Napoleon’s Owlerton

Let’s face it, poker is a great game and should be played by everyone, men and women alike, and on a level playing field. It’s important to draw new players into the game, and women especially.

To that end, Napoleons Casino Owlerton’s first ever women’s poker tournament has just reached its climax with more than 90 women proving they can more than match the men when it comes to raising the stakes, calling someone’s bluff and aiming for the professional top flight.

It was a dream come true for two Sheffielders who have been campaigning for a dedicated women’s tournament at the venue for months.

Stella Richards, from Beighton, who regularly plays in tournaments said: “The Internet has stimulated an enormous interest in poker but you can’t beat playing with people face-face. It’s the only way to learn the tactics that can win or lose a game.”

Ladies travelled from the four corners of the country for the inaugural Betfred Women’s Poker Tour.

Allan Cooper, general manager of Napoleons Casino Owlerton, said: “We’ve already established ourselves as the region’s poker capital with a reputation for being at the forefront of latest trends and raising the game’s image. The old male-dominated `Wild West’ image of poker is long gone. There has been a huge increase in women taking it up in the past few years, with much success.

“Casinos are very safe and sociable places, that’s why they are becoming a more attractive night out for women who enjoy our bar and restaurant as well as our gaming facilities. While our female members are welcome along anytime, I’m sure this is just the first of many dedicated events for them to enjoy.”

The venue already stages women-only poker lessons by appointment, as well as offering free lessons for all customers and staging hundreds of poker tournaments throughout the year.

Casandra Mitchell, also from Beighton, added: “It has been a fantastic night. You can only really learn the game playing in a proper cardroom against other people and it’s often quite intimidating to play against the men in a, usually, male dominated environment – this was a perfect and enjoyable introduction and is going to improve my game no end.”

Napoleons Casino Owlerton general manager said: “There’s a real art to playing poker. It’s not just the cards you’re dealt, it’s how you play them and all the psychology involved. It’s also about learning how to read other players and what’s behind their tactics.

“We teach the basics to equip you to enter a poker competition with understanding – development comes with practice and experience.

“People do make a living out of poker now and the number of professional female players is growing every year.”