With a name like Cycalona, it's no wonder Clonie Gowen has become such a force in the world of professional poker. Gowen's life, from her birth in 1971 in Oklahoma during a storm, has been anything but typical.

Growing up in Kiowa, Okla., Clonie was the sixth child in a large, tight-knit family of two brothers and three sisters. She competed on a state championship basketball team and was ranked seventh in the high jump in track and field. Her athleticism couldn't disguise the fact she was also quite beautiful, however, and at the age of 15, Clonie deviated from her path as a high school jock to be crowned Miss Teen McAlester Oklahoma.

Now Clonie puts her competitive spirit, talent and good looks to work for her as a pro player. Gowen was introduced to the game by her boyfriend's father when living in Dallas, Texas, in her teens. Her natural talent and drive compelled her to play cards on a more serious level, and she spent weekends driving back and forth to Shreveport, La., making a few hundred dollars with each trip.

Her success with games and tournaments in Louisiana translated to a good showing at her first major tournament, the 2002 World Poker Tour Costa Rica Classic. She placed 10th, just short of the final table, and earned an invite to the WPT Ladies' Night Invitational in September 2003, where she made her first big splash in the poker world by beating out a field of more experienced players, such as Annie Duke and Jennifer Harman, to take first place.

Since then, Gowen has juggled her time between her husband and their two young children, Morgan and Seth, and her career as a pro player. She has had several good tournament showings including coming in third at the July 2005 Full Tilt Poker Championship in Las Vegas as well as a fourth-place finish in the Fourth Annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic in December 2005.

At one point Gowen also owned her own travel agency, but she gave that up to make poker her full-time job. She also keeps busy with guest commentator work, frequently hosting tournaments and charity events across the United States, and working as a poker teacher. She's now a partner in a poker school, teaching people the basics of tournament play and how to be successful in a competitive game where your own money is at stake.

Gowen also puts her poker expertise to work as a sponsored Full Tilt Poker player alongside a slew of other top pros, including Phil Gordon, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, and Chris Ferguson, among others. As a member of Team Full Tilt, Clonie plays online at the site, assisting amateurs improve their game through live chats and play.

Not surprisingly, when she sits at her table online, players line up for the opportunity to play with her and observers crowd her table to chat. As one of the most widely recognized female poker players in the world, Clonie has proven herself a force to be reckoned with and, as she continues to storm her way through tournaments around the world, is fast becoming a poker legend all her own.