‘We can’t imagine a week without poker’: Older Israeli women hooked on the thrill
A group of Israeli women, aged 50-60+, have formed a strong community around their shared passion for poker, meeting multiple times a week. This trend reflects a broader shift where more women, including older demographics, are embracing poker, challenging its traditional male dominance.
Why it matters
This article highlights a significant social and cultural shift, showcasing how a traditionally male-dominated activity like poker is gaining popularity among older women, fostering community and challenging gender stereotypes in leisure and competitive games.
For more than five years, they have met regularly. Six women who asked to remain anonymous, the youngest around 50 and the oldest over 60, share one passion: poker. At first, they say, they met once a week. Over the years, the frequency increased. Today they meet at least twice a week and sometimes as often as four times, each time at the home of a different member. “We can’t imagine a week without poker. We all work, we’re successful and we have families, but these evenings are sacred to us. We start at around 8 p.m. and don’t close the table before 10. Some people would say we’re addicted,” R. said. Until several years ago, poker was an almost exclusively male domain, with women largely absent from tables and tournaments.
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