Dave Hughes, who won a Ladies No-Limit Hold’em event in Florida on Saturday, said the women's event was the only competition available for him to compete in.
Hughes said he drove over five hours from Orlando to visit a friend competing in the $7 million main event at the Seminole Hard Rock in Florida.
Upon arriving to the poker tournament, Hughes wanted to play a hand of poker but learned the only event available for participation was the Ladies No-Limit Hold'em event.
"I figured why not, the ladies, as you know, are just as fierce, capable, and competitive as the men in poker and smell a lot better as well," Hughes told Timcast News in a written statement. "For the record, I’m 100% against men taking advantage of women in sports where strength and muscle make it quite unfair — as we all can clearly see with men breaking all records set by women in every sport across the board while pretending to be women."
He continued: "It’s pathetic and embarrassing that we allow our women to be abused and victimized by this nonsense and eventually the Country will wake up and put a stop to this. Our young girls and women who dedicate their lives to playing sports deserve better than that and the silent majority are starting to speak up."
During the event, Hughes had a bounty placed on him by several women playing poker along with one woman's husband.
"I busted out rather early and we all had a good laugh as the ladies applauded my demise," he said. "I had no intention of rebuying back in after taking the walk of shame, but my pro buddy and some of the guys forked over another 250 and insisted I get back in to keep the ruse going."
"At this time (all in good fun) the ladies and other spectators start[ed] putting cash bounties on my head for whoever sent me packing," said Hughes, who added $100 to his own bounty "in good fun."
A poker bounty is a financial incentive and reward to knock a player out of the game.
"This started at $300 and by night’s end was up to $2,000, which is a massive gift (equivalent to 2nd place money) added to the prize pool which really made it fun for the ladies," he said.
"I played the ham trying to survive the never-ending attacks on my chip stack. Imagine winning $2,000 just for knocking me out while being many hours away from the money — that added incentive made the event more exciting," Hughes said. "I played my best and was given a few gifts along the way by ladies trying their best to KO the villain with hands they may have not played under normal circumstances."
Money used for Hughes' bounty was subsequently given to the second place winner since no other contestant was able to knock Hughes out of the game.
"Doubt I’d ever do it again, but it sure caused a fuss and created a buzz and a lot of extra prize money for the ladies," Hughes concluded. "Women are every bit as good as men in any game that requires mental skill and wits."
According to Florida state law, Seminole Hard Rock is prohibited from preventing a male to join the women’s only competition, per Poker News.
