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The
essence of Clonie Gowan lies in the fact that
she’ll sit down at the table and bust you out,
but you won’t feel bad about it. She’ll
smile that pretty smile and wear that tight
white tank top, and if you’re lucky she might
even give you a hug. You walk away from the
table thinking, “Well, she has all my chips,
but I might get lucky with her.” But of course
she has a boyfriend, and you have about as much
of a chance scoring with her as Phil Laak does
winning another poker tournament.
Clonie’s
unusual name is due to the fact that she was
born during a raging storm one night in
Oklahoma. It was a fitting introduction for this
dynamic young woman, for everything she has
taken on in life has been with whirlwind energy
and success. Her rangy frame made her a standout
athlete in high school, while her good looks got
her crowned Miss Teen Oklahoma at the age of 15.
After her collegiate days she ran a successful
travel agency, and it was during these years
that she developed a taste for extreme sports.
During
one of Clonie’s extreme sport excursions - a
scuba-diving adventure in Costa Rica - poker
fate intervened in Clonie’s life. One of the
inaugural WPT events was being held there (it
had a laughable 500 dollar buy-in), and in the
spirit of adventure Clonie decided to try her
hand. She ended up surprising everyone by
finishing tenth, in the money. The succession of
snickers and blonde jokes she endured at the
table didn’t faze her, and it wasn’t long
before she was pursuing poker full time.
Clonie’s
broke out as a star during the season 2 WPT
Ladies Night Invitational. This single table
freeze out boasted an exceptionally tough
lineup, including Jen Harman, Annie Duke and
Kathy Liebert. To everyone’s surprise, Clonie
got heads-up with Evelyn Ng and then busted her
out. Clonie got lucky in a few spots, and she
sucked out once or twice, but that’s what it
takes to win a tournament. Clonie looked great
and the cameras loved her, and ever since she
has been a regular fixture on the tournament
trail.
To
be completely honest, Clonie’s poker results
have not yet caught up with her celebrity. Aside
from the Ladies Night Invitational (which
started with only six players), Clonie’s best
finish on the WPT has been 31st
place, and she has yet to capture a six-figure
tournament score. However, her sponsorship with
Full Tilt Poker ensures she will be given every
opportunity, with it only being a matter of time
before she makes a big final table.
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