Roxanne Rhodes has set out to conquer the world of high-stakes poker, a game dominated 10-to-1 by men. She talks with Scott Simon from Las Vegas, where she's competing in the 2005 World Series of Poker.
SCOTT SIMON, host: Professional poker may not be America's favorite pastime just yet.  But      more than 2.5 million people reportedly watched the final hands of the      World Series of Poker last year on ESPN.  The 2005 World Series is now      under way in Las Vegas and one contestant is Roxanne Rhodes.  She is a      wife, grandmother and health-care consultant who won more than $100,000      on the professional poker circuit last year.  She also teaches women and      men how to play the game.  She joins us from Las Vegas.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: Thanks for being with us.</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): Thank you.  It's my      pleasure.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: Has anyone ever had the nerve to say to you, `This ain't no place      for a lady'?</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): Oh, they tease, but, of course, the ladies can come right      back and tease them.  As you know, men outnumber women in the poker field      probably 10:1, and I would sit at a table and there'd be no girls there.      And I'd look around.  There'd be one far off, and I'd wave, and she'd      wave, and I thought, you know, `We've got to get some more women out      here.  What part can I take to achieve that?'  So I thought, `I'm going      to start teaching women poker.'  And they really just came out by the      droves.  And so we brought the men in this month, so we have coed classes      now, and the guys are loving it, and the girls are loving it.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: For a lot of these women, do you know why is it poker and not,      say, bridge or mahjong.</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): Because the women want to get out there and compete with the      men now.  I mean, it's really the only sport that you can get out there      and be--really in a lot of ways have a competitive advantage against men      in the game and they're recognizing that.  They're seeing all the glitz      on television and we have all the celebrity games going on and then you      have the Internet, which has brought on, you know, three of our last      World Series winners.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: I'm interested when you say women can have a competitive      advantage. What do you figure that competitive advantage is?</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): We are very good at multitasking.  So we can sit at a table.      We can be carrying on a conversation at one end but really be keying on      to everybody and how they're playing which is very important in poker, is      being able to get a read on somebody.  They're great detractors.  When a      woman sits down at a table, she's absolutely a distraction at the table,      and I don't care if she's 25 or 80.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: You wear sunglasses while playing?</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): Oh, absolutely.  You name it, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli, you      know, Christian Dior.  I have them all.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: Now is that so people can't see the expression in your eyes?</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): You know, I'm a very expressional person.  You know, I'm      smiling all the time.  My eyes twinkle.  And so sometimes that could be a      dead giveaway for me, and so not only do I like the look, it's a sharp      crisp--it's a distracting look.  People are looking at your glasses and      going, `Those are really nice.  Boy, look how they sparkle,' and it's      taking their attention, a lot of times, away from their cards.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: Well, Ms. Rhodes, good luck, although it sounds as if you don't      need it.</s>Ms. ROXANNE RHODES (Professional Poker Player): Well, you know, we all need a little bit of luck.  It's just      how you use that luck when you get it.  It's how well you play your bad      cards.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: Roxanne Rhodes, professional poker player and teacher, is now      competing in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.</s>SCOTT SIMON, host: And it's 22 minutes before the hour.