Maria Ho says she was bullied when she first started playing poker

Maria Ho has claimed that women poker players are still too scared to play at the same table as men.

The 27-year-old insisted that women are 'bullied' and unable to even learn the basics of the game without being intimidated.

And despite boasting career winnings of $360,000 herself, Ho admitted she supports women who want to play in ladies only events.

She said: "There are still so many women that I talk to on a personal basis that are honestly intimidated to sit down and join a table full of men.

"There is still a lot of protocol that players are kind of expected to know from the beginning, such as how to bet, when to bet and what you can and cannot say.

"If a woman sits down and is immediately thrust into that atmosphere, she may not have a good experience and may never come back.

"That’s why ladies events are so important.

"There’s nothing wrong with providing women an arena to compete amongst themselves until they are comfortable enough to jump in with the rest of the poker community.”

Ho, who describes herself as 'Pro poker player,full-time knowledge seeker,part-time singer/performer, amazing racer and budding entreprenuer' told Cardplayer.com that she herself was bullied when she first started playing in 2002, when she was at college in San Diego county.

She added: "When I first started, I got a lot of men who were trying to bully me around.

"At the time, I really wasn’t aware of that female to male dynamic. Over the years, it’s changed a lot. Now, when I’m recognized, I get a lot of passive play.

"If I’m up against someone who doesn’t know who I am, then I might get a lot of aggression.

"Some men think women are weaker and can therefore be pushed around."

The Taiwan-born pro, who now lives in California, was the last woman standing in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 35th out of a field of 6,358 players.



