Famous Women Poker Player Profile: Clonie Gowen
Poker has traditionally been a man’s game, but recently there have been several women who have taken the game by storm – and won big. Cycalona Gowen – more commonly known as “Clonie” – is one of these talented female poker players who serves as a role model for other young women who are interested in the game.
Cycalona Gowen was born November 6, 1971 in Florida. Early on, her family moved and spent most of her childhood in Kiowa, Oklahoma. In her teenage years, she was crowned Miss Teen McAlester, but quickly found her interests being diverted by another sport. At the tender, young age of fifteen, her boyfriend taught her how to play poker. When she was just eighteen, she moved to Las Vegas and began to play blackjack. She didn’t even know the casinos had poker tables at the time!
Once she found the poker tables, she spent the next several years playing, watching, and learning poker rules. There were hard times – as there are for every player. Ms. Gowen, however, honed her poker skills and began to win games and earn money.
In 2003, Cycalona Gowen won the first World Poker Tour Ladies’ Night Event. The year before, she also placed tenth in the World Poker Tour Costa Rica Classic. Just two years later, she took third place in the Las Vegas Full Tilt Poker Championship and fourth in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic. She is also one of only two players to win three Poker After Dark Titles. The other player is Johnny Chan. Through these and other tournaments, Clonie has boosted her lifetime live tournament winnings total to $1.5 million dollars.
Because of her success as a female poker player, Clonie has been featured on Good Morning America and has also worked as a commentator for the European World Poker Championship and the Ultimate Poker Challenge. However, playing poker and emcee-ing events aren’t the only things that keep her busy – this beautiful woman can also be found as an instructor for the World Series of Poker Boot Camp.
Clonie was a member of “Team Full Tilt” at the online poker site, Full Tilt Poker. However in November 2008, she filed a lawsuit against Tiltware, LLC for breach of contract and other issues. She is currently seeking damages of $40 million.
Clonie Gowen still plays in a lot of cash money poker games – after all, she says she still has to make a living. But with her guest appearances, speaking engagements, and her work as a columnist for All In Magazine, it’s amazing she has anytime to play at all! To top off her busy schedule, she’s also appeared on the cover the New York Times and Esquire Magazine.
Currently, Clonie lives in Dallas and is the mother of two beautiful children. She has also owned a travel agency at one time, but now plays poker full time. She also enjoys spending time scuba diving when she can find a spare minute.