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Thursday, March 6. 2008Commerce Casino Was the Locus When the WPT's Celebrity Invitational was happening, the Commerce Casino became the venue for a thousand cameras clicking, spectators clicking (their tongues- either cheering or in disapproval at the play of their idols) and the high-rollers clicking (their hands in action). A friend of mine recently told me that Jennifer Tilly is probably retired from active poker, as he has not heard her name in any momentous poker competition. Well, I told him about this, this happened not too long ago. While it is not the WSOP, this event has been graced by so many famous people that more papparazzi probably went here than at any WSOP of recent years. After all, take a look at the names who graced the affair: Jennifer Tilly of course, Don Cheadle, Ronnie Turiaf, Montel Williams, Matthew Lillard and MADONNA. Ooops, the last name, strike that one out...where did that come from? One funny knockout that transpired, Ricki Lane kicked out talk show personality Montel Williams- and believe it or not, my friends and I still talk about this occasionally. If you want to know who performed excellently, it was the wife of the Master Nguyen (I wonder if she paid him tutorial fees?). Monday, March 3. 2008You Can Bet on Betson
He is the opposite of Mike the Mouth, in a manner of speaking. If you become the "target of affection" of Mike, you would be barraged with a mouthful of verbalizations that MIGHT force you to tell your seatmate, "Can you kindly hold on to my belt so that I woud not be able to stand up, because if I do, I'll go there and punch that guy a dzen times?"
 In the case of Alan Betson, this guy is fun to be with, he is either amusing or witty, depending on the kind of person you are. One writer for a gambling mag once said, that Betson "has probably said five of the 10 funniest things I?ve ever heard at a poker table"- and that ladies and gents, is a direct quote.Before you think he is all clown and zero poker player, let me just give these. In 2005, he placed second in NL Holdem at Amsterdam- Holland Casino if you want to know the exact venue. That same year but earlier, he placed second in Dublin, the Irish Open, which is one of the more prestigious events on the world map of poker. Naturally, it was a cash position, and that my friends, IS NO JOKE. Tuesday, February 26. 2008Two Levels on the Road to Being a Champion First, if you are a newbie, I really do not think you can relate to this article, but if you consider yourself as a veteran owing to the fact that you have been playing poker for the past 10 years, then read on. The levels I will be speaking of have been attained by people who have logged in enough experience and study time to get past the elementary blunders so often done by raw newbies. First level: this gambler realizes that he has to have a stronger hand for which to call the raise, than to fight an open raise, he has a clear grasp of the percentages. He is able to apply these, they appreciate the value of the seat position, and before the flop, they wager aggressively. Lastly, he is able to classify an opponent whether he is aggressive, tight, passive, or other. The next level: he could read the opponents based on track records. Every so often, he would throw out theory (book theory) and instead play the person, which actually is not really a bad thing when it comes to the higher levels of competition. Monday, January 28. 2008A Requiem to a Friend Who Was a Champion in My Eyes- Part One
Let me tell you about my friend Paul, he just passed away a week ago, God rest his soul. He was just 44, too young yes, but terminal illnesses do not care whom they hit.
