Interview with Liz Lieu

Guidetopoker is excited to offer an early Christmas present in the form of an interview with the Poker Diva herself, Liz Lieu!

One of the biggest cash game players around, Liz "made the scene" in terms of recognition when she appeared on TV via the WSOP with her signature look and high fashion sensibilities. We had the opportunity to ask her about the challenges that come with juggling poker and business, the effect of Poker TV on her career, and the super high stakes she prefers to play at. Read on

Guidetopoker: Hello Liz Lieu! It is an honor to interview the Poker Diva herself, one of the most pursued poker players on the planet, both in terms of players trying to bust you and guys trying to ask you out. Thanks for doing this interview for Guidetopoker.com!

Liz Lieu: Thanks for having me.

g2p: You have an exceptionally well put together website(www.lizlieu.net), with everything from posters for sale to your bio and fan mail to downloadable wallpaper for fans to put on their computer- you seem to have as much a talent for marketing as for poker. Are you the creative force behind your site and marketing machine, or do you have a team you depend upon?

Liz: Yes, I am the creative force behind the web site. I am in control of the content and pictures that go on the site. I do have a web designer that I work closely with to maintain the site and keep the site running.

g2p: On Barry Greenstein's site he profiles a lot of pro players from the unique perspective of being one himself, and knowing many of them personally. In his analysis of you he said, "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." Is that pretty accurate?

Liz: Barry is a good friend of mine. I am busy with business outside of poker and it is time consuming. I decided to hire an agency of three guys to assist me in managing my business outside of the card rooms. I do like to keep in touch with my fans and lot of the stuff I do with my lizlieu.net, flickr.com and myspace.com are to communicate with the fans and show everyone there support is appreciated. It is a juggling act to be able manage my time. I try to strive towards that perfect balance between poker, personal time and my business outside of poker. I'm getting there.

As far as me not wanting to be in the limelight, that is only partially true. I think there are parts of my life that I prefer to keep private. Sometimes when you become more recognizable and well known, you lose that privacy. There are also people who want to say negative things about you or feel like they have to knock you down. I don't enjoy some of the negative stuff that comes along with the added celebrity but I realize it's part of the territory and I'm okay with that. Mostly it is positive so I try not to dwell on the negative. 

g2p: Your official Bio on your site says that you "gained experience…playing in 80 / 160 games." Now, is that eighty and one hundred sixty CENTS? Because if it's dollars, that seems like a pretty pricey way to gain experience…

Liz: The 80/160 game is the level that you really notice the difference in skill level among the players. I probably gained the most experience here but I didn't start off in this game! I organized and ran a home game when I was 18 and my first game was 20/ 40. I spent a lot of time around the table and eventually I moved up from the 20/40 game to the 80/160 game and now I am a regular at the 400/ 800 game. 

g2p: You play some pretty high stakes poker now- $400 and $800- is it still scary to play with so much money, or has it all become routine?

Liz: I've been playing this game for 12 years now. The last 5 professionally. I don't think this is a scary game to play. It is pretty routine because I play within my means and my income level allows me to play in this game comfortably. I wouldn't play in this game if I couldn't afford too. Poker is up and down. It's a difficult lifestyle to live and you always have to be conscious of your bank roll because if you don't win at the poker tables you don't have other sources of income. Bank roll management is an important skill if you want to climb higher.  

g2p: How much of a requirement is being scared at the table for you to enjoy yourself? Are you a thrill seeker when you play?

Liz: Playing scared is never enjoyable. I learned a valuable life lesson about 4 years ago. I went through a very bad break up. I didn't care what I was doing at the poker tables and I nearly went broke. Luckily, I had my best friend, John Phan, there to help me through it. When I was at rock bottom, John gave me every penny he had, not knowing whether I'd ever be able to pay him back or not. He just wanted me to get my confidence back. He believed in me and wanted me to get back on my feet. He told me, "Take all the pain and sorrow and turn it into strength," and that's exactly what I did. From that day on, John and I have been best friends and partners. I don't have a brother, but he is as close as it gets. I understand that you can lose your livelihood if you don't take this game seriously, so no I don't play for the thrills.

g2p: In 2005 you garnered quite a bit of attention when you hit number five in the first event of the WSOP. Like many poker pros, appearing on Poker TV was your first real introduction to the public, who were generally unaware of your monster cash game skills.  How much credit to your current success do you owe to the Poker TV craze?

Liz: The Poker TV craze has helped everyone in the game of poker. Everyone has more exposure. The game is more popular then ever before. As for me, I haven't spent as much time as some of the other pros on the tournament circuit. I've had some pretty good success when I've played the circuit and this has probably helped me in terms of popularity but financially I haven't made more money because of the Poker TV craze. The cash games I play in are primarily made up of professionals and this is where the majority of my income is made. I look forward to playing in more tournaments in 2007 and maybe this will change.  

g2p: The Hendon Mob database bio on you says that "For the rest of 2006 she will do her utmost to become one of the best, female players on the planet." How much of what you do is geared towards being the best woman player versus the best player in general?

Liz: To be honest there are so many great poker players out there. I don't have this need to be the very best. I just play the best game I possibly can and I'd be happy just to be considered among the very best players out there. Everyone plays there own game and has there own style of play. I really respect a lot of different players out there including many of the women. I don't really focus on being the best female player on the planet.

g2p: Your work with charity and your dedication to helping out your family is documented in a number of places; can you tell us a bit about how you got involved with helping out in the fight against Multiple Sclerosis?

Liz: I have a close friend that donates money to MS. I asked him one day why he chose MS as a charity and he explained to me that his mom suffered from MS. I consider him a good friend and decided that I would help him support his cause also. That is how the charity work for MS came about.

g2p: Much has been said about the hounds you suffer in the poker room- guys who spot you and decided they would rather hit on you then play poker or, more importantly, let you play poker. Have you ever considered not washing your hair and showing up in oversized lumberjack flannels to play, just to get guys off your back? You could change your nickname from "Poker Diva" to "Poker Grunge Queen"…

Liz: There is nothing wrong with lumberjack flannels but no I wouldn't consider changing the way I dress or change my appearance.

g2p: Liz, it has been a delight to do this interview with you. Congratulations on all your success, in the world of poker and elsewhere, and best of luck pursuing your goals!

Liz: Thank You Chris for taking the time to ask questions and showing interest. I wish you the best as well.