Now women are considered equal to men when it comes to gambling. Ladies can access various casino games from Aussie pokies online to lotteries like bingo and keno and take part in tournaments on an equal footing with men.
If you think a century ago a woman would rather run a household than gamble, you are wrong. Women have been gambling long before it was socially accepted. Gambling was a popular form of a pastime among ladies, but men did not understand it and even condemned this form of activity.
Even if playing casino games wasn't always considered proper behaviour, it did not stop women from gambling.
In this article, we want to tell you about the bravest and most talented female gamblers who have paved the way to success through male disapproval. They did not care and did what they liked most.
Lottie Deno
Carlotta J. Thompkins (aka Lottie Deno) was a famous US gambler during the 19th century who gambled predominantly in such states as New Mexico and Texas.
Carlotta was born in Kentucky, in 1844. Her real name is still the subject of debate, but her fame as a prominent poker player in the late 1800s — is not.
Carlotta’s family was wealthy and respected: her father was a racehorse breeder and gifted gambler. They say he travelled with his daughter and taught her how to win at card games at some American casinos. After her father died in the Civil War, Carlotta's mum sent her on a quest to Detroit to find a husband. Instead, she got into gambling after running out of money and travelling the Mississippi River.
In 1865, Lottie moved to San Antonio, where she fell in love with a gambler — Frank Thurmond. After some years, Frank was accused of murder, and he decided to run away from the city. Lottie followed him. They travelled together a lot, and finally, the woman settled down in Fort Griffin where she became famous as a gambler.
Carlotta has got numerous nicknames during her travels —“the Angel of San Antonio”, “Mystic Maud”, and others.
In 1877, Lottie and Frank moved to Kingston, New Mexico, where Carlotta started running a business — a gambling room in the Victorio Hotel. She quit gambling in 1882, two years later after marriage.
Poker Alice
Alice Ivers (Poker Alice) was a skillful female poker and faro player who became recognized as a gambler in the American West. Alice was born in England, but her family moved to Colorado where the girl met her husband — Frank Duffield.
He played poker, and it was probably him who got her interested in gambling. A few years after his death, Ivey started playing poker in New Mexico and earning a living playing poker. After her husband died, Alice found herself in a difficult financial situation. So, poker was a way to support her in every sense.
A female gambler has won a lot of money playing poker in Silver City and spent it all on clothes. Alice was obsessed with fashion, and she loved buying dresses. Alice was wearing them to play poker. It was a business investment to distract other players.
By the time the woman got the nickname “Poker Alice”, she drew lots of attention: large crowds of people were coming to see her playing against men.
Alice also worked at a saloon. The owners of this place liked that the lady had her principles. For example, Alice refused to play on Sundays.
Her reputation was growing, and her income — too. Sometimes Ivers could earn about $6,000 in one night. Some people claimed the woman raised more than $250,000. Now it is about three million dollars.
Alice was an attractive woman. Her dresses impressed male players and distracted them.
The secret to her success is counting cards and figuring out odds. Alice loved to bring a gun with her and always smoked cigars during rounds.
Annie Duke
A modern poker player and author who wrote books on cognitive behavioural decision science, Annie Duke was born in New Hampshire in 1965.
Annie played Texas Hold’em first when she was 22. She played in land-based casinos in Las Vegas while visiting her brother and getting support and instructions from him. Annie’s brother encouraged her to play poker professionally and even sent her $2,400 when she moved to Billings. Annie started playing more frequently. Soon her brother advised her to enter the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Annie followed his advice and took part in the tournament in 1994. In the first two tournaments, Duke took the 14th and 5th places and finished 26th. Annie finally won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Tournament of Champions, defeating some of the top male players in the world in 2004. This victory earned her over $2 million.
In recent years, Annie has become more involved in the business side of poker, serving as a consultant to various online poker sites and working with the Global Poker Index to create a ranking system for tournament players. She has also written two books on poker strategy: “How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won Millions at the World Series of Poker” and “Decide to Play Great Poker: A Strategy Guide to No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em”.
Now Annie Duke is one of the most successful and well-known female poker players. She has an impressive resume that includes a WSOP win, two books on poker strategy, and consulting work with various online poker sites.