Paul was a strong poker player, and I've told him time and time again that he could have held his own even in WSOP, but in all the years this event has run, he just joined once. In that one,  he missed the finals table by an inch. He was well-versed in the technicals, he was a good bluffer, and he could do mental calculations (odds and outs) easily. Oh, I almost forgot, he finished an engineering course but he realized that poker held more allure for him than that chosen career. (About money, he was earning tons of it when he was a practicing engineer, so it was not principally about money. Besides, he came from old money, and while he was not in Forbes' list, I am surely not in his financial station in life). He was a kind-hearted man, there was this one time about 7 or 8 years ago. It was a small casino, and in a poker game, he dealt a man TWO consecutive bad beats involving giant pots. I mean giant, at the end of those two beats, the man was unable to come up with money, not that he did not bring it, but he admitted that he no longer had them. It was a friendly field, credit lines (private) were allowed. Well, Paul was kind-hearted, but on a matter of principle, he would not let it be. He forced the guy to sign a document that said that he (the debtor) would be given just a month to come up with the 10 grand (thereabouts) or else face the possibility of legal action. A month was a long time really, and I even thought that if I were in Paul's place, I would have given him a week, not a second longer. Thursday, January 24. 2008Reading Materials If you are the kind of gambling individual like me, who is fond of reading anything related to gambling- particularly poker and the pros- then here are some of the good magazines that I recommend.# Card Player- I am almost tempted to say- need I say more? Well, I will say more regardless, as far as the stable of writers is concerned, they have probably the best in the market. # Bluff Magazine- they have interviews, articles and good shots (photos) in here. I actually have a friend who subscribes to this, just for the pictures alone. I don't know, maybe he is going to put up a giant album or something, then try to sell it and pass if off as his own. I'd better warn him that this kind of thing could be brought to the courts. # Deal- this material is crammed with reviews on all matters pertaining to poker, that covers softwares, DVDs, and even podcasts. If you are a newbie, this would be a good reference for you, as they have much basic data for you. You might get bored if you are a 20-year poker veteran, it would be best if you go to the other longer-standing publications. Monday, January 21. 2008One Ranking System As far as worldwide consensus goes, it can be argued that there is no universal ranking method, but there are systems that are more respected than others. One would be CardPlayer's POY roster, and it contains the names of those who are "rolling hot". One of the leading online gamblng rooms has come up with an enhancement, if we can call it that. The problem is this, the points (of CardPlayer's) are reset every end of the year, so how are we to exactly pinpoint who is the very best in the month of February? Without boring you to death with the actual numerical data, let me just throw this one in. They came up with a formula that computes the rankings anchored on how he/she has accumulated the points, this would be on a running basis, and if you want more, here is a "little secret". It is akin to the one used in the professional golf circuit. Well, if you want to know more about this, I leave you to your own devices of researching. (You might even discover something else better than this one, in which case you can write about it, then I'll read). Wednesday, January 16. 2008Ivey
Even in the world of poker pros, there are classes: the truly great, the merely great, the so-so, and those people who make me wonder truly how and why they are being labelled as a pro.
Well Phil Ivey is Phil Ivey, and I will let you categorize him, but this I can say, there are very few poker pros who hold the 3C's: meaning, under pressure in the heat of poker action, they remain COOL, COMPOSED, and COLLECTED. When you watch him play, you would be either impressed or awed by how he carries himself. You would get the feeling that there is nothing he misses (of course there is/are, he is still human after all), but let me tell you about the "Earphones Please" Poker After Dark television program that he graced (did you see that particular one?) Four out of the five opponents proved to be nasty (if you wish to use the word rude, you do it), and other pros would probably get up and leave, that or smash a chair onto the table to vent out his ire. Not Ivey, he sat there with his triple Cs, and he won that event...need I say more? Monday, January 14. 