Poker Player - Clonie Gowan
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The story goes that Cycalona Gowen was born in 1971 during a raging storm in Kiowa, Oklahoma. Her parents named her Cycalona, and the dynamism of that storm is apparent not only in her name, but also in her approach to life. At school, she excelled at sports, ranking seventh in the state for high jump and track, and playing on the state basketball team. At 15, the prettiness of her face got her crowned Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma. Following college, she set up a successful travel agency, and discovered an interest in extreme sports.
Now better known as Clonie, she had moved to Dallas, and started to play poker at the weekends by driving to Shreveport, Louisiana. She found that she had some success, and was making a few hundred dollars each weekend that she played. It was during a scuba diving trip to Costa Rica however, that Clonie burst onto the poker circuit, not unlike the cyclone she was named for. It was 2003, and the World Poker Tour was holding an inaugural ladies night event, with top female players like Jennifer Harman, Evelyn Ng and Annie Duke taking part. Clonie saw the event and thought she should give it a whirl - the buy in was only $500 after all. Amazingly, she finished in 10th place, a money finish for her first time, and incredibly beating back Evelyn Ng. The event was televised, and as millions of viewers tuned in to watch this newcomer beat seasoned professionals, it became the highest rated World Poker Tour show ever to have been broadcast.
Clonie was hooked, and took up poker full time. She is usually to be found at every major poker tournament in the United States, either as a player, or more and more frequently as a host and commentator. Clonie has been a highly visible presence in the poker industry since her breakout in 2003, although her achievements as a player are still limited. She has so far not yet managed to win a six figure tournament and her best finish on the World Poker Tour circuit has been 31st place.
Her celebrity on the circuit has been enormous however. With beauty and charm, she is loved by the cameras and is a popular tournament host, as well as having online popularity through the Full Tilt Poker site. The Full Tilt Poker site gives online players the chance to play some of the world's best professionals, including Phil Gordon and Howard Lederer. She is also contributes articles regularly to Bluff Magazine, which is the office magazine of the World Series of Poker. She is on the board of directors for the United States Poker Association and also teaches amateurs how the basics of tournament play at a poker school for men and women. She has been a guest commentator for the Ultimate Poker Challenge in Las Vegas, and the European World Poker Championship in Dublin.
It is clear that Clonie, now a mother of two children, has taken professional poker to her heart. She has a passion for the sport and makes contributions to poker to not only further her own career as a player, but to progress the sport as a whole, for all players at all levels. She has a natural ability to make people feel comfortable and as is evident from her breakout appearance in 2003, is completely unfazed by attempts to throw her off balance.
Clonie Gowan is not just a pretty face, but a skilled player with a love for poker and sponsorship from Full Tilt Poker. With these factors in mind, it will surely not be long before Clonie starts to rack up tournament achievements to match her celebrity.
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