More women entering the card game

Diwali is that time of the year when some celebrations are indoors with high-stake taashpartiesorganised by movers and shakers of the city.
And if the rich and famous are to be believed, the high-rollers, who were ruling the tables at these parties, seem to have found tough competition from women entering the fray in a big way. While more and more women are playing the game, they are not shying away from high stakes betting.
A taash party regular and city entrepreneur says, “Lately, I have seen many women playing in a big way. Earlier, if women used to just put in a few thousands, now they are staking lakhs. They stay through the party and don’t seem to have an upper limit on their spending. The trend is likely to continue this year too.”
Another taash-party regular says, “Most women entrepreneurs have had a fairly good year. This Diwali, they want to celebrate with a little more gusto than last year. Also, with the economic conditions in the country looking brighter, there is a lot to look forward to in a positive way.”
Another city socialite, popular for hosting high-stakes taash parties, says, “Apart from spending on designer apparel, jewellery and home decor, they are also betting big on card parties. And the husbands don’t mind either. Each table will see amounts running into lakhs.”
Another reason for more women gambling is because most parties now happen behind closed-doors. “Gone are the days when huge taash parties were the norm in the city. Now, parties happen in closed circuits with under 20 people. In bigger parties, one tends to keep a tab on spending as they know many people are watching and they want to avoid trouble, but in close-knit groups, that’s not the case. That’s why women too are more open to putting in as much money as they want because their stakes are not being observed,” says another regular, who is looking forward for the party season to begin.