2008And Then There Were NINELast year, middle of July, nine brave individuals sat down to start another interesting tale to be added to the history books on WSOP battles. The prize money was not peanuts either, more than eight million dollars were at stake, but maybe more than the money, most of the nine (if not all) had one thing in mind, the bracelet. Action would only stop once a champion has been hailed. The 9th place (yes, last placer) would have no reason to weep, after all, he would still get $525,934- which, even at this day and age, still would be able to buy a lot of things.Chip leader at the first day's start (first day of the Finals) was Hilm, with about 23,000,000 in terms of chips, but Lam was within breathing distance, only three million away. This may interest you, these nine souls came from five nations. Hilm and Kalmar are from the UK, Rahme was from South Africa, Canada boasted of Tuan Lam, Alex Kravchenko hails from Russia, while Yang, Childs, Rain Khan and Lee Watkinson represented the USA. Truly a monumental year for WSOP, I don't know about you, but I still prefer seeing a field composed of various nationalities over that of a field where almost all come from a single country. Wednesday, January 9. 2008An Eviction A great deal of drama happened in a WSOP event 2 years ago, that was in the 2,000 dollar L Holdem and the protagonist (maybe antagonist is the apt term?) was Harry Demetriou. He was not asked to leave, he was actually evicted, escorted to the doors of the establishment, and all this over some quarrel over the rules of the game.Well, from what I have read and learned of the rules, Harry was not guilty of any infraction of major rules, but only of a bad temper. (Which resonates with me, I am capable of "wrath" too when the ugly mood strikes). What happened exactly: he was fifteen minutes into the game when the officials/arbiters decided to turn the table into a six-hand contest. Harry considered this as a serious breach of published mechanics, and he engaged into a shouting match with a manager. The latter then decided to evict him from the proceedings, and had Harry escorted out. Well, after about an hour, Harry was able to talk to a more senior official, and the latter conceded that the eviction was a blunder, and Harry was offered either a reinstating or a buyin refunding. I do not know about you, but it would have been best if they offered both, but I guess that's crazy huh? Monday, January 7. 2008Venue of the Champions WPT or World Poker Tour is one set of Holdem tourneys held all over the world map, but principally in the US. Major sponsors for these competitons are Net rooms and casinos, as could be expected.This great poker tour commenced in 2002, the highest point was the Championship held in April of 2003 at Nevada's turf. The network debut happened in 2004 at NBC, and the Travel channel came out the first 5 seasons. April of last year, it was announced that this series would move to another venue (network) in 2008, but of course, assuming that plans do not miscarry. Hosts of the show as you very well know if you are a TV/cable buff, are Vince V Patten and Mike Sexton. The format of the show is such that the viewers are given the thoughts/impressions that commentaries are done in real-time vis-a-vis the tourney's proceedings. The truth is, the comments are recorded when everything is finished, since gaming laws bar them from watching live feeds/shots through cameras, and it all makes sense. On another thing about WPT, they came up with the "Walk of Fame" four years ago, and legendary Gus Hansen and Doyle B were inducted into the roster, and from the Hollywood's side of the fence, James Garner made the cut. Wednesday, January 2. 2008Simon TrumperThe first significant victory of this poker pro was in the 1997 European Championship, held at London. His feats there impressed a lot of people, and when I say people, I am referring to the pros. He landed first, second, third and fourth in 4 events, and in 2001, he clinched the £1000 EWSOP (NL), and what he did there was far more impressive. That match took a gruelling eleven-hour phase, and Trumper just played a five-hour event (another important competition) prior to joining. If that was not stamina, you tell me (please) what that was. Anyway, stamina or not, he was awarded the "Performance of the year". Then came his slump, from 2002 to 2003, but he resurrected his play in 2004 by making good on a sponsorship commitment with UK Betting. However, he is best-recognized as the most victorious gambler on Channel 4's Late Night Poker- have you watched that one? In these competitions, he joined all of six series. In these occasions, he battled it out with the best of the best in the poker sphere, the likes of Pascal Perrault, Kevon Connell and the legendary Phil Helmuth. Friday, December 28. 