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Today in the 3-Bet we salute women in poker, find an amazing piece on poetry teacher and poker grinder DJ Renegade and catch Sorel Mizzi perhaps losing all sense of perspective.
1) Women in Poker Celebrated on International Women’s Day
Poker has come a long way since its ruddy, backroom beginnings. And it truly is one of the more egalitarian games on the planet.
When it comes to the percentage of women in the game, though, there’s still a long way to go.
Of the top 300 players in tournament poker today, only a handful of women make the list.
If PokerStars has its way however, for every Vanessa Selbst, Vanessa Rousso or Liv Boeree today there will be a dozen more female players taking their rightful places in poker's highest stakes.
No site promotes women in the game more than PokerStars and writer Rebekkah Mercer celebrates a few in particular in her post today on International Women's Day.
It's not a one-off thing either, as PokerStars's efforts to celebrate and encourage women in the game are notable throughout the year.
Over the last 18 months alone, PokerStars Women has sent over 600 women to play in live tournaments and thousands of women play weekly in special tournaments and leagues.
The effort seems to be paying off - their research says as many as 30-40 percent of online cash players are now women.
More on the history of women in poker and what PokerStars offers here.
2) “Homeless” Poet and DJ Grinds it Out at Atlantic City Casinos
Every time we walk into a poker room we can't help but think there are hundreds of amazing stories sitting around the tables waiting to be told.
Joel Dias-Porter – also known as DJ Renegade – is definitely one of them.
A former poetry slam phenom and middle-school poetry teacher, Porter now makes his living moving from casino to casino in Atlantic City, getting comped for rooms and grinding it out on the felt.
His friend Jeffrey McDaniel has written about it in an amazing piece on PoetryFoundation.org.
For his part, Porter sees his transient lifestyle and lack of a safety net as an asset:
"Technically I’m homeless, but I stay in four-star hotels every night,” he laughs. “… I’m the only homeless guy with $4,000 in his pocket.”
“I could walk past a bunch of drug dealers in the middle of the night in Atlantic City, and who’s trying to rob me? I look like a crackhead,” he laughs. “My hair’s uncombed. Dandruff on my shoulders. My clothes aren’t ironed.”
Patience and a lack of concern about money also help his game, he says.
It’s a great story and a great read; give it a look here. Read his poetry work here.
3) Sorel Mizzi Releases Trailer for Soon-to-Be Released Website
Yep. You read that headline right.
Sorel Mizzi’s rise up to #5 on the Global Poker Index may have gone a bit to his head based on his just released video trailer for his not-yet-released website.
Or he may just be the funniest guy alive. We can’t tell which. Either way the head-massage shot (0:46) and movie theatrics are amazing.
Check it below:
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