Cycalona ‘Clonie’ Gowen is a professional poker player known for her poise, beauty and strategic poker play. Born in Florida on November 30, 1971, but grew up in the tiny town of Kiowa in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. Gowen’s first name, ‘Cycalona’, was inspired by a terrific storm that occurred during her birth.

At the age of fifteen, Clonie’s admirable good looks and graceful elegance won her the Miss Teen McAlester, Oklahoma pageant, shortly before her family moved to Corsicana, Texas. Gowen was an athletic teenager and member of the varsity basketball team at her high school, placing 7th in the in the state ‘high jump’ competition.

Playing poker as a profession was certainly not in Clonie Gowen’s thoughts growing up. It wasn’t until 1986 when her boyfriend’s father introduced her to the game of poker that she even realized how much talent she had for the game. While living in Dallas, Texas, Clonie found herself profitably hooked on the game of poker, making the near 3 hour drive to Shreveport, Louisiana on the weekends to play.

Clonie Gowen first gained recognition by coming in 10th place at the 2002 World Poker Tour (WPT) Season 1 Costa Rica Classic, followed by an 11th place finish in the WPT Season 2 Legends of Poker tournament. Though she has no WSOP Bracelets or championship titles in major poker circuit events, Clonie Gowen’s reputation as a professional poker player - and a beautiful one at that - has grown exceptionally.

Over her long and tenuous career, Clonie has racked up more than 20 live tournament cashes, earning in excess of $690,000 since late 2007.

Clonie Gowen and the WPT
Clonie’s professional poker career started with the 2002 WPT Season 1, cashing twice during the tour, including a 10th place finish at the Costa Rica Classic. Clonie cashed again with an 11th place win at the 2003 Legends of Poker tournament in WPT Season 2. In its 4th season, Clonie was awarded just over $14,000 for another 11th place finish at the WPT Borgata Poker Open.

Clonie Gowen earned another two cashes in the WPT Season 5. The first came as Gowen worked her way into 25th position at the WPT World Poker Finals during the No Limit Hold’em Championship, Event #12, awarding her $25,757 in November of 2006. Then again in April of 2007, Clonie finished 12th in the WPT World Poker Championship No Limit Hold’em event, worth $11,045.

Clonie Gowen and the WSOP
Clonie Gowen achieved her first WSOP cash in the 36th Annual World Series of Poker in 2005, placing in the 459th position of the WSOP World Championship to earn $14,135. Clonie cashed twice in the 2006 WSOP, earning a combined total of just over $5,000. Her efforts were doubled in the 2007 WSOP, cashing twice again, but for a total of $11,300 combined.

Clonie Gowen’s Other Poker Achievements
Until mid-2007, Clonie’s largest single-game cash was $42,285, pocketed after a 36th place finish at the Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic WPT event in 2006. However, an appearance on the NBC series ‘Poker After Dark’, as a member of Team Full Tilt, saw Clonie take down the ‘Ladies Week’ competition during the week 10, and again in week 17, both times earning a first place prize of $120,000. Clonie Gowen, along with fellow professional poker players Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer, are the only poker pros to earn two or more Poker After Dark first place victories.

A regularly featured columnist for the poker magazine ‘All In’, Clonie is also a partner in a poker school. She is on the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization ‘United States Poker Alliance’, hosting frequent charity tournaments and events.

Clonie has made numerous appearances as a guest commentator for live poker tournaments, including the 888.com Women’s Poker UK Open, Ultimate Poker Challenge and The Gaming Club World Poker Championship.

Clonie Gowen and Full Tilt Poker
As a member of Team Full Tilt, Clonie Gowen can be found playing online poker exclusively at Full Tilt Poker. The online poker room is known worldwide for it’s sponsored team of the most successful, skilled poker pros in the world. It is Clonie’s desire to help new poker players and poker enthusiasts to gain a better understanding of poker tournament play so that they too may become gifted poker professionals.

Clonie Gowen Outside The Tables
Clonie is a single mother of two children, currently residing in Dallas, Texas. Aside from playing poker, Clonie’s favorite hobbies include hiking and scuba diving. Gowen’s favorite poker game is Pot Limit Omaha. Her true ambition in life is to own a riverside cabin in the mountains.