2007Gold Let me say this right here and now, I am not a fan of Jamie Gold, and I have my own strong opinions regarding the ruckus he created (guilty or not) on that "gentleman's agreement thing" during that infamous WSOP incident, but I will not dwell on that here. At least not today, for now, let me just talk about the person, a bit of his background.As you all know, this poker player is connected to Hollywood in more ways than one, and he started his career in this line at age sixteen. He served as intern for the J Michael Bloom and Associates Travel Agency, and he was already a talent agent prior to turning 21 years old. Right after his Ultimate Victory at WSOP, a website article came out asserting that in fact, Gold had very scant experience as an agent, but other entities came to his rescue by coming out with their respective statements that Gold in fact, is a competent agent with sufficient experience going for him. Well, the hell with it, I personally do not care if he has scant or great amounts of experience. It would matter with me if Paramount Pictures gives me a call to offer me a leading role, which is as probable as the ozone hole magically closing itself up tomorrow at dawn. Monday, December 24. 2007Still a Battle of the Sexes- Last Part "I used to play college baseball, I was one of the best pitchers of my generation".That answered that, she pressed, "You are a...er...THAT...I'm a woman, why did you save me?" "Being a woman-hater does not mean I will do nothing when I see an innocent lady being victimized. I need to go". He started turning away when Mollie blurted, 'wait'. He stopped, faced her once more without a word. Molllie pulled out a calling card, and said, "It is my assumption that even a woman-hater CAN AND will make exceptions. We can be friends, call me anytime, even dawn hours". She stuck out the card, Mr Rescuer stood there, looking at the card as though it were a small black widow, but after a full minute, he took it. "My name is Delmar", gave a ghost of a smile, and walked away. Well, Mollie is single, and when I asked her if she is willing to go out on a date with him, she laughed aloud over the phone, she said, "Maybe by 2010, if ever we get to talk again, ever. He did not even shake hands with me before he left me by the car". Well, that is that, I smell a sequel to all this, it's one good story huh? Enough of that, I need to go and meet with a manpower agency president/CEO. (SHE is a woman, if that tells you anything). Thursday, December 20. 2007Crisis Situation
Guys, you are right...Still a Battle of the Sexes (part 4)
 Mr Rescuer threw the lighter straight at the knife-wielder, it hit him on the nose with a "whack", and he staggered back, releasing the woman. Mr Rescuer shouted, "Mollie run!" and he simultaneously head-butted the other carnapper right there, bridge of the nose. More shocked than hurt, this carnapper decided that there is a good saying, "He who runs away, lives to CARNAP ANOTHER DAY", and fled away, leaving his comrade to the Fates of the Gods. While all these was happening, Mollie's karate knowledge was being utilized, and she was making the remaining bad guy into sausage. When the guy was down on the ground, unable to speak, fight or stand, two policemen rushed over with guns drawn, shouting "freeze" like they were facing off a band of international terrorists. One of them pointed the gun at Mr Rescuer, the latter held his hands up, until Mollie told them that he was the rescuer. When the policemen took away the cringing Bad Guy, she approached Mr Rescuer, and she was smiling. She said, "Well, THANK YOU. I don't even know your name, but hearing what you disclosed at the party, I will not ask. But this you must answer, two questions?" He nodded for her to go on, she pressed on, "How come you were able to hit him that accurately, you were about 3 meters away?" Monday, December 17. 2007The Woman Under Siege
(Writer's notes: Still a Battle of the Sexes- Part 3)
There, that's everything on Mollie's escapade, but there is more. When the party broke up around 2am, Mollie was on the way to her car, alone, and as she was about to unlock her car, two big men rushed her. It was not a rape attempt, they wanted to just frighten her and get her car. The first carnapper brought out a long knife and held it in front of Mollie, while the other snatched the car keys and was attempting to open the door. While all this was happening, Mollie saw- of all people- the self-confessed woman hater coming over to them. When he was a few feet away, the knife-holder screamed, "don't go any further, I'll kill the woman", and held (strangled) Mollie by the neck. Mollie was not exactly terrified, she actually holds one belt in karate, and she was just looking for an opening to unleash her POWERS. Mr Rescuer (let me just call the woman-hater that) brought out a cigarette lighter and showed it to the bad guys, it was a big one, the size of a tiny mobile phone. He said in an innocent tone, "Do you have any idea what this is?" Nobody spoke, the other carnapper (the one opening the door) approached Mr Rescuer threateningly. Thursday, December 13. 