In an interview with PokerNewspublished this week, Maria Ho posed the question, “What if we just got rid of the ladies events? What if we made it so that if a woman wants to play poker, she has to play poker with everybody else? I think we underestimate the will of a woman; I think that if you make them choose between playing in an open event or not playing at all, they will come.” Ho clarified on Twitter that her comments were meant as a “What if” scenario.

This author remembers writing an article a few years back when men like David Sesso and Shaun Deeb (pictured below) were entering Ladies Events at the World Series of Poker dressed in drag and getting resoundingly booed. I asked myself, “Do we really need ladies’ events? Should we have a men-only event instead? What about a Blue Collar Championship?”

Ho added, “Maybe we could consider making the buy-ins a little bit smaller, even if it would be important to make sure that the events would still be prestigious enough to attract people. Besides this, I also think that the casinos could do more. They could host seminars geared toward women and have women come in.”

PocketFives caught up with Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson, “The First Lady of Poker,” to get her take on Ho’s comments. After reminding us that Ho is a “role model” for men and women alike, Johnson said, “I do agree with her as far as the fact that if ladies events were eliminated, some of the women who currently play in ladies-only tournaments would play in open events. Where I disagree, however, is that I think there are women who would choose not to play at all if their only options were open events.”

What are the benefits to female-only events? Johnson explained, “Many women prefer to play with other women because they enjoy the atmosphere better. The conversation is more about topics that interest them. Ladies-only events tend to be a bit more social, and that is what a lot of women are looking for. I also think many women like the tradition of the ladies-only events. Ladies-only events are stepping stones to open events. Women can play and become comfortable with poker and then they will be more likely to enter open events.”

Would Johnson favor more group-specific events like a men’s-only tournament? She told us, “As long as there are women who want ladies-only events, I am okay with them being offered. I would also be agreeable if they had men’s-only events or any event geared toward a particular group of people. I agree with Maria that we should do whatever we can do to bring more people into the game.”

The WSOP has been offering a ladies event every year since 1977. In the past, the tournament had a $1,000 price tag for everyone – even entrants who weren’t ladies – until recently when it went up to $10,000 for men. The game of choice was originally Seven Card Stud. In 2000, it changed to half Stud, half Hold’em. In 2004, the Ladies Event was a Limit Hold’em event and in 2005, it changed to No Limit, which it has been ever since.

From 2006 to 2011, the WSOP Ladies Event attracted over 1,000 entrants each year. In 2014, that number was 793, 150 fewer people than in 2013. Jonathan Epstein, definitely not a lady, made the final table in 2011.

Want the latest poker headlines and interviews? Follow PocketFives on Twitterand Like PocketFives on Facebook. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed.