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#580 – Clonie Gowen, Part II
Notes about Clonie Gowen
1. The opening of the Rolling Stones Jumping Jack Flash is one of the most memorable in rock music. Apart from the riff by Keith Richards, the opening lyrics by Jagger/Richards are unforgettable anthem about thumbing your nose at humble beginnings and adversity:
I was born in a crossfire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain
But it’s all right now, in fact it’s a gas
But it’s all right. I’m Jumping Jack Flash
It’s a gas gas gas.
That’s Clonie’s life. She was named Cyclona for the storm during which she was born. She had to take care of herself and make her way in the world when she was young. She’s raised two kids as a single mom (with a bunch of help) and been there, financially and spiritually, for a lot of friends and family. She’s had to deal with people who stare at her, doubt her, and resent her. For every opportunity that her looks, charm, and timing aided, there have been numerous “indecent proposals” or false assumptions that someone that beautiful had to cut some corners with sex along the way. And all those opportunities were merely doors that opened. She needed to deliver the goods. And now that she’s on the other side - quietly making a living at cash games for years; representing Full Tilt, WPT Boot Camp, and numerous charitable causes and for-pay gigs – basking in the spotlight of a stunningly successful tournament poker year, it looks like living right truly is the best revenge.
But what a journey. I don’t think most people have any idea. It’s unlikely a rich poker player with Team Full Tilt who’s also one of pokers most glamorous beauties and most recognizable faces is going to get much empathy for having weathered tough times, but you’d be surprised.
2. Why we’re hard on women in poker.
Women are taking up poker in greater numbers, but it’s still a conspicuously male-dominated activity. I think intelligent people are generally beyond thinking men are somehow genetically disposed to be better at poker, but there are more men than women playing it.
For good and bad reasons, it’s in “poker’s interest” that there be some women stars. Men like seein’ ‘em and, more important, women are more likely to take up the game if they see others playing well, enjoying it, and being comfortable.
That’s somehow turned into a competition. Clonie won Ladies Night over Evelyn Ng so Gowen got tagged the Great Vaginal Hope. I get how if you watch poker on TV for 5 minutes it seems like a competition. Obviously, poker is a competitive game, and for TV, they represent easily identifiable archtypes. Evelyn, the exotic Asian beauty from Canada, versus Clonie, the blonde Texas beauty queen.
Only one can win on a several-years-old TV show, but why did the perception of that competition continue? When Evelyn scored in more WPT events and Clonie struck out at the World Series, that was “vindication” for some people that the wrong woman won, that the wrong woman got the greater opportunities. I saw examples of this over the years with Annie Duke and Jennifer Harman and it’s ridiculous.
Poker needs all the stars – all the examples, all the role models, all the promoters – it can get. I don’t think it costs Daniel Negreanu anything when Gavin Smith wins, unless they were at the same table. If we root for Phil Ivey, we don’t have to root against Patrik Antonius unless, again, they are at the same table.
I remember, at the 2005 World Series, right before I met Clonie, that she had a really tough Series. Played a whole bunch of events without cashing and finally had a low cash in the Main Event. I could FEEL some people in the media room rooting against her.
Here’s a recent example: I remember there were rumors on the internet during the WSOP last summer that Clonie was using drugs. They never had any substance but they got a lot of visibility and I’m sure some people figured they were true.
Clonie told me they were false and that she was hurt by them. I think it is extremely EXTREMELY unlikely she was using drugs. I wasn’t with her 24/7 and I haven’t drug tested her, but I feel very strongly about this, so strongly that I’d need to see documentation to believe it. Even if someone told me they saw her using recreational drugs, I likely wouldn’t believe it. There aren’t even that many people I know in poker who, if they told me, I’d believe it.
Did you see how she responded? By having her best World Series ever, cashing 4 times in 11 events, and winning almost $450,000 and a Bellagio Cup title. If she was taking anything, I’d want some of it too.
I know her looks and her charm brought some opportunities her way, or at least opened some doors initially. But what’s that like, having people you never met resenting you, hoping you fail, being happy when you’re struggling? That more than anything else is why I decided I had to get to know Clonie Gowen.
And I haven’t been disappointed by what I’ve found.
3. Clonie Gowen has grown.
I think Clonie hs shown a lot of poise, being under an intense spotlight and handling huge expectations and failures. There have been some successes, of course, and she has generally relied on cash games, the results of which aren’t publicized, for her livelihood. Still, there have been plenty of people who resent her and, because tournament poker is about failure, have had plenty of opportunities to crow.
There is huge variance in tournament poker so perhaps she’s just as good as she was 3-4 years ago and playing just as well. Or maybe being in that crucible for so long has made her tough and resilient in a way top tournament players absolutely have to be.
Look for the rest of my notes in Part III!
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