WPN
The Poker Power took place on May 10 in the afternoon at the infamous 167 Greene Street building in Chicago. The venue’s pièce de résistance is the top-floor glass-enclosed basketball court, offering sweeping city views. This court has been used by several NBA teams and gained fame in 2022 when the shoe company New Balance filed a commercial on the court featuring Chicago Bulls player Zach LaVine.
Poker Power decorated the court with branded poker tables, colorful chips, and their highly coveted live travel team. The organization is known for more than just poker training. The mission is to teach 1 million women to play poker and use their platform to champion women’s rights issues, such as equality and diversity in the workplace. They use poker to teach essential leadership skills such as negotiation, risk assessment, discipline, and reading people. These skills are then leveraged to empower women to take their place at any table they choose confidently.
Poker’s own Rebbecca Scales, co-host of The Real Poker Girls of Las VegasPodcast and lead instructor at Poker Power, taught a table filled with powerhouse women, including superstar Angel Reese (Forward), Diamond DeShields (Guard), Marina Mabrey (Guard), and Elizabeth Williams (Forward), the fundamentals of no-limit Hold’em.
Rebbecca and Diamond DeSheilds shared a light-hearted moment when the flop revealed two club cards and one spade card. Her teammate playfully called out Diamond, suggesting she could have a flush. With a mischievous smile, Diamond turned over two red cards, and Rebbecca, not yet familiar with her name, jokingly said, ‘No, you can’t have a flush. You don’t have the right suit.’ Diamond declared, ‘My name is Diamond.’ The table erupted in laughter, creating a fun and engaging atmosphere that truly captured the spirit of the event.
Angel Reese, who is better known as Bayou Barbie, also enjoyed the quick whit at the table and was a target of much of the banter from her teammates, as they fondly referred to her as the baby because this is her rookie year in the WNBA. Despite being new to the team, she was highly competitive at the poker table and accustomed to winning. The first-round draft pick from LSU quickly picked up on the game and engaged in some witty banter herself, trying to get her teammates to call her when she was in position and looking down at suited Ace of Hearts and Queen of Spades. Although none would take the bait from the rookie, they acknowledged the parallels between the strategic aspects of poker and basketball, recognizing their similarities.
Angel Reese (Bayou Barbie)
Poker and basketball share more than just the apparent gender inequities. They connect on a deeper level, showcasing intriguing parallels between the two sports. Both require a strategic mindset, quick decision-making abilities, and the capacity to anticipate and react to opponents’ moves. Just as a basketball player must assess the defense and make rapid choices on the court, a poker player must analyze the table and opponents to make strategic bets and plays.
Additionally, both games call for mental toughness, resilience, and the ability to perform under pressure. Basketball players must stay focused and composed in intense moments, like poker players who must maintain clarity and composure during crucial hands and challenging opponents. At their core, poker, and basketball are united by their shared traits of skill, strategy, and the relentless pursuit of victory. This connection, which may seem unexpected initially, underscores that these seemingly different worlds have more in common than meets the eye.
