The Deaf Poker Australia (DPA) event concluded electing a winner. An event that carries the weight of years, this poker pow-wow has been one of the most significant competitions intended at deaf poker players in Australia and possibly worldwide.
Deaf Poker in Australia and the Professionals Who Play It
The Deaf Poker Australia (DPA) has managed to conclude yet another successful event. Through its commitment to deaf players, the DPA has succeeded in helping participants feel a significant part of the poker community worldwide for over 10 years now.
Bearing the name of 2018 Australian Deaf Poker Championship and held at Crown Melbourne, the event saw some exemplary plays. Organization was impeccable, allowing the Sydney WSOP international Circuit winner, Alisha Wormald, to forge ahead to victory quite unabashedly.
Tailored to players who are not only deaf, but coming from different budgets, the event allowed participation in exchange for $178 and the overall number of participants quickly rose to 114. Even though the prize pool didn’t break the $20,000 mark, this didn’t tamper with the determination of all participants to come on top.
There were quite a few participants coming from the region, including New Zealand with Chris Blum representing his country. Still, Mr. Blum didn’t manage to see his game through and was relegated out of the race. But this didn’t mean much to him, as he still managed to clinch a small bit of the pot.
Following his elimination, it was Rena Muscat who had to go next. Muscat is known for her poker prowess in Australia and she was the 2017 winner of the event. Female presence has also been strong in DPA, more so than in many other tournaments. However, this may be about to change with the WPT Women’s Poker Summit highlighting some of the issues with the game and the lack of women participants.
Women in Poker Are Victors
One of DPA’s own members was participating in the event, to name Mark Theodossiou. He managed to outpace Muscat but was the next to lose his balance and slip out of the race. Michael Lockrey managed to conclude the race fifth, albeit he had a chance to progress had it not been for a momentary bad hand. In poker, as it turns out, that’s all it takes.
Wormald was now one of the last players standing. After a few brief exchanges between her and the remaining contestants, Wormald finally managed to clinch another victory and bag $4,200 in winnings for her first place. Not only that, but she is now officially on top of DPA’s all-time money list.
One of the notable achievements of the DPA has been the inclusion of so many female players, a goal that most mainstream tournament organizers and operators have still been falling short of.
Not only have women been making a strong appearance in the DPA, based on their numbers, but have they also been topping the competitive field. Wormald can only serve as an example of how women can come into poker and easily overcome a field that is dominated by men.
Despite the positive signs in the inclusion of women in poker, there are still many hurdles to be overcome.
