think there's ever going to be a boom of women after any event no matter what the outcome, but I do think that as more women see more women playing on TV, the wives and girlfriends of male poker players (and the single ones, whatever) that are interested but might be too afraid to actually sit at the table become more and more likely to make that first step.

Congratulations to David and Erika, from twitter today:

It's official!! Couldn't be more excited to spend the rest of my life with @Doc_Sands

Now we know what they spent their winnings on

That ring is ridic! Best wishes to both of them.

Haven't met either one of them but great story. Doc was great on the pokercast.

Super cool timing to pop the question--well done sir! Huge ring too-- how big would it have been if you two had final tabled??

I'm not big on public proposals, but popping the question at the table would have been hall of fame IMO.

omigosh +1!!!!!

from doc's twitter:

Ring shopping with @EMoutinho. Cartier @Wynn evidently does not have any stones big enough for her taste. #thiscouldgetexpensive.

i lol'd.

thumbs up on that chip of a diamond.

Maybe I'm the first to notice, but Mountinho pwns Nutsinho.

At least he has the fundamentals of ring shopping down #1 Rings are expensive and #2 Rings are REALLY expensive

I ain't sayin' she a gold digger

Here is Jennifer Shahade's Women's Poker Hour interview with Erika for Woman Poker Player Magazine...

http://www.womanpokerplayer.com/poke...-moutinho.html

Good for them. She is great looking and they both have money, so good.

Congratulations to them both and I wish them a happy, healthy marriage.

Thought they were so cute on tonight's coverage.
Also just so adorable how visibly happy and proud Doc is of her and how he just talks about her every chance he gets.
Sweet guy. Lucky girl

spoiler alert!

oh and furthermore, as the lads on 2p2 pokercast discussed a few weeks ago...by a number of factors combined. Women as a species are inclined genetically and in other circumstantial elements, not to be drawn in to play poker with such vested interest and frequency as many people think they have the ability too.

I wish the best of luck to those that do and reap success whether it is because they are inspired by a successful role model or by their own personal drive

those words, they do not mean what you think they mean.

bahahahahahahaaaa

+1 professorben

huh?