For more than a 100 women who turned out to play Event 9 of the Borgata Winter Poker Open, today's tournament is their Main Event.

While events with bigger buy-ins and large prize pools are being played right now, featuring tables of grim-faced men silently trying to stack one another, the atmosphere in the $300 Ladies Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry event is decidedly different.

Players are laughing, joking, swapping stories and getting to know one another, all while enjoying a great game of cards. As Alyson Parker, one of the more experienced women competing here today, let us know, "this is the only game in town where somebody can put a bad beat on you, apologize for it... and actually mean it."

The spirit of camaraderie and kinship is palpable during a walk through the room, with pots being contested without malice or mistreatment. For a grizzled veteran of the tournament scene, the scene is refreshing indeed, showing that poker doesn't have to be a painful experience to endure.

As Parker puts it, "Ladies events are so important for poker because this is the biggest demographic out there with new players interested in learning the game."

She continued by telling PokerNews that most women breaking into poker are naturally intimidated by the prospect of playing with seven or eight young men, who in their minds, consider the table be their domain. Having a tournament for ladies only creates an inviting feeling, allowing women to play the game without the added pressure applied by today's current generation of stone-faced, headphone-clad young male players.

While today's turnout was a bit below the Borgata's lofty standards, the hope is that positive word of mouth and proactive coverage of such an exciting, accessible event will help spread the good word.

Tags: Alyson Parker