2007Still a Battle of the Sexes - Part 2 Another female friend (both poker and gin rummy warrior) said- quite verbatim all this : "once there was this very handsome guy at this Vegas casino, he and I were in the same game. He was friendly enough, and he talked to everybody in the game, except me. Wonder of wonders, he would not even give me the time of day. Then, there was a little party after that (the owner of the club threw a bash, insisted that everybody attend it), and he, I and half a dozen others got seated on the same dinner table. He pointedly ignored me, once I asked him to pass a plate of exotic-kind-of-shrimps to me, he took out his mobile, and did this. He dialed a number at the same time uttering "Mel (another guy), can you please pass that- name of the dish- to the lady beside me?. Maybe he was thinking he'll get hit by lightning if our fingers touched. Anyway, when I was leaving, I went to the restroom. On the way back to the party, I saw him coming my way, I looked at the side, avoiding his eyes- knowing fully well that if I talked to him, I would be ignored. Surprise, he knew me by name, saying, "Excuse me Mollie". I stopped and looked at him in the eye, without a smile. He continued on, "I do not owe you any explanation, but the reason I avoided talking to you is..."- he stopped. The pause was so long that I thought he would admit to killing JFK, the reason it was taking all of his energies to blurt it out. I helped him, "We do not know each other, and since I've never consciously done anything offensive to you, I can just surmise that there's something in me that you do not like. My choice of shoes perhaps?"He smiled at that- a half-smile, "No, the shoes are OK." A long pause, I (this is still Mollie speaking) have the talent to pause in the middle of a conversation, without getting uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "I am a woman-hater, it is something Freudian I suppose. I am truly from the heart- sorry, believe it in your heart that it is nothing personal. I am sorry". As he said "sorry", his eyes and mine met and I saw in them a plea for understanding. He left me with a nod, and I went back to the party." Monday, December 10. 2007Part One: Still a Battle of the Sexes Trite as it is, there is no escaping the fact that in so many cases, poker is like chess. An uncle (a young one, believe it or not, he is just 4 years older than myself) is a very strong chess player. Actually, there was one tournament that if he had joined in, he would have had strong odds of making it in the top 3, and earning a National Master title in the process. God only knew why he let go of chess, he did not join that, and he stopped joining active chess altogether. Anyway, he once told me, "I am not a sexist, but every time a female sits down to play against me in chess, the first thought that comes to my mind, 'here goes, if I lose this, half of the field would cast pity glances at me after the game'. Which he added is unfair, since a woman has every bit of brain cell that a man possesses. It is just that for centuries, chess has been a man's game and battlefield. A mindset shift on a collective basis is so hard to happen, it would take more time). Going to chess, well I am a man, but I do have friends (female) who are every bit as good as I am in poker play. Before I wrote this, I called up Sarah, a good friend and asked her take on the subject. Said she: "Well, when I was a newbie, for the briefest time, I felt the discrimination. At present though, save for some of the sexists out there, it is my opinion that most are gentlemen enough. They would pretend I am just another man, and try his best to crush me at the game, which is good for me. However, for those men who go "I am a gentleman-I cannot allow myself to beat you", I simply smirk and get their money. How I wish that these men would face Judit Polgar at the table (chess, Polgar is a woman GM) with a 1M dollar stake on the line. I would like to see their faces". Thursday, December 6. 2007Players with the X-FactorThis is in reference to WSOP 2006, let me give you what a lot of experts said as among the "hottest" or "coolest" pros of that event. The "hot" and the "cool" I know are opposites, but if you get my drift, they are one and the same.The three have the X-factor, however you define it, that is why it's X. Moreover, they have the presence at the table, and that is not necessarily defined by the kind of clothes he/she was wearing. # Greg Mueller: great shape, after all, he is a former athlete. His smile melts the hearts of so many ladies in the competition arena. # Michael Mizrachi: at a very young age of 25, he has went beyond the five million dollar level in the way of competition monies earned. He is one of the more aggressive players, in the way of gambling styles. # Phil Hellmuth, Jr: need I say more? OK...ok...he went into the gambling history books as the youngest combatant to have won a WSOP Main event, that was 1989, 24 years old. (I beat him there, I was 23 when...when...when...never mind, it had nothing to do with card-gambling). Monday, December 3. 2007A Warrior Named Lucy
