Man wins WPT Ladies tournament

A 70-year-old man resembling Santa Claus ruined the Ladies Event at the WPT Florida stop last week.

The World Poker Tour is in Florida for the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and on the schedule last week was a $250 Ladies event with 83 entries. 

It's not uncommon for a man to think it would be hilarious to enter a Ladies event. Some claim they are exposing reverse sexism, some think the event will be softer, and others claim they are helping to promote the event in some backwards logic manner. 

Whatever the reason, 70-year-old Dave Hughes was the latest player to do just that:

Playing the @WPT ladies event today, and Dave here is the only man. (Filmed w/permission!)

While we appreciate the dead money, I really wish men would get what these events stand for.

So I put a $300 bounty on his head and Tamra & Noah Piderit matched it. 🥳🥳

Let’s get him. pic.twitter.com/dXVZVlriAP

— Ebony Kenney | Poker & Purposeful Pleasure (@Ebony_Kenney) April 29, 2023

His appearance started off quite cordially in that the rest of the field was thankful for the dead money. Several in attendance put a bounty on his head, including Hughes himself.  

As the event continued the 'banter' appeared to subside and Hughes was reported as being disrespectful to the dealers:

Heads up now. Dave started the match w/a 6-1 chiplead & asked for the $100 back he contributed for his bounty.

He’s now down 3-1 in chips & has talked completely disrespectfully to the dealer.

Nice guy facade has crumbled.

The thing about facades is they are hard to keep up. https://t.co/F7Zjpf0N1B

— Ebony Kenney | Poker & Purposeful Pleasure (@Ebony_Kenney) April 30, 2023

Hughes eventually won the tournament for $5,555, defeating Dayanna Ciabaton heads-up. Ironically the bounties on his head likely helped him to victory as, were he to get dealt some decent hands the likelihood of him being called light was much greater. 

Due to State law, the WPT was unable to prevent men from entering the tournament. At the WSOP the same law is in place, however, they make the event $10,000 to enter with a $9,000 discount for women, to make the tournament unprofitable for men to consider playing. 

These guys who enter women’s events have the worst “main character syndrome.” Let other people enjoy things, not everything is about you.

— Jamie Kerstetter (@JamieKerstetter) April 30, 2023

Whenever this happens there tends to be a lot of debate in poker about sexism and gender identity. From what this writer has seen over the years the main reason most women like these tournaments is simply the unique atmosphere they enjoy from a table full of ladies, which is something they never get to enjoy any other time in such a heavily male-skewed pursuit like poker. When a man enters a Ladies Event he is not making a clever political statement, he is just ruining a good time. 

How would you solve this issue? Let us know in the comments: