Poker Queens: Unique Competition Provides Betsson Girls With A Fast Track To The Top

There are not yet many women who are playing in the major events in Europe, and there are even fewer competing at the highest level.



But Betsson has changed that. Through a unique competition in which it picked the "Poker Queen" of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, it has given three young ladies the chance to perform in major events like the EPT Copenhagen, EPT Deauville, and even the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. In this feature, I will introduce the three Poker Queens: Veronika Larsen, Pernille Ravn, and Karin Lundgren.



It is a cold winter day in Copenhagen when I leave the Radisson SAS Hotel for a short walk to the Marriott, on the other side of the river. The EPT Copenhagen started the day before inside the Casino Copenhagen, which is part of the Radisson Hotel where I am staying. That day, I had seen three young ladies in action for the first time: Veronika, Pernille, and Karin. Veronika had made quite an impression on me simply because she is such a natural beauty, but also because she played in a rather strange manner. To be more concrete, she played extremely fast! The first hand I watched her play took just 14 seconds from the flop to the river, despite significant action on all streets. Compare this to me: It usually takes 14 seconds to just pick up my cards!



Then there was Pernille. She showed exactly the type of behaviour at the table that I like: always calm, never loud, nice and friendly, but not too friendly. She's someone who approaches the game in a serious and analytical manner.



And then, finally, there was Karin. She may be the one who has profited from this project more than anyone else. Before she has even won a major tournament, she is already a star in Sweden. At the time of this writing, she has just finished her first book, Poker Tournaments Online with Andreas Hurtig. Karin writes for Swedish magazines, gives seminars, and so on, so one could say that in no time, she has already built a business away from the tables. I meet these three ladies in the lobby of the Marriott, and am welcomed by their marketing coordinator Jannicke Forsberg. The five of us sit down to simply have a chat.



The "Poker Queens" Event



Rolf Slotbloom: Jannicke, I'll be honest. Yesterday was the first time I had ever seen these ladies, and quite frankly, I wasn't all that familiar with Betsson, either. What I do know is that these ladies were the talk of the town yesterday – obviously because of their looks, but also because they are nice and capable of playing a more than decent game of poker. Can you tell me something about your site, the team, and this project – and what it is that you are hoping to accomplish?



Jannicke Forsberg: With all the other people at Betsson, we analyzed in depth what other poker teams before us had done, and we decided that in order to be successful, we needed to do something that would clearly separate us from the rest. We came up with the idea of getting the best female player from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway on our team, knowing that the qualifying competition alone would create a lot of buzz in Scandinavia. We knew that there are many ladies in Scandinavia who play at a more than decent level, but they simply never get the chance to play against the big boys. We decided to host qualifying tournaments in these three countries to select the best female player – and then crown her our "Poker Queen." Note that "best" player didn't automatically mean "winner of the competition," because we are well aware of the fact that these two things are not automatically the same. For instance, we chose to make Veronika the Norwegian Poker Queen despite the fact that in the final event, she came in third."



Veronika Larsen: Yes, sometime ago I actually met the girl who won that final, and she said something like: "Look, this is the girl who stole my job." She probably blamed me for the way I had played there, and the things I had done, because in contrast to almost all the other girls, I played a very aggressive game and did lots of bluffing. I also decided to show some of my key bluffs, for the simple reason that I knew this was a competition: I needed to show the organizers that the reason I had gotten that far was not good fortune or quality cards, but making good plays. I think that, indeed, the people at Betsson noticed that and decided to pick me – despite the fact that I did not win.



Pernille Ravn: For me, it was different. After my win in Denmark, I received only positive feedback. The final was exciting, there was lots of media attention, and even though there were only 16 girls playing, there were more than 200 people inside the building. And we viewed it as an important event ourselves, because we knew that if we were picked, it could change our future considerably.



Being a Lady



RS: Now let's get to the inevitable question. You all are young ladies in what has traditionally been a men's world. What are your thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages, and do you agree that nowadays being a young female has many more advantages than disadvantages?



PR: Well, I do have to say that I hate it if we are not taken seriously, that people automatically assume that you can't play just because you are blonde. Having said that, it is clear that if your opponents are stubborn in their beliefs, you can and should take advantage of that by turning it against them.



Karin Lundgren: We are, of course, well aware that the simple fact that we are girls has given us this opportunity. It has given us a "head start," if you will. But it is clear that we will now have to show what we are worth at the tables, and that we are just as good or even better than some of the men we face.



JF: And that is exactly why we chose Karin, Pernille, and Veronika as our Poker Queens: We saw they could play. I would be lying if I said looking good makes no difference, because it does. But if by chance the best player had not been as good-looking as the current Poker Queens, we still would have signed her – and been happy to have done so.



Tournament Performances and Other Activities



It is now six months later. The second season of the European Poker Tour has come to an end with just two final-table finishes for female players, Isabelle Mercier and Anina Gundesen. Unlike the first time we talked, it is now summer – and we do some catching up.



RS: After our interview in Copenhagen, Karin got pretty close to the final stages in that EPT event, and I have seen Pernille and Veronika perform decently in other events, as well. Can you all give me a little update on what you have achieved and some of the plays you have made?



KL: In the event in Copenhagen, I ended up in 20th place. I had aces on the button, had raised three times the big blind, and both blinds called. The flop came K-J-2 with two spades. It was checked to me and I bet the pot, and then I got check-raised all in by the small blind. Of course, I was up against a flush draw, and when that flush got there, it was all over for me.



And a few months later, I also performed OK in Monte Carlo at the EPT Grand Final. I finished just out of the money but I was quite satisfied, as I was the best-performing Swede there. I had a load of chips at one point, but unfortunately, I could not hold on to them and busted out just when it mattered most.



VL: Quite frankly, after Copenhagen, I have played in Deauville and then in just two other events. I mostly play cash games online now, and that goes very well. Plus, I have just bought a new house, and therefore have been busy redecorating.



PR: Well, Rolf, obviously we saw each other in Deauville. And you were there when I went out with the aces against a K-Q offsuit. He made two pair, and that was the end of the EPT for me! Never trust the aces, I guess. I played in the Spring Tournament again at Casino Copenhagen, where I simply got "cold cards." Being short-stacked, I had one move left and went all in with an A-10, but lost to pocket jacks.



In May, I went to The Open at Royal Casino in Arhus; 200 people played and I was the only girl! So, it was really the Betsson Poker Queen against the boys. I also had a €750 bounty on my head, so the boys were really coming to get me. It was very interesting, but difficult, and I did not reach the money. The Bellagio WPT winner Rehne "Carlos" Pedersen won.



My future plan is training hard and playing as much live as possible. After the World Series of Poker is over, I will show my skills at the Danish Championship of Poker for Women, which Betsson is planning for the fall. And I will also try to beat the boys at the Danish Championship of Poker. Wish me luck!



Veronika Larsen, Pernille Ravn, and Karin Lundgren are known as the "Betsson Girls." Betsson is a game portal with a betting casino and poker. Founded in 2001, it went online in 2002. The casino was added in 2003, and poker followed in 2004. Betsson has just started a brand-new website at www.betsson.com, and has just celebrated the grand opening of Betsson in Poland. Local teams have started up in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Poland.



THE GIRLS



Veronika Larsen

Nationality: Norwegian

Date of birth: May 13, 1986

Marital status: Boyfriend

Poker experience: 2 years

Strengths: Building a stack

Weaknesses: Possibly too tight, too easy to bluff



Pernille Ravn

Nationality: Danish

Date of birth: Aug. 18, 1978

Marital status: Boyfriend

Poker experience: 2 years

Strengths: Playing a large stack, controlling the game

Weaknesses: Short-stack strategy needs work, sometimes needs to take more chances



Karin Lundgren

Nationality: Swedish

Date of birth: Aug. 26, 1980

Marital status: Single

Poker experience: 2.5 years

Strengths: Quite good at reading people

Weaknesses: Lack experience at major events