Clonie Gowen

Clonie Gowen was born and raised in Oklahoma, where early on she exhibited keen interest in sports in school by performing exceptionally well in basketball and high jump both in track and field. She got her name form a raging cyclone that hit Oklahoma on the night she was born and was indeed an ideal fit for this dynamic woman for she has been able to do everything with gusto and strength just like a storm does. Clonie however learned the game of poker from her boyfriend’s father in Dallas Texas, after which she was fully supported by her mother to pursue the game at all costs and thus decided to take the game a step ahead.

Her poker stardom rose in 2003 after winning the World Poker Tour Ladies’ Night. Clonie got engrossed in poker after several trips to casinos in Shreveport, LA, where she incredibly had a modest winning.

The poker craze caught up with her in an inexplicable design while in one of her extreme sport excursions in Costa Rica where one of inaugural WPT events was being held. The buy in was a laughable 500 dollar and with her unquenchable spirit of adventure, she soldiered on to try her hand. To prove her spur in Poker, she entered the World Poker Tour Costa Rica Classic where she made it to the final table to the surprise of many. This was her first major break that opened doors to more competitions for the budding player. This led a subsequent invitation to the World Poker Tour Ladies’ Night in 2003 and as they say, the rest is history. Her fame even rose the more after she won a nationally-televised tournament.

Clonie Gowen also has the reputation of being a former Miss Teen Oklahoma but that does not affect her passion for poker at all. Her celebrity hood was taken a notch higher by making appearances in some of the popular programs such as Poker Royale, Battle of the Sexes and the Full Tilt Poker Pro Showdown as of 2008. Other achievements on her bag are finishing third place during the Full Tilt Poker Championship held in Las Vegas and fourth place in Five Diamond World Poker in 2005. The event was however disappointing for Clonie because critics were at hand to criticize her for not winning such a major event, despite being one of the most recognizable names in the event.

Clonie’s irrefutable mastery of the game was proved the easiest way in July 2008 when she bagged a whooping $ 437,775 at the No Hold ‘em event, which consequently made her reach a $ 1 million mark in earnings. The winning made cameras to fall in love with her and made her part of tournament trail. They were as of 2008, with Phil Hellmuth, the only players to have for three times won the six-handed tournament. What adds to Gwen’s popularity is the fact that she plays the $ 100 buy in tables at Full Tilt. The waiting list shoots up to over 100, with numerous players and observers seeking to chat with her.

Besides being a poker pro, Clonie also is a happy mother of two with whom she spends valuable time with in her home in Dallas. She also features as a guest commentator on the Ultimate Poker Challenge and also teaches at the WPT Boot Camp where she teaches both men and women the basics of the game and also how to succeed in a competitive game where your own money’s fate lies unknown. Among her notable sponsors is Full Tilt Poker, which brings her to the same footing with the likes of pros like Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson and Phil Ivey and a host of other major world players. She loves playing on the site quite frequently and enjoys chatting with observers and players, making her quite an influential and resourceful part of Team Full Tilt. She also on the periphery still enjoys scuba diving and camping and still prefers Costa Rica as the best destination since it’s where it all began. Gowen is also a regular columnist with bluff magazine, a publication still on its nascent stages.

Just as is the case with other poker pros, Clonie loves to adopt an aggressive style and she is also tough competitor not to be brought down that easily. She has however carved out a reputation of maintaining calmness even when under pressure. Whether it turns out to be a bad beat or ends up as big, Gowen is always ready to accept the outcome. Clonie’s best stand on the WPT is 31st and is still yet to get hold of six-figure tournament score but currently with the sponsorship from Full Tilt Poker, the prospects are much brighter. It is only a matter of time before Gowen makes it to the final table. To find out more about Clonie Gowan visit her official website at: Clonie Gowen

Posted by Joel on May 9 2010. Filed under Player Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry