Liz Lieu

Name: Liz Lieu
Nickname: Poker Diva
Current Residence: Las Vegas, Los Angeles & London, U.K.
Birth Date: August 2, 1974
Birth Place: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Liz Lieu. Simply saying her name will elicit an appreciative sigh from any male poker player in the vicinity.

Smart, generous, adorable and a killer at the felt, Liz is a breath of fresh air in a poker world dominated by men who smell like stale sweat.

Born in Ho Chi Minh City to a Chinese father and a Vietnamese mother, Liz moved to the United States with her parents and older sister Tanya when she was still a baby. The young family... Read more >>

Trivia

Has donated 20% of her tournament earnings to charity since her first cash in 2005
Used to play in side games only
Plays regularly at the $400/$800 limit and in the Big Game
Favors NLHE
Was urged to try her hand at tournaments by close friend and fellow pro John Phan
Placed fifth in her first-ever WSOP event in 2005
Has split her time between L.A., Las Vegas and London since July 2007
Her sense of style and love of clothing earned her the nickname "Poker Diva"
Worked as a casino dealer
Loves to shop, dance and spend time with her family and friends
Vietnamese was her first language
Is very close to her sister, Tanya, who is older by two years
Parents divorced in 2003
Speaks Chinese, Vietnamese and English

Recent Tournament Placings

Tournament	Place	Winnings
EPT Season 4, EPT San Remo	53rd	€8,000
2007 Special, APPT Macau High Roller Event	8th	$27,648
2007 Special, APPT Macau Main Event	7th	$32,384
2007 WSOP, Event 25, No-Limit Hold'em	89th	$5,153
2007 WSOP, Event 18, World Championship Limit Hold'em	19th	$11,475
2005 WSOP, Event 33, $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em	72nd	$4,880
2005 WSOP, Event 13, $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em	12th	$24,090
2005 WSOP, Event 2, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em	5th	$177,000

View All >>

Player Statistics

Cashes	8
Total Winnings	$290,630
First Place Finishes	0
WSOP Bracelets	0

Player Analysis of Liz Lieu

Description

Although Liz is a competent winning poker player, she has been focusing on marketing herself more than she has on playing poker. Her poker results have slipped, but she will probably make more money this way in the long run. She has cultivated a persona that she has trouble keeping up with, since in reality she would prefer to be a private person who is out of the limelight.

Best Game

Limit Hold'em

Weakness

Easily bothered by outside influences and superstitions

Liz Lieu's Score

6.5 6.4/10

Agressiveness 7
Looseness 5
Limit 7
No-Limit 6
Side Games 7
Steam Control 7
Against Strong Players 6
Tournaments 6
Short-Handed 7
Against Weak Players 6

Amusing Anecdote

When I first saw Liz playing poker, I wanted to ask her out. I decided that I would nonchalantly walk by her table and make idle chatter as an introduction. I watched and waited for her to be unoccupied. Unfortunately, it seemed like every other guy in the room had the same idea. People would stop and talk to her for a few minutes and leave, and immediately someone else would sit beside her. I waited for an hour, but there was no let up.

Fortunately, she approached the Big Game to talk to her friend Chau Giang. I introduced myself and tried to show my sense of humor. Two advantages Big Game players have in the woman-chasing game are the possibility of more extravagant dates and the lure of offering top level poker mentoring. I was prepared to use whatever enticement necessary, because I now felt I was in competition against the rest of the poker room.

The next day, I got up the nerve to ask Liz out. She said, "Have you been watching how many guys are hitting on me? All I want to do is play poker." I told her if she needed any assistance to let me know.

I ultimately succeeded getting a date with Liz because of something I hadn't thought of. It turned out that it wasn't the promise of poker lessons or extravagant dates that swayed her. Instead, when she found out that I helped poor children, she became very interested in spending time with me.

I eventually found out Liz's other likes and dislikes. I won't divulge them because they would be used against her, as Liz is poker's version of Cameron Diaz in the movie There's Something about Mary.

Analysis brought to you by Barry Greenstein