The World Series of Poker welcomes all players. The diversity of race, ethnicity, physical ability, and gender is what sets poker apart from sports and other competitive activities. Yet and still, the fields at WSOP tournaments continue to be predominantly white and male. Many reasons have been discussed as to why women don’t play large buy-in tournaments in more significant numbers, but the fact remains that women average less - sometimes far less - than five percent of a tournament field.

On the whole, Harrah’s and the WSOP welcome women as they do anyone else. They especially tout the $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship, the one tournament designated for women, and when men infiltrated the field this year, as they were allowed to do by state law and gaming regulations, tournament officials were livid. They swore they would remedy the situation somehow and ensure that the ladies-only event lives on for years to come. But the fact that the tournament is not officially open to all players makes it one of the few bracelets awarded at each WSOP that many discount and label as less noteworthy or legitimate. Harrah’s and the WSOP will need to examine the issue on various levels before the 2011 WSOP, but instead of focusing on how to preserve a tradition that some feel is outdated and sexist, they could take a look at how to welcome more women to the their 54 open events.

The most important way to reach female poker players is to reach out to organizations that promote women’s events. Offer space in the hallways of the Rio Convention Center - or wherever the 2011 events may be held - to those groups and encourage them to host satellite tournaments or other promotions that award seats to open WSOP events. And should the ladies-only event cease to be a part of the WSOP in future years, take the suggestion of blogger CK (Black Widow of Poker) and organize the storming of an open event so as to inundate it with women. Should women sign up for any open event, say a $1,000 buy-in NLHE that is the same format as the ladies event, en masse, it would show that women are a true force in the industry. A tournament that finds itself with women comprising half the field is not only news but a sign that the industry can change and is changing.

Harrah’s and the WSOP can also work with all the women's organizations to speak with women about their concerns and reasons they hesitate to play in open events. If they fear harassment by male players, WSOP officials can take special care to train dealers and floor staff in how to be more aware of harassing behavior, how to thwart efforts to intimidate women at the tables, and how to penalize players for such tactics.

One of the ways to make women feel more welcome at the WSOP is to refrain from establishing sections of the tournament center dedicated to sexist notions. At the beginning of the 2010 WSOP, part of a recreation room was designated as the Man Cave, though after immediate criticism from some in the poker media, that label was quickly removed. There need not be portions of the convention center dedicated to men or women but welcoming to all, and the entire area needs to be clear of references to poker as a man’s game, bikini-clad women of years past handing out passes to the hotel pool, and the closing the women’s bathroom to accommodate men during tournament breaks. There have been strides made through the years, such as the ousting of the scantily-clad Milwaukee’s Best Light women and the Sapphire Pool women, and the elimination of the overly-sexist PokerPalooza convention with strippers and the like. A little attention paid to the messages sent by such promotional ideas is all it takes to ensure a more welcoming atmosphere to all players.

The media can assist in encouraging more women to play as well. Women-centric media outlets, like the one you’re reading right now, can be encouraged to cover more of the women who play in the events and give them exposure during the WSOP. While there will continue to be websites and blogs that feature photographs of “hot girls” railing male players, other sites can and should step up to counter those efforts by spoofing that idea or simply covering all of the female players in the tournaments. (Suggestions for more open media coverage are given with the knowledge that funding is not often available to pay for such writing and photography.)

The WSOP tries to welcome women but tends to do so somewhat clumsily, such as with the press release prior to the 2010 Series touting it as the “year of the woman.” It was presumptive, despite its best intentions, and it proved to be untrue. Serious efforts can be made, especially with the help of seasoned female pros who would likely be very open to providing input and the aforementioned women’s poker groups who have the best chance of encouraging more women to play open WSOP events.

And if the WSOP doesn’t reach out and make more substantial efforts, women will simply have to do it on their own. They’ve accomplished far greater feats than this.