One day you’re peering through a telescope as part of your astrophysics degree and the next you’re the poker world’s sexiest pin-up…well that’s pretty much what happened to Liv Boeree! Thrust into the gambling limelight thanks to Channel 5’s reality show ‘Poker Virgins’, the minx from Maidstone earned herself the nickname ‘the Professor’ and has since gone on to earn over $55,000 in tournament prizes. Sport.co.uk caught up with the piping-hot poker princess and got the lowdown on her achievements so far, her top tips for beginners and why flirting with her rivals is a recipe for success.
First things first Liv, how does it feel to be sport.co.uk’s ‘hot babe of the week’?
Awesome, it’s quite an honour. Thank you.
So how did a nice girl like you get into poker?
I’d just finished university and I saw an advert for a TV show saying you could win yourself £100,000, I didn’t fancy getting a job at the time so I went for the auditions. I got whittled down to the last five people and then the producers revealed on the first day of filming that we’d be learning to play poker. It was a huge surprise; I think the whole point was that they wanted guys and girls who’d never gambled before.
I didn’t win the show but I fell in love with the game and had great tuition from some of the world’s best pros. After the show I started playing in tournaments, won a couple and started working my way up over the course of three years to get to where I am now.
It’s an amazing journey, I bet if someone told you 5 years ago you’d end up making your living playing poker you wouldn’t believe them.
Yeah it’s crazy; in my head I was always going to be a research scientist. I’ve always loved science and maths, that’s what I was always good at. The maths comes in handy for poker although really you only need a basic understanding of odds. All in all though, it’s certainly a different lifestyle!
Poker seems to be a very male orientated world, are there any tactics that women use to take advantage?
Yeah definitely. Guys often underestimate female players which can be a huge advantage. Some guys just start flirting with you the moment they sit down…you just have to know how to capitalise; sometimes I flirt back to distract them.
Does it work?
It can do, obviously the top pros see right through it; they’ve played against everybody and know all the tricks of the trade. I know a few girls who try it all the time and I’ve certainly flirted my fair share.
Obviously you’ve played in loads of competitions, do you play online as well?
I play online almost more than I play live. I play on Absolute Poker who are my sponsors and in return they pay for me to go around the world taking part in big tournaments; it’s great.
Is there a big difference in the tactics when you play online?
Of course, I found it quite difficult adjusting to playing online at first. When I started learning the game I made most of my decisions based on my gut instinct about the players around me. What online poker teaches you is how to read a player solely by the way they bet; you learn to spot betting patterns and think more methodically and mathematically. If you learn those lessons and then play live that’s when you really start to do well!
If you were going to give three tips to beginners what would they be?
You need to learn how to play both online and in the flesh. It’s more fun to learn when you’re out socialising, local tournaments are usually really friendly and you can make great friends doing it. If you’re too scared to lose money then you can always play for free on Absolute Poker and get to grips with the basics. I’d also say it’s really important to practice and to play within your limits. Make sure you are within your limits financially but at the same time you’re only going to learn if you have something to risk. You won’t play properly if you’re only playing for pennies, but at the same time you don’t want to walk away feeling shit because you’ve lost £100 quid. You need to find a balance.
Have you had any big losses or made decisions you’ve regretted?
Oh definitely, there was one time about a year ago, when even though I couldn’t afford it, I bought into a £300 tournament. I ended up losing 2/3rds of my rent in one night (I was living somewhere pretty cheap at the time), it wasn’t a smart thing to do and it’s an experience that has taught me to be careful.
You’ve had a few big wins though, what would you say was your biggest achievement so far?
My biggest achievement was winning the European Ladies Championship in May. That was interesting because it was obviously an all-women tournament and therefore no point flirting!
They might have been that way inclined…
(Laughs) Well maybe…I can’t say I tried and I don’t think it would have gone down too well. I would have got some very strange looks! The tournament was great though, really competitive with players from around the world, so it was a true honour to win the £30,000 prize. I’ve also had a bit of success in the Vegas-based World Series of Poker this year.
It’s obviously quite an unpredictable way to earn money – do you ever miss the security of a normal job?
After the reality show ended I did actually get myself a 9-5 job in online marketing. It was ok…but oh my god, I swear I will never go back to that type of thing. I quit a year ago and it’s been the best year of my life!
You’re spending loads of time in the States, how’s that working out?
I’m mainly based in Vegas when I visit the USA and I’m loving it so much, it’s such fun. The people are great and the lifestyle that these guys lead is just insane. Hanging out and partying with them gives you something to aspire to…it makes you aim higher. It’s so exotic and the weather is fantastic. I’m actually heading over there in a week for a couple of tournaments and to party.
You’re also seem to make a name for yourself presenting on television – we saw that you interviewed Ron Jeremy…how was that?
He was very sweet and it was very nice of him to stop and chat to me as he was being mobbed. Bless him; he’d only just learned how to play poker by the sound of things and was entered into the main poker event. Most of the presenting work I’ve done has been related to the poker world but I’ve also done some in the music industry; I’m a big heavy metal nut! I’m definitely looking to get into more mainstream stuff in the future, maybe some extreme sports shows that type of thing.
Finally, what’s the worst chat up line you’ve ever heard?
It's painfully bad…and was in Vegas (where else?!) "Ah, so you're a poker player, eh girl? I'd let you play with me any day of the week".
That is truly awful…well thanks for talking to us Liv and good luck in the future.
If you’re eager to learn more about Liv and her sponsors check out www.livboeree.com and www.absolutepoker.com.
Photo courtesy of October 2008 issue of Loaded, IPC Media.