She was described by
 one of the best male pros as "the best woman no limit holdem player in the world”. I am talking about Lucy Rokach, and whether you believe that statement or not, I'd have to concede that yes, she is one of the very best in NL. (No, I do not know her personally, but I've seen her once in person- I was spectating games). Her family arrived at England in 1956 due to the Suez crisis, this was when all the Europeans were given an ultimatum, to exit the country within a day's time. She taught history, then she entered the car-selling enterprise. Around 2 decades ago, poker entered her life. At the start, she suffered through the expected defeats, but due to tenacity and perseverance, she made a name for herself in small tourney games. Finally, the male-dominated poker elite (at that time) had to admit that she is truly a dangerous opponent when out of just five appearance, she made it to the money bracket twice in WSOP. Card Player magazine gave her more clout when they asked her to become a contributor. Thursday, November 29. 2007A Warrior Named Vanessa I was deep into a discussion on politics with a couple of poker friends, from out of the blue, the conversation shifted at once to female poker players. Then, one of them brought out the topic of Vanessa Rousso, now at that time, it was an unheard of pro. "Vanesshwho?"- I blurted, red in the face. They both laughed and one said, "and we thought you were always up to date with names". "OK, laugh all you want, but now at least, tell me who she is", I said, quite embarrassed by the whole thing. Well, you'd have to forgive me (as they have forgiven me ha ha) but I cannot possibly keep tabs on ALL present and on-the-slump poker pros. So, if you do not know who she is, let me help you. Vanessa landed an impressive 7th finish at the Season 4's WPT Championship, enriching herself by over a quarter of a million dollars in the process. September 2006, she proved that that was not a fluke by winning the 5,000$ NL Holdem in Atlantic City. Personal bits: she went to Duke Univ and also the law school of the Univ of Miami. Vanessa is busy with community service work, among other pursuits. Wednesday, November 14. 2007He Used Fake IDs Writing this one, I got reminded of a nephew who used to frequent bars, sometimes casinos, and other establishments that bar minors. If I remember right, he was 15 during those days, but he had an air in him that made him look so much older, plus, he used fake IDs to get in. God only knew where he got them, and his silence regarding his supplier was something worthy of the Mafia.Then, one day, his father really got fed up, and told him, "You stop doing this or I'll take away your car privilege". Well, it was obvious that his car was more important to him than being able to enter all those adult establishments, he turned into a saint the day after. Well, the pro this time is Tony G, and the G stands for Guoga. Even before the age of 21, Tony was entering the Vegas casinos via fake IDs, and it was not an easy sailing for him. He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. Slowly, he mastered his craft, and by year 2001, he was averaging close to 8 grand/monthly in the cash events. He may not be Mike the Mouth, but he is also recognized as a great "heckler", and this leads to many competitors making bad calls, to his advantage of course. Thursday, November 8. 2007Coren Reigns at EPT A well-meaning fan, ehr...make it reader, walked up to me the other day and we had a 10-minute chat. In the middle of all that, he blurted out, "Why do you keep on writing about Tilly and Harman, they have all but retired". Well, retired may be pushing it, but maybe she (the reader) had a point. OK...you, (since you never gave permission for me to put your name in here, I'll just use YOU), this one is for you, and it's not about the Hollywood-actress-and-player who starred in that movie about a crazed-drunk living doll. From London, Victoria Coren is a recognized TV presentor, author and columnist. She is no stranger to the world of poker, and she adds cash to her earnings by playing at the Victoria Casino's cash games. You may not be impressed with her, but a lot of folks are. She has gone down into the books as the very first woman to reign supreme in an EPT competition. People always remember the first, that is something I concretely believe in. In that game, she did a set of bold calls, and in the final phase, she defeated Norway's pride Jan Sjavic, then later on defeated Tahtouh. To say that this victory made the complacent, long-standing old pros sit up and notice- is not an exaggeration. Tuesday, November 6. 2007A Simul Master
In chess, top grandmasters usually give/play simuls, short for simultaneous. This is an event where he/she would play different opponents all at the same time. Top grandmasters of the world have been recorded to have played more than a hundred people all at once, needless to say, impressive.
