Vault: Why don't more women play poker?

Summary

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The Bert Show: Vault – Why Don’t More Women Play Poker?

Release Date: August 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Bert Show crew dives into their recent Vegas adventure, highlighting why there are so few women at poker tables. The conversation blends personal stories, humor, and honest takes about gender dynamics, intimidation, and what keeps women from participating in poker tournaments. The episode centers around Katie Jo’s experience as the only woman in a Vegas poker tournament—where her competence brought both suspicion and admiration.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Katie Jo’s Vegas Poker Adventure

• Katie Jo’s Poker Skills:
  Katie Jo, praised for her gambling prowess, decides to try her hand at a poker tournament during a weekend in Vegas.

  • Host 1: “She’s the person who wins… she certainly has a lot of luck in Vegas.” (01:09)

• Male-Dominated Environment:
  The hosts observe and discuss how poker rooms still feel heavily male-centric and somewhat unwelcoming to women.

  • Host 3: “Still an old boy network… like smoking a cigar… all the boys hanging out, playing poker.” (02:01)

• The Hustler Accusation:
  Katie, while doing well, asks a question about a poker practice. She’s immediately accused by a man at the table of “hustling” the group, which escalates to the point where security almost gets involved.

  • Host 1: “He proceeded to go into a rant about how she was hustling the table.” (02:10)
  • Host 3: “Oh, get out of here.” (02:57)
  • Host 1: “To be considered a hustler… that’s awesome.” (03:13)

Gendered Barriers and Social Dynamics

• Poker’s Intimidating Atmosphere:
  The group reflects on how poker rooms can feel exclusive or unfriendly to women, with lingering Rat Pack vibes and a perception that women need to “prove” themselves.

  • Host 1: “There is an intimidation if you’re a woman—you want to seem like you know what you’re doing… some guys don’t take too well to a woman coming to the poker table.” (01:30)
  • Host 3: “Very Sinatra rat pack… here's some broad that’s coming up to the table to play poker.” (02:10)

• Turning Insult Into Pride:
  Katie’s experience gets reframed as a badge of honor because being accused of hustling shows she’s a threat at the table.

  • Host 1: “Very proud of my girl for getting yelled at a poker table. That’s awesome.” (03:25)
  • Host 3: “If they accuse you of cheating, you’ve done pretty well.” (06:13)
  • Host 1: “Badge of honor. She’s the only girl there and the guys were accusing her of being a hustler.” (06:19)

Personal Attitudes Toward Gambling

• Risk Tolerance:
  Contrasts emerge in how hosts and their friends approach gambling—from those who enjoy the adrenaline to those who cash out with the smallest win.

  • Host 1: “If I won anything, if I won 50 cents or a dollar, I’d cash out because I was on top.” (04:11)
  • Host 3: “I just don’t have the same kind of rush on winning or losing. Just protect my money, man.” (03:30)
  • Host 4: “You could tie a little tiny string to the quarter before you put it in the slot.” (04:22)

• Stories of Gambling ‘Beginner’s Luck’:
  The hosts reminisce about taking a non-gambler to a casino, who ends up winning, highlighting the often surprising outcomes in gambling.

  • Host 4: “We took her into the Harrah’s casino in New Orleans… she turned that into like $45 and you would have thought she just won a thousand dollars.” (05:45)

Group Reactions and Camaraderie

• Team Spirit for Katie Jo:
  The show closes this segment by celebrating Katie Jo’s resilience and success, emphasizing the importance of confidence and camaraderie, even in a tough environment.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Poker’s Gender Divide:

  • Host 1: “There is an intimidation if you’re a woman… some guys don’t take too well to a woman coming to the poker table.” (01:30)

• On Being Accused of ‘Hustling’:

  • Host 3: “If they accuse you of cheating, you’ve done pretty well.” (06:13)
  • Host 1: “Badge of honor. She’s the only girl there and the guys were accusing her of being a hustler.” (06:19)

• On Cashing Out Early:

  • Host 1: “If I won anything, if I won 50 cents or a dollar, I’d cash out because I was on top.” (04:11)

• On Classic Vegas Stereotypes:

  • Host 3: “Still an old boy network… like smoking a cigar… all the boys hanging out, playing poker.” (02:01)
  • Host 1: “Very Sinatra rat pack… here’s some broad that’s coming up to the table to play poker.” (02:10)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:01: Start of the main story—Katie Jo at the Vegas poker table
• 01:26: Noticing the lack of women at poker tables
• 02:01: Discussion of poker room “old boy network” and gendered atmosphere
• 02:10: Katie Jo is accused of hustling
• 03:23: Reflection on turning intimidation into pride
• 04:11: Discussion about cashing out small wins
• 05:29: Reminiscing about positive casino experiences and ‘beginner’s luck’
• 06:13: Final celebration of Katie Jo’s “hustler” badge of honor

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Episode Summary

With their trademark mix of humor, storytelling, and banter, the Bert Show explores the real reasons why more women don’t play poker—tapping into intimidation, gender stereotypes, and casino culture through Katie Jo’s recent Vegas adventures. The conversation highlights the subtle social barriers in gambling spaces, celebrates female confidence under pressure, and ultimately reframes an awkward confrontation as a proud moment. The episode ends on a humorous and empowering note, making a strong case for women to take their seat at the table, no matter who's watching—or yelling.

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Transcript

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[Announcer]

The Bird Show.

