According to research carried out on 1,000 respondents across the UK, more women are playing poker than ever before.
While poker is stereotypically considered a male game, the research from 888poker shows a 22% increase in female players across the UK in the last year, and a 23% rise over the last five years. Within the past year, new player buy-in from men has been 14% lower than women, and 22% lower over the last five years.
Women are accessing the game in a variety of formats, the top five most popular games of poker participated in by women include:
- Casual games with friends and family – 48% (vs. 54% men)
- Online cash games – 33% (vs. 35% men)
- Organised cash games – 27% (vs. 32% men)
- Live buy in tournaments – 26% (vs. 27% men)
- Free mobile applications – 25% (vs. 27% men)
The increase in the number of women playing poker can be attributed to a variety of reasons. Around 58% of women stated they started playing poker due to the social element of the game, while 37% of women claimed they play because it is easy to learn. While 31% of women surveyed have never played in a competitive format, 33% of women opted to play poker as they believed it was easy to consistently win money.
