Won the WPT Ladies' Night tournament in 2003
You might be wondering why you've never met anyone named Clonie. It's because Clonie Gowen is truly a one-of-kind phenomenon.
Clonie's parents gave her such an unusual name because she was born right in the middle of a powerful storm - Clonie is actually short for Cycalona. Her notable entry into the world was matched by her accomplishments as she grew up. Clonie became a competitive high school athlete; she was a prominent member of the state championship basketball team, and ranked seventh in the state in the high jump. At age 15, she also found time to be crowned Miss Teen Oklahoma.
However, something even more significant happened to Clonie when she was 15 - she learned to play poker. She was taught by her boyfriend, and played in home games with his family. Before long, her competitive spirit drove her to increase the stakes. She soon began driving back and forth between Dallas, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana every weekend, usually bringing home a few hundred dollars each trip.
While on a scuba diving trip to Costa Rica in 2002, Clonie decided to enter the World Poker Tour (WPT) Costa Rica Classic. She placed 10th, not a bad start for an unknown player. However, the real payoff was that her tournament performance earned an invite to the WPT Ladies' Night Invitational. There, Clonie competed against the superstar women of the poker world - Jennifer Harman, Annie Duke, and Kathy Liebert - and won. Clonie continues to take the poker world by storm, one tournament at a time.
Remember, if you ever see this pretty lady sitting across from you at a poker table, don't be fooled by her smile - it probably means she's getting ready to take all your money.
