PokerStars has confirmed the return of the Women’s Poker Power Bootcamp, following the success of its first event. With the online poker room determined to increase exposure of the game and ensure poker becomes an all-inclusive pastime, a second bootcamp will be hosted from July 31 to September 28, 2023.
These bootcamps are geared towards women who are interested in picking up the game of poker and developing basic and intermediate skills and strategies to deploy at the online and live tables. At the heart of the course, entrants will be taught ways to improve their patience and mental fortitude.
The bootcamp will comprise eight modules, each honing the skills of students in various areas of the game. As part of the teaching, students will be allowed to put their learning into practice against fellow classmates using the PokerStars Home Games platform.
The inspiration behind the reboot of the Women’s Poker Bootcamp
The decision to bring back the Women’s Bootcamp was driven largely by a recent survey carried out among UK women. The majority (55%) of women surveyed felt the game of poker wasn’t inclusive enough to encourage them to play. In addition, those who already played the game said they experienced multiple benefits. More than two-fifths (42%) said it improved their concentration and focus, while 38% said they could make decisions with greater clarity in the wider world.
Rebecca McAdam Willetts, director of partnerships, public relations and consumer engagement at PokerStars, said the online poker room was keen to “encourage more women to come to the table”. Willetts says the Women’s Bootcamp delivers a “safe and fun space” for women to learn more about the game and grow as players and people.
Registration for the next bootcamp closes on July 22. The course will include interactions from some of the leading female PokerStars ambassadors, including Jennifer Shahade, Georgina James and Lali Tournier. Shahade made her name as a chess player first and foremost, becoming a two-time US Women’s Chess Champion. She also has the proud title of FIDE Woman Grandmaster, comparing favourably with the other top male Grandmasters. Chess is yet another popular game which can sharpen the mind and improve decision-making abilities both at the felt and in the real world.
A chance to mix with Europe’s finest poker players
The culmination of the next Women’s Bootcamp will be a multi-table tournament of students. Those who reach the final table will each scoop an all-expenses-paid trip to the European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus in October. The EPT is one of four live poker circuits endorsed and sponsored by PokerStars, including the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP). These circuits have multiple stages hosted in major cities across the calendar year, with a string of multi-table tournaments and cash games organised at each stage.
There are five stages on the EPT calendar in 2023, with Cyprus the penultimate leg of the quintet of events staged between October 11-October 22. In fact, it’s the first time the EPT has ventured to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, bringing many of the continent’s finest poker professionals to the region. The EPT Cyprus Main Event will be staged at the five-star resort, Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, located to the north of the island. The final table at the Women’s Bootcamp will be strong indeed.
The EPT Cyprus Main Event carries an entry fee of $5,300 ordinarily, allowing the final tablers from the bootcamp to rub shoulders with some of Europe’s best poker players – both male and female. They will also enter the Women’s Bootcamp Showdown which will be held during the EPT Cyprus leg.
There are several other tournaments pencilled in for EPT Cyprus, allowing the lucky final tablers from the bootcamp to watch those with the biggest bankrolls play in the Super High Roller, which kicks-off proceedings at EPT Cyprus over the first three days. That’s followed by the Main Event, the Mystery Bounty and the High Roller tournaments.
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