$250 Ladies event during the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown attracted 83 entries, and 70-year-old Dave Hughes was the only man who entered the tournament. Everything seemed a bit lighthearted at first, ladies joking about having dead money in the pot, offering additional bounties on Hughes, which totaled to $2,000 with contributions from Ebony Kenney, Tamra and Noah Piderit, Jeff Platt, Michael Berk, Jake Ferro, Frank Stepuchin, and even the man himself pitched in $100.
Playing the @WPT ladies event today, and Dave here is the only man. (Filmed w/permission!)
— Ebony Kenney | Poker & Purposeful Pleasure (@Ebony_Kenney) April 29, 2023
While we appreciate the dead money, I really wish men would get what these events stand for.
So I put a $300 bounty on his head and Tamra & Noah Piderit matched it. 🥳🥳
Let’s get him. pic.twitter.com/dXVZVlriAP
But then all hell broke loose when Dave went further and further in the tournament and eventually to the heads-up, which he began with a big 6:1 chip lead. Reportedly, he also asked for the $100 back he contributed on his own head. As said, Hughes won the tournament for $5,555 and was crowned as the Ladies champion.
Heads up now. Dave started the match w/a 6-1 chiplead & asked for the $100 back he contributed for his bounty.
— Ebony Kenney | Poker & Purposeful Pleasure (@Ebony_Kenney) April 30, 2023
He’s now down 3-1 in chips & has talked completely disrespectfully to the dealer.
Nice guy facade has crumbled.
The thing about facades is they are hard to keep up. https://t.co/F7Zjpf0N1B
So why was he playing in the event in the first place? Per Florida law, it’s prohibited to discriminate against players and deny them from playing in the event, so there’s nothing the management can do. On the other hand, there were 61 events on the schedule during the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown series, so the lack of tournaments can’t be an excuse.
Some do it as some sort of a protest, some due to monetary value, some as a prop bet, some as a charity, and others are just seeking attention. And yes, we know we’re contributing to this by reporting on the tournament.
These guys who enter women’s events have the worst “main character syndrome.” Let other people enjoy things, not everything is about you.
— Jamie Kerstetter (@JamieKerstetter) April 30, 2023
This is hardly the first time a man entered a Ladies event, but it’s much rarer that he also won it. According to PokerNews, Abraham Korotki won the $300 Ladies event back in 2009, taking home $20,982 while denying a heads-up chip with Nicole Rowe, who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and was hoping to use the prize money toward medical care.
One of the most notable participations in the Ladies event was in 2010 when Shaun Deeb entered the World Series of Poker Ladies Event in full drag with 10 of his friends. Nevada has a similar law to Florida regarding discrimination. Still, WSOP made a workaround to setting up a buy-in for Ladies Event at $10,000 and giving women a 90% discount, which was totally legal. In this case, Deeb and his companions had to pay $10,000 to enter the event.
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Ladies Event Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Hughes | $5,555 |
| 2 | Dayanna Ciabaton | $3,400 |
| 3 | Abby Merk | $2,115 |
| 4 | Joy Benn | $1,430 |
| 5 | Helene Corcoran | $1,090 |
| 6 | Karen Cleveland | $875 |
| 7 | Solange Lucas | $725 |
| 8 | Betty Davis | $610 |