Now, I've never heard any pro use the words "simul poker", but online, there is an equivalent. That is, the playing of many tables simultaneously, and I do not mean to say just 3 tables. Hevad Khan is not a bot, but that was what so many people thought he was. Surely, an ordinary online buff would doubt if he sees a person in more than twenty single table tourneys simultaneously. Khan had to be a bot, so many people said. When Khan got fed up with the rumors, he allowed a friend to shoot him via vidcam, when he was doing 20 events. The rumors died down, but an icon was born. (There was a time I did four tables simultaneously, the migraine that arose stayed with me for two full days, defeating all the aspirins I took). Khan hails from NY, and just like Moneymaker, he qualified to WSOP via a satellite. Wednesday, October 31. 2007Pictures and a Book First, the pictures, try visiting pokerplayerpress.com and you'll have fun scanning the faces of the best of the best in the world of poker. They have the "Gallery of Champion", and if you are too tired to read, just scan the faces, decide who in your tastes are handsome, ugly or whatever. Hey, just for kicks, if you find the guy who's ugly, you are not going to email him right?Anyway, I was doing that...the scanning, not the emailing, when I saw this guy's picture. I will not exactly call him handsome, but his face portrays character...it is a "strong face". He could very well be a character actor of Hollywood, that, or a major pivotal character in a Broadway play whose physical appearance is crucial to the theme of the story. (There are such plays, you may not believe it, but I acted in college theater...no, not the lead). He is Brad Daugherty, he is of course a poker pro, but he is also an author. Penning it with Tom McEvoy, they came out with "Championship Satellite Strategy". Both of these guys clinched a Finals table in the most prestigious WSOP, plus the fact that they both have joined numerous tourney satellite events. Monday, October 29. 2007It is Clonie for Today
When Clonie Gowen was in high school, she won the Miss Teen Oklahoma at a tender age of fifteen and not only that, she was into varsity basketball AND high jump track. When she got introduced to the world of poker, she added this game to the sports she excels in. She put up a travel agency, but then let go of it to turn into a full time card gambler.
2005 might be the year that would mark her, as far as her fellow pros are concerned. That year, she took 3rd place in the NL Holdem at the FullTilt championship. She became 99,000$ richer, and I don't know about you, but it is funny to think that a "lousy" grand had to be withheld. She landed 31st place at the WPT Borgata Poker Open. In Vegas, she landed a notable 4th place finish at the Fourth Annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Just last year, at the Full Tilt Poker pro showdown, she landed at 3rd to cash in on 120,000 dollars. You may not be impressed that she has not been finishing FIRST, but let me tell you, I am more impressed with people who land 2nd or 3rd in so many competitions, over the one-time-it's-a-fluke thing gamblers. In the Ultimate Poker Challenge, she served as a guest commentator, and also in the Gaming Club World Poker Championship. (I just don't know what happened to her for the last WSOP...WAS SHE IN THERE?) |
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Tuesday, October 23 2007 Voting for the Favorite Friday, October 19 2007 What a Name This Card Player Has Tuesday, October 16 2007 Tenacity at the Games Thursday, October 11 2007 About Matthew Hilger Monday, October 8 2007 Harman is Still a League of Her Own Thursday, October 4 2007 Steve Dannenmann Friday, September 28 2007 Last Part of My Friend Karla and About Ladies in WSOP Wednesday, September 26 2007 My Friend Karla and About Ladies in WSOP Friday, September 21 2007 Last Part for The Checking of Rankings Thursday, September 13 2007 ArchivesPoker Player Champions Articles |
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Poker Comments
Mon, 20.08.2007 01:23
Poker is synonymous to Moneymaker. He's got more than luck, dude.
Thu, 16.08.2007 00:50
Mercier is my idol. I also love Anne Duke!
Tue, 14.08.2007 01:58
I think Aisha is good at bluffing. She's a celebrity. Who can blame her?
Tue, 14.08.2007 01:57