The World Poker Tour hit it out of the park when they hired one of the best tournament directors in the business. Matt Savage is a poker player’s TD. He’s known for his consistency, accuracy and fabulous structures. But the WPT lost it in extra innings for me with the “Royal Flush Girls.” The question isn’t whether there should have been five. The question is: How far is poker willing to go to alienate women players and fans.

Poker has enjoyed a legacy as a big tent game. Man, woman, black, white, off the Mayflower, or “off the boat” — you got to put your money down and get the same seat as anyone else. Recognizing that woman didn’t have the same earning power as men, women’s events with lower buy-ins were added to almost every tournament lineup. Of course, women were always welcome to play any event. Whether women’s events are now archaic is a tired discussion. But the fact remains, poker had a track record for trying to be inclusive. 

 When I first started playing poker before the boom, people would ask me if I was intimidated sitting down in a game because I was a woman. If I ever had any gender insecurities — which I doubt — they were long gone before I started playing poker. As an engineering student in the 70s, I never would have made it. My freshman dorm had 700+ men and 28 women. I always felt comfortable at a poker table.

I have to say, however, that once poker grew in popularity and revenue, advertising agencies did poker a big disservice. All of a sudden, the online sites I played on started swamping me with bikini-clad images. Hey. I get it. Most poker players are guys. And the last thing I want is for the industry to go all “Virginia Slims” on me. But how crass can it get? How much don’t you want me to play?

PokerStars and Full Tilt haven’t been too bad. Although the whole Clonie Gowen/Maxim chapter at Full Tilt was certainly disappointing. And PokerStars — it took you until 2010 to sign Selbst?

I realize a lot of sports have a bimbo marketing factor. At the base end of the spectrum, you have the gals strutting it between boxing rounds. Even the Tour de France features stunning models for the jersey presentations. But are they featured in bikinis or lingerie? Nope. They get to wear the coolest stuff — like these polka dotted dresses. (I’m not much of a dress gal. It’s either a suit or jeans for me. But I am mad for those dresses. I totally want one.)

But I’m beginning to wonder whether there is any sport or any competitive endeavor that aleinates its female participants quite as much as poker does now.