[Host 1]

So Katie and I were in Vegas over the weekend and Katie actually got yelled at at a poker table. But it's worth bragging rights, I think. So Katie Jo is, she's good at gambling. Like she's a good poker player. She's good at gambling. We go to Vegas. She's the one, she's the person who wins. Like she's, she, you know, she doesn't go often enough and stay long enough to win huge, huge amounts of money. But she certainly has a lot of luck in Vegas.

[Host 2]

Right?

[Host 1]

So I love to go, love to watch her. So she this time decided that instead of doing just, you know, going around a lot of different, you know, places and slot machines and different types of tables, she's going to play poker. So she got in a poker tournament while she was in Vegas. The one thing that she did notice though, that she would, she thought, well, I would, I would have loved to see more women be part of these poker tournaments and poker tables and you know, because I think there is an intimidation if you're a woman that you want to go and you want to seem like you know what you're doing and you know, there's some guys that don't take too well to a woman coming to the poker table.

[Host 3]

Still an old boy network feels like, you know, like smoking a cig cigar.

[Host 1]

Right.

[Host 3]

Got your scotch. All the boys hanging out, playing poker still has that feel.

[Host 1]

Very Sinatra rat pack. Yeah, kind of thing. You know, here's some broad that's coming up to the Table to play poker. So. So she. Until it goes to work, but some guys in Vegas still do. And so she goes up to the table and she is playing poker with these guys. Well, um, there was a question she had about a certain. A certain practice. And I. And I don't know enough about poker to know exactly what was going on because it's a specialized poker they were playing. And so she leaned over when the play was not in motion to a guy sitting next to her to ask a question. And she was doing pretty well at the table. So it wasn't like she. She wasn't asking the basics, but she went over and asked the guy. So this other guy, seeing her do that, stood up and started yelling at her, but not yelling at her like, you don't know what you're talking about. And. And why are you asking this guy? He proceeded to go into a rant about how she was hustling the table.

[Host 3]

Oh, get out of here.

[Host 1]

He was accusing my girlfriend of being a hustler at a poker table in Vegas. And I said, that's awesome. And so she was like, dude, I don't know what you're talking about. And so it got to the point where the dealer almost had to call and I don't know. I don't know.

[Host 4]

Pit boss.

[Host 1]

The pit boss. And I almost had to get a call to the pit boss to get the drunk dude out of the way. But I thought, you know what? But you know what? She's like, it didn't bother her at all. Because to be considered a hustler.

[Host 3]

Yeah. You must be doing pretty well.

[Announcer]

That's a big.

[Host 1]

So I just Very proud of my girl for getting yelled at a poker table for her. Yeah, it's awesome.

[Host 3]

I love me some Vegas. I just don't appreciate it the way gamblers do. Like, I just don't have the same kind of rush on winning or losing like most do or some do when they go to Vegas. Just protect my money, man.

[Host 1]

Well, there's a. You know, in any machine, if you've never been to Vegas or ever been gambling, especially if you go into the slot machines or any of the machines, there is a button that you can push this cash out. So whenever you're done gambling, you cash out and get your money back.

[Host 4]

And it plays the sound effects of coins falling, but it prints out a receipt.

[Sleep Number Representative]

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[Host 1]

No more coins and buckets and that kind of thing. Unless you're an old, old Vegas. But. But yeah. And that was my. That was my catchphrase all weekend long. Was cash out because she made fun of me. The fact that I would. I wouldn't play very much. And then if I won anything, If I won 50 cents for a dollar, I'd cash out because I was on top. How you can gamble.

[Host 4]

Yeah, that totally shocks us about you, Melissa.

[Announcer]

Right.

[Host 1]

Give it to me.

[Host 4]

I'm surprised you didn't tie a little tiny string to the quarter before you put it in the slide.

[Host 3]

You could y. I used to work with a guy in Dallas that just used to love the rush of gambling. I think I've told you about this guy before. Like I have sat at a craps table with him before where he would go down $5,000 and stick it out. Then he'd go up $12,000, then go down $9,000. He just loved that ride. And I would be so stressed out just watching him that that's not even a part of my reality.

[Host 1]

Yeah, the routine around. I was the banker, basically. I mean, I would just watch Katie. So she'd go to one place and she'd win money and then she'd hand me part of what she won and then she'd take the rest up and go and lose it. But then by the end of the night, by the time we got to the hotel room, she was up again. So it's same thing. I can't handle it. And she would laugh at me for like having my nails in my mouth biting because of everything she was doing.

[Host 4]

There is something about gambling. Like, I remember when we had to go to New Orleans for one of our radio conventions and Jimmy Barron and I took. She was Tracy Peluso then producer. Tracy, who doesn't do anything bad or no gambling. None of that.

[Host 1]

And Jimmy's Jewish.

[Host 3]

Yeah, I want to be gambling with the Jewish guy.

[Host 1]

Gambling with the non rule breaker and the Jew. That sounds like a wild time.

[Host 4]

What are you implying about Jewish people?

[Host 1]

Just Jimmy.

[Host 4]

So we took her into the Harrah's casino that's right there in New Orleans. And I think we each gave her like 25 bucks. Like we each gave her five chips, you know, five $5 chips. And she turned that into like $45. And you would have thought she just won the thousand dollars easy money and got a G shirt.

[Host 1]

I understand.

[Host 3]

Well, congratulations. Katie Jones, my hus.

[Host 1]

My husband.

[Host 3]

Girl, that is like a stripe on your poker sleeve right there. If they accuse you of cheating, you've done pretty well right now.

[Host 1]

Badge of honor. She's the only girl there. And the guys were accusing her of being a hustler. And congratulations on your 50 cents. Thank you very much.

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