Clonie Gowen Poker Cyclone There is just something about those Texas girls. Blame it on their Texan charm, their southern belle accent, or just that little twinkle in their eye like a western gunslinger. Whatever it is, they are in a class by themselves and Clonie Gowen is no exception. If her smile doesn’t get you, her poker game will.

Clonie Gowen Beginnings

Cyclona "Clonie" Gowen was born in November 1971 and grew up in Kiowa, Oklahoma. She got her name because the night she was born there was a terrible storm. Perhaps it was an omen of things to come. ‘Clonie’ Gowen grew up in a large household with two brothers and three sisters. As a teenager she excelled at sports, playing on a championship basketball team and competing in track and field. She placed seventh in the state high jump. When she was 15, Gowen was crowned Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma. Despite her athleticism and beauty, Gowen has described herself as a nerd, even claiming to have played the game Dungeons and Dragons regularly. During her teenage years her family moved to Corsicana, Texas.

Clonie Gowen's Introduction to Poker

Clonie Gowen eventually relocated to Dallas, Texas where her boyfriend’s father introduced her to poker. She worked as a travel agent for awhile, owning two locations, and after marriage and two children started to drive down to Shreveport, Louisiana to play poker. Her competitive edge from her high school sports days surfaced and drove her to play well and win. She developed her game in Shreveport and before long was winning consistently.

Clonie Gowen WSOP Tournaments

In 2002, Clonie Gowen entered her first major tournament, the World Series of Poker Costa Rica Classic. She did very well, finishing in tenth place and just missing the final table. The showing gained her an invitation to the 2003 World Poker Tour Ladies Night Out at the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles. The WPT show was the highest rated show of the tour. The not-so-well known Clonie Gowen entered the show and ended up taking first place, outlasting experienced professionals like Kathy Liebert, Annie Duke, Evelyn Ng, Maureen Feduniak, and Jen Harmon. The win gained her instant fame in the industry and enabled her to quit her job and pursue poker full-time.

Clonie Gowen did not do well at the 2005 World Series of Poker. She finished in 459th place out of a field of 5600 players, which considering the numbers is not that bad and the place earned her $14,135. At the 2005 Ultimate Poker Challenge she came in seventh place. At the 2005 Borgata Poker Open, she placed 31st and took home $14,987. At the Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic in 2005, she came in fourth place and earned $33,035. At the 2005 Spring Poker Round-Up, she came in third place in Omaha Hi-Lo. She has consistently placed at most of the tournaments she has participated in and continues to earn money.

Clonie Gowen's Biggest Win

The biggest win of Clonie Gowen’s career came in July of this year at the 2008 Bellagio Cup IV. In the No Limit hold’Em event, Gowen beat out the competition and took first place, earning her $437,775.

Conie Gowen - Other Interests

Besides tournaments, Gowen stays busy. She is a regular columnist for Bluff magazine which has a circulation of over a hundred thousand copies. She has also written columns for All In magazine. She has served as a guest commentator at events like the Ultimate Poker Challenge, The Gaming Club World Poker Championship, and the 888.com Women’s Poker UK Open. Gowen hosts several charity tournaments across the country and is involved in a poker school where she instructs players in basic strategies of the game. She travels all over the U.S. and conducts speaking events at places like the National Ovarian Foundation. As if that is not enough, she serves on the board of directors for the United States Poker Association. She has been featured many times in print in the New York Times, The Dallas Observer, Texas Monthly, and Esquire magazine. In June 2006 she was featured on the cover of Maxim magazine. She has also been pokerbabe.com’s Poker Babe of the Month.

Clonie Gowen - Poker Woman

As for the role of women in poker, Clonie Gowen has claimed men treat women differently at the table. Some men are more aggressive in their play when facing a woman. In one such incident from her early years in Louisiana, she beat one particular ungrateful male opponent who stood up and angrily kicked her. Several nearby gentlemen promptly jumped him and the guy was thrown out of the casino. But if the attitudes affect Gowen, she doesn’t let it show. She plays with a cool controlled style and accepts any outcome whether good or bad. If she has a bad beat, she will take time to regroup.

Clonie Gowen at Full Tilt Poker

Clonie Gowen plays online exclusively at Full Tilt Poker. She is a sponsored player on Team Full Tilt along with other professionals like Phil Gordon, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson. When she shows up at one of the online tables, it quickly fills with people eager to play against her or just to watch and chat.

When Gowen plays in live tournaments she listens to music on her iPod. She currently lives in Dallas, Texas and in her spare time likes to go camping, mountain biking, and scuba diving. To date, her estimated winnings from live tournaments are $1,200,000. Tall, blonde, and beautiful, she is one of the most widely recognized female players in the world. She still has ambitions, though. She wants to win the World Series of Poker and she also wants to be a role-model for women with non-traditional jobs. She continues to play the circuit and with all of her assets, she will continue to be successful.