10 Questions with PLON Ambassador Kathleen Twomey
First, tell us a little about yourself, including how you got started in poker.
I’ve played poker with family since I was a child with my jar of coins, playing Baseball, High Chicago, Dr. Pepper, and 5 Card Draw. After the Moneymaker effect, in around 2004, a co-worker invited me to my first No-Limit Texas Hold’em freezeout tournament. It was tough to adjust to the idea of going “all in,” but once I got over my fear, I loved the game.
1. What’s on your poker bucket list?
The biggest item on my poker bucket list is I would love the opportunity to play in the WSOP Main Event but not with my own money. I want to do it by winning my way into it, through a league or a staking satellite.
2. One thing most people don’t know about me is….
I’m pretty much an open book, but I don’t know if everybody knows that I am the baby of a very large Irish Catholic family. I am the youngest of eight kids. As is typical of large Irish families, the age range is huge. My oldest sibling is 22 years older than me and the next youngest brother is 9 years older. I was really kind of a surprise, late-in-life child.
3. What is one of your most memorable hands?
I wouldn’t call this my most memorable hand but it’s the most memorable right now. A week or so ago, I was playing in my Women’s Poker Pirates league (in-person league with local women) and we were down to three-handed. I was on the button with about 65,000 chips, the small blind had only 2,000, and the big blind had about 18,000. The blinds were 2000/4000. I limped in with Qd9d because I felt it was worth it to go two against one and try to knock out the small blind. The tournament only paid three spots. I limped in and the big blind checked. The flop was two diamonds with a J. The big blind went all-in for 14,000 so I put her on a Jack, but I liked my diamond draw and over card. I had to think about it for a moment or two and then ended up calling due to my draws and my chip stack. I thought it might be a coin flip but when I ran the numbers later, I was a big favorite. In the end, I caught the Q on the river and ended the tournament with a double knockout. Fun!
4. How has your involvement in PLON helped your game and/or benefitted your poker life?
My involvement in PLON as a poker ambassador and member has been amazing! I’ve had the opportunity to run several staking satellites giving both myself and several other women the opportunity to play in larger buy-in events than we would feel comfortable playing with our own bankroll. I have also played in some PLON staking satellites that gave women the opportunity to play in the $10K buy-in WSOP Main Event for just a $200-250 buy-in and a stake in the winning players. There is also the PLON poker discussion group and the wonderful friends I have made!
5. What’s your funniest poker story?
This is a hard one. I think one of the most fun times I had playing poker was in a tag team switch event at the Peppermill in Reno. In this event, you and your partner each start with a stack of chips at different tables. Then, at random intervals, the tournament director tells everyone to switch places with their partner even in the middle of a hand. It is so much fun!
6. Who is someone you admire in poker and why?
There are a lot of people I admire, but I’m going to just go with just one. In a past job, I found out that there was a manager, Steve Gee, who was a semi-professional poker player. I applied for a job in his section and he wanted to hire me but our bigger boss wouldn’t let me move to that section. I ended up leaving that job but I kept in touch with former co-workers and kept tabs on Steve’s poker adventures. In 2010, he won a WSOP bracelet and over $450,000! Then, in 2012, he was one of the “November 9” in the WSOP’s Main Event! There was an article in our local newspaper, the Sacramento Bee, about Steve. I printed this article out and taped it up in my cubicle at work as an inspiration. Then, in 2015, while I was in Vegas, I was in touch with Steve and was able to watch him play at the final table of the Senior’s event in the “thunder dome” at the Rio. I find it amazing that someone I know from “real life” has had so much success in poker. Steve is truly an inspiration to me to keep striving for success!
7. What is a favorite pastime or hobby outside poker?
My favorite pastime outside of poker is playing tennis. I have never been athletic but tennis is one sport that I’ve always enjoyed both playing and watching on TV or live. I enjoy playing in leagues and at a racquet club, playing mostly women’s doubles. The mental skills for poker and tennis are very similar, and I feel both hobbies complement each other. I also love watching as a fan, and one of the highlights I’ve experienced is attending the Indian Wells tournament in person. I have a dream of one day going to all four of the Grand Slam events: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open.
8. What has been a highlight of your poker experience?
There are a lot of highlights in my poker experience. The biggest is when I won the Nevada State Ladies Poker Championship in Reno, Nevada, in 2016. It was my first time to “bag and tag” (make it to Day 2 of an event). It was such a lot of fun and I felt so much support from my friends.
9. If you won a free trip anywhere, where would you go?
I would want to go on an African safari. That has been a huge dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I would love to see all of the beautiful animals in their natural habitat, see the amazing scenery, and experience the rich cultural diversity of Africa.
10. Who are your dream competitors?
If I could be at a poker table with my dream competitors (and hopefully playing in a tournament where I won my entry fee), I would like to see Steve Gee, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Helmuth, Kristen Bicknell, Vanessa Selbst, Gus Hanson, and Patrik Antonius.
Who do you nominate to be next to answer 10 Questions with PLON?
Lavonne Zwart Schaafsma