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Clonie Gowen knows what it’s like to be the only woman at the table. She polished her poker skills in casinos while her young daughter spent weekends with her ex-husband.
“I was supplementing my income a pretty good amount. Almost $2,000 a month, I was clearing,” Gowen says.
After seven years of playing to make extra cash, Gowen decided to go “all in” and turn poker into a profession.
“I'm very disciplined, and I'm not a gambler. I know that that seems odd, but I don’t gamble. I scout the games very closely,” Gowen says.
Gowen proved she was the real deal when she won a $25,000-tournament against some of the best women in the game.
“I had never set at the table with all women before so that was an intimidating night for me,” she says.
She believes it takes a lot of discipline and patience to be a good player.
“A beginning player would need to learn what are premium starting cards, which cards do you play in what position, and how much should you raise with these cards," Gowen says.
Like most working moms, Gowen misses her family when she travels, but still enjoys the game.
“It’s a part of me, it’s a part of my life,” she says.
Gowen’s success goes beyond the poker table. She is also a spokesperson and advisor for an online gaming site and writes a column for a poker magazine.
CYCALONA "CLONIE" GOWAN