The World Series of Poker happens each summer in Las Vegas and is considered the most anticipated card competition of the year. This year, however, it has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic. As tens of thousands of poker pros cancel their plans, many will be looking for a poker fix…at home.
POKER QUEENS, a provocative film about the game’s top female players, is now streaming on Amazon Prime and Vimeo On Demand. Fans of movies like Rounders, Molly’s Game, Lucky You, and Mississippi Grind will gain a fresh perspective with this intimate look at poker’s most successful and fascinating female poker pros.
Director Sandra Mohr, herself a skilled poker player, is quick to point out this movie is not only for card players. “I hear the most positive reviews from people who’ve had their first exposure to poker’s colorful subculture through the movie, and are inspired by the remarkable women featured in the film,” she says.
Women make up less than 7% of the live game poker field, and no woman has ever taken home top prize at the World Series of Poker Main Event. Among the biggest obstacles are men who openly disdain and discourage women in poker rooms.
Actress and poker pro Jennifer Tilly admits it can be “intimidating” walking into a guy’s game, but she and the other bold female players featured in the documentary are up for the challenge. Many earn millions playing the game.
The women in the documentary are skilled, competitive, and willing to do whatever it takes to win. In one memorable sequence, female poker personality Sia Layta, employs what some might call a “transgender” gambit. With the aid of a Hollywood makeup artist, she transforms into “one of the guys,” a strategy that immediately tripled her winnings in online tournaments and casino play. The film highlights the dramatic controversy created when the World Series of Poker vowed to disqualify Sia and keep her $10,000 buy-in if she played in their tournament dressed as a man.
Overall, Poker Queens celebrates the bright, talented and gutsy female professionals who live and breathe poker. “We were blessed to get the participation of the most amazing women who played at the WSOP last year,” producer Christine D. Beatty says. “Kristen Bicknell, Liv Boeree, Jennifer Harman, Loni Harwood, Kathy Liebert, Kelly Minken … the list goes on and on.” The film’s cast of poker royalty also includes Jennifer Tilly, Muskan Sethi, Esther Taylor, Gillian Epp, Jan Fisher, Angelica Hael, and Linda Johnson.
The reviews for Poker Queens have been positive. These include U.S. Poker, CardsChat and Poker News Daily, which wrote, “All of the women involved with the documentary – from Mohr to the litany of poker stars who provided their input – should be proud of this effort and it should be a staple of any poker player’s viewing.”
Some very notable men are also featured, including Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu, Joey Ingram, Jeff Boski, Ryan Depaulo and mind coach Elliot Roe—all of whom support more women at the poker table.
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