Re: Male vs. Female
[ QUOTE ]
I believe that men are better at math than girls. Or abstract thinking. I'm not sure though nor do I have facts to back that up. Just something I vaguely recall.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'd like to contrast poker with backgammon. In backgammon, if you are a jerk to a fish, you take a long break while the fish leaves to find someone less obnoxious. In poker, you can be a jerk, and whether you recognize that it pushes the most valuable opponents away or not, you get to keep playing if one fish leaves. This lack of feedback may be the reason disproportionately many poker players are anti-social, irritating people.
The above statement about the relative mathematical abilities of men and "girls" is highly offensive, as are many things women poker players face at the table. In some countries, about 5% of the mathematicians are women. In others, about 50% of the mathematicians are women. As a mathematician, it's pretty clear to me that there is a strong social component to the choice of fields, and some cultures discourage competent women from entering or staying in fields where they can be successful.
Because women are discouraged from playing poker, and this is bad for the game, I see nothing wrong with artificial encouragements for women to participate, such as ladies' events. Besides, some poker chicks are hot.
|