She's one of the hottest properties on the world poker circuit, and now she's signed up to the world's biggest and best poker site... we're delighted to announce that Liv Boeree has joined the elite Team PokerStars Pro.
Boeree won EPT San Remo in April for $1,698,000 to cement her place as one of the most successful female players in the world. Her total live winnings approach $2million and she's had success online as well. Media worldwide have been taken not just by her skill at the tables and her obvious good looks, but also by her background - she's got a top degree in physics and astrophysics. What's that? Well, it's not rocket science (actually, it is).
Here's some more stuff about Boeree, 26, who makes her Team Pro debut this week at PokerStars EPT London...
Tell us about your background before you became a poker player?
"I went to the University of Manchester and got a first class degree in physics with astrophysics. At school I got 'A' grades in my physics, maths, geography and biology A Levels.
"I loved school - I went to Ashford Girls School where I was one of those weird people that hated homework but loved exams! I loved all the sciences, maths, geography, PE, but wasn't so much a fan of English or history."
What about work after you left university?
"I had one for 18 months as a campaign strategist/analyst for an online marketing company where I had to figure out where/when to place ads on Google. It was fun to start with but I quickly got bored of the 9-5 and started trying to figure out how to become a poker pro - fortunately it only took me 18 months to be able to quit and turn pro!"
How did that happen, then?
"After I finished my degree in 2005 and was trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life, I saw an advert for a reality TV show offering lots of money as the prize so I decided to enter. They kept it a secret until the last minute that it was about poker, and it turned out that the contestants would be coached to play poker against one another. I fell in love with the game instantly, particularly after my first live win during the filming of the show!
"On the show I was taught by Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke and the Devilfish. Annie and Phil have remained particularly influential to me and have helped me with my career even to this day. I also have many wonderful friends in poker who have continued to help and assist me which I am so grateful for.
What's your game now?
Mainly No Limit Hold'em, which is definitely my best game. I also play Pot Limit Omaha to a reasonable standard but have a lot of room for improvement there! I've also started learning the other games but I'm not very good yet - however, I have fallen in love with Razz so expect to see me playing that a lot!"
So what's it like to join Team PokerStars Pro?
"It's more of an honour than I can really describe. It's something I've been aspiring towards ever since I learned about the world of poker, and I am over the moon to be achieving such a huge personal goal!"
What do you hope to achieve as part of Team PokerStars Pro?
"I hope to grow my game as far as possible by studying and playing as much as I can. I'll also hopefully get to use the wonderful resource of the other Team Pros - some of the greatest poker minds in the game! Hopefully I'll use this to produce further results and make the Team proud!"
OK, life can't all be about poker. What other interests do you have?
"Music is a major part of my life! I started playing guitar when I was 17 or so - I now own about five electrics which I love dearly. My favourite genre is metal (and 80s rock!) and when I'm not playing poker I'll be found headbanging/moshing to my favourite bands which include Children of Bodom, Metallica, Pantera and Fear Factory.
"I also like table football, making my own clothes (I have a penchant for animal print spandex, embarrassing I know), riding my horse, rollercoasters and extreme weather (storms/tornadoes etc, not that we ever really get them in the UK)."
And what about sport?
"I'm not a huge fan of watching sports as such, but I love playing them! I was very competitive at school and was voted 'Captain of Sports' in sixth form. My best were athletics, netball and hockey. Nowadays my favourite sports are adventure sports like rock climbing, rafting and skiing. I also used to compete in various equestrian sports until I was 18."
What other card games do you play?
I'll play any card games (particularly drinking ones!). I seem to be pretty good at them - I run absurdly well in Chinese Poker which is definitely more luck than skill on my part..."
So there you have it, folks. Welcome to the Team, Liv.
