PLAYER STATS
Among the top five female poker players in the world
$ 2.6 million in lifetime poker earnings
The most-cashing female in the World Series of Poker 2012 and 2014 , and the only player to earn the Last Woman
Standing title a record three times
The first female to be co-host and strategic commentator for the Heartland Poker Tour
Host of the Battle of Malta tournament
Competed on the Emmy award-winning TV series The Amazing Race with fellow poker pro Tiffany Michelle
Co-Host and commentator on CBS ' s The Final Table
Celebrity spokesperson for WinStar World Casino
Competed on season three of American Idol , making it through to Hollywood Week
Proud former member of UC San Diego ' s student a cappella group , the DOTs , or " Daughters of Triton "
AFTER GRADUATING with a degree in communications , Ho started playing at the bigtime casinos of Los Angeles and Las Vegas , and against big-time players . Her opponents were mostly men , many of whom not only questioned her skill , but whether she even belonged at the table .
“ I was often the only girl in the entire poker room . I felt underestimated . Guys asking , ‘ Do you need help ? Need me to show you how to play ?’” Instead of being intimidated , Ho got determined . The feeling of being underestimated kept her motivated , and it often gave her a unique edge in the game . When people underestimate other players — no matter how seasoned they may be — they make mistakes .
“ There ’ s a bias in poker . Men believe women are timid , play tight , don ’ t play speculative hands and don ’ t bluff . My friend taught me early on never to show my hand . 5 But then I was like , ‘ Why don ’ t I start showing my hands when I have it , to keep confirming that I only play premium hands ?’ And when I showed big hands , I ’ d always say little things like , ‘ I didn ’ t want to bet ,’ so people thought they could bluff me . And I ’ d always catch them bluffing .” 6
By manipulating their stereotypes , Ho was able to outplay her male opponents and to help blaze new trails for women at the poker table . But for Ho , it ’ s not about whether you ’ re male or female ; it ’ s about how many hours you ’ ve put in , how many hands you ’ ve seen , and of course , your natural ability .
“ Poker is a gender-neutral game . There ’ s no reason why a guy would inherently be better than a woman . I feel like I can really read my opponent face-to-face and it ’ s always served me well .” Among those easily-read opponents ? There ’ s the home game amateurs who show up to casinos wearing sunglasses and sweatshirts , business people and vacationers who aim to push money around , and the cutthroat pros who would bluff their own mother if it meant winning a pot .
Knowing — and beating — players like these is how Ho built her bankroll . Keeping that bankroll , however , is less about the other players ' psychology , and more about hers . Because no matter how much a player thinks of poker as a business , an element of luck and inevitable bad beats are part of the game . That ’ s when the game gets emotional . It ’ s when long-term winners have to perform mental gymnastics required to weather a dry spell .
“ Women are taught at a young age that they have to apologize for anything that ’ s aggressive and not feminine . But the less we apologize , the more we do what needs to get done .”
— MARIA HO ' 05
5 . IN TEXAS HOLD ’ EM , each player is given two cards face down , which they typically don ’ t have to show at the end of the hand — and most don ’ t . “ People don ’ t want to give information away unnecessarily , so they won ’ t show their hands ,” says Ho . “ But I realized if I do things that reinforce in their mind that I play exactly how they think I play , I can gain an advantage in the end .”
6 . “ BLUFFING IS LIKE STORYTELLING ,” says Ho . “ You ’ re telling a story to someone based on the limited information available . If your story makes sense , then you can pull the bluff off . Conversely , if an opponent is telling a story that doesn ’ t make sense , you ask yourself , does what they ’ re representing align with the way they ’ ve played their hand so far ?”
“ You can play perfect for eight hours and walk away a loser ,” Ho says . To combat twists of fate like these , she relies on the process , and takes comfort knowing she ’ s put in enough hours to beat the game eventually . One single hand or one skilled , table-talking opponent does not change her outlook .
“ There ’ s a psychological aspect of getting into your opponent ' s head , but it ’ s also in your head . You can play perfect , but if you make one small mistake it affects the entire outcome . You can be chip leader one hand and out the next .” 7
Ho ’ s philosophy on this mental aspect of the game could very well apply to life in general — that your outlook shouldn ’ t be about short-term results . It should be about getting there , respecting the grind and the process , and knowing that each individual result — good or bad — doesn ’ t necessarily reflect your overall ability or dedication . However the chips fall , the amount of yourself that goes into your work remains unchanged .
“ I think if you judge by the results and not the process , you ’ re doing yourself a disservice . We ’ re brought up with a sense of meritocracy — if you put in the time you ’ ll get a
38 TRITON | WINTER 2017