In 1986, Mike Caro wrote a poker book called Poker for Women, A Course in Destroying Male Opponents at Poker." Today and in my next column I'll talk about some poker women from the past and present and touch on some of Mike's poker tips for women.

Past poker women. The first women of poker hit the scene in the Wild West days. Calamity Jane was one of the first women to sit across the poker table from men and made the queen of spades famous. Today, it's called the "Calamity Jane."

Poker Alice, born in England, was supposed to become a genteel lady, but destiny intervened and she became a gun toting, cigar smoking lady of poker.

Early women gamblers weren't always honest. A Frenchwoman settled in Nevada in the 1850's and opened her own gambling hall. She was Eleanor Dumont (also called Madame Mustache), better known for blackjack than poker. She was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame in 2006.

Present poker women. Today, many women have jumped into the poker ring to confidently challenge their male opponents for titles, bracelets, and money.

Wendeen Eolis is a lady I greatly admire. Decades ago she was one of the few women playing poker seriously and was first to grace the final table at a major tournament. In fact, she was the first to finish in the money twice at a World Series of Poker event. Binion's Horseshoe honored Wendeen with a commemorative poker chip.

Barbara Enright's poker career began in 1976 when she discovered poker was a more lucrative choice than cocktail waitress or beautician. In 1986, she won the women's seven stud event at the WSOP. In 1994 she became the first woman to win two WSOP bracelets. In 1995, she was the first woman to land at the final table of a WSOP main event where she finished fifth. Barbara has three bracelets and in 2007 she became the only woman inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the Women in Poker Hall of Fame in 2008.

Our "first lady of poker" is Linda Johnson. At 21 she began her poker career in the tough environment of Gardena, California. After placing fifth at the WSOP, she ditched her post office job to become a professional poker player. In 1997 she won her first WSOP bracelet, becoming only the second woman at the time to win a WSOP event.

And there are so many more! You know the huge names like Anne Duke, actor Jennifer Tilly, Cindy Violette, Kathy Liebert, Jennifer Harmon-and the list goes on and on.

Tips. Mike says that in real-life or in poker, you are given a hand to play. Hands should only be played if they gain you something, whether it's a poker pot or a promotion at work.

If you join a table with another woman, place her to your right, giving you the opportunity to act after she does. Try to be queen of that table. Place men who are easy to manipulate, whether by charm or domination, to your left.

Often, male players underestimate women opponents. Men's egos often get in the way of good judgment. Many men invariably believe they can intimidate females. As a woman, you can unsettle men, simply by acting with aggression and confidence. That will often confuse men, and that's to your advantage.

Although Mike stresses advanced strategy to everyone, he tells women it's just "icing on the cake" for them. A sophisticated, knowledgeable woman can lord over men who prefer not to lose a battle to her, because they think it damages their ego in the eyes of other male players.

You can often apply these strategies to your job and to family relations. How many "poker" situations that favor women do you encounter every day?

Diane McHaffie is Director of Operations at Mike Caro University of Poker, Gaming, and Life Strategy. She has traveled the world coordinating events and seminars in the interest of honest poker. You can write her online at diane@caro.com.