Clonie Gowen
Encyclopedia
Cycalona Gowen (born November 6, 1971) is an American
professional poker
player, based in Dallas, Texas
.
, and grew up in Kiowa, Oklahoma
. (Her first name was inspired by the fact that she was born during a powerful storm
.) She won Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma
, at age 15, and as a teenager moved to Corsicana, Texas
. She was a member of the varsity basketball
team and placed seventh in state high jump.
, driving to Shreveport, Louisiana
, on the weekends. She earned national recognition when she followed up her Top 10 finish at the World Poker Tour
(WPT) Costa Rica Classic with a win at the WPT Ladies' Night event in 2003, then the highest rated WPT show ever broadcast.
She has served as a guest commentator for the Ultimate Poker Challenge
, The Gaming Club World Poker Championship
and the 888.com Women's Poker UK Open. She is a regular columnist
for All In magazine. She frequently hosts tournaments
and charity events and is now a partner in a poker school. She appeared on the NBC television program Poker After Dark
, winning first place (and $120,000) during "Ladies Week" (Week 10) and again during Week 17. She is one of only five players to win three or more Poker After Dark
titles.
Gowen was formerly a member of "Team Full Tilt" at online poker site Full Tilt Poker
. In November 2008 she filed suit in Nevada court against Tiltware LLC, the software company associated with Full Tilt, asserting breach of contract among other things. She sought damages of $40 million. The suit was dismissed by a trial court, but later partly reinstated on appeal.
As of 2010, her total live tournament winnings exceed $1,600,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, based in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
Early life
Gowen was born in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and grew up in Kiowa, Oklahoma
Kiowa, Oklahoma
Kiowa is a town in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 693 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kiowa is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
. (Her first name was inspired by the fact that she was born during a powerful storm
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
.) She won Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant....
, at age 15, and as a teenager moved to Corsicana, Texas
Corsicana, Texas
Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
. She was a member of the varsity basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team and placed seventh in state high jump.
Poker
Gowen was introduced to poker by her boyfriend's father, and started playing while living in DallasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, driving to Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, on the weekends. She earned national recognition when she followed up her Top 10 finish at the World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) Costa Rica Classic with a win at the WPT Ladies' Night event in 2003, then the highest rated WPT show ever broadcast.
She has served as a guest commentator for the Ultimate Poker Challenge
Ultimate Poker Challenge
The Ultimate Poker Challenge was a series of weekly poker tournaments acting as super-satellites into the series semi-finals.The first and second seasons are available on NTSC DVD...
, The Gaming Club World Poker Championship
The Gaming Club World Poker Championship
The Gaming Club World Poker Championship was held at the Merrion Casino Club in Dublin, Ireland during 2004.The international field included 6 World Champions together with numerous other professionals and celebrities.The tournament was competed in...
and the 888.com Women's Poker UK Open. She is a regular columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for All In magazine. She frequently hosts tournaments
Poker tournament
A poker tournament is a tournament where players compete by playing poker. It can feature as few as two players playing on a single table , and as many as tens of thousands of players playing on thousands of tables...
and charity events and is now a partner in a poker school. She appeared on the NBC television program Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark was an hour-long poker television program on NBC. The show made its debut on January 1, 2007, and was cancelled as another victim of the "Black Friday" criminal case due to the show's sponsorship by Full Tilt Poker, one of that case's defendants. on September 23, 2011 For its first...
, winning first place (and $120,000) during "Ladies Week" (Week 10) and again during Week 17. She is one of only five players to win three or more Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark
Poker After Dark was an hour-long poker television program on NBC. The show made its debut on January 1, 2007, and was cancelled as another victim of the "Black Friday" criminal case due to the show's sponsorship by Full Tilt Poker, one of that case's defendants. on September 23, 2011 For its first...
titles.
Gowen was formerly a member of "Team Full Tilt" at online poker site Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
. In November 2008 she filed suit in Nevada court against Tiltware LLC, the software company associated with Full Tilt, asserting breach of contract among other things. She sought damages of $40 million. The suit was dismissed by a trial court, but later partly reinstated on appeal.
As of 2010, her total live tournament winnings exceed $1,600,000.