Liz Lieu finds the new year has brought some major changes to her life, both on and away from the poker table
Life really is a series of changes and growth, and boy, my life these days is certainly proof of that. I’ll come to this point in a minute, but first thing’s first, let’s talk poker!
I spent several weeks at the Bellagio in Las Vegas during the Five Diamond Poker Classic and managed to get in some of the cash games there. After playing several nights at the $200/$400 tables, I had my nose well above the water. One night, however, it didn’t start so well. I had lost about $12,000 after a few hours, but it soon became short-handed and bumped up to $300/$600 – so I was determined to get my money back. After a couple of hours, with three of us at the table, I ended the session on the positive side with a little profit at 7:00am.
Beat Street
As for the tournaments, I only played in a few. Starting out with the $1,500 no-limit hold’em event. I was hanging in there most of the day, but then came upon an interesting hand. The blinds were 400/800 with a 75 ante, and I only had 81,000 in chips. I was in seat No.2, and the blinds were seats four and five. Seat six raised to 1,800; he was a tight player who only raised with quality hands.
Everyone folded to me. I had A-Q in late position and decided to smooth-call, as I was playing the player and I didn’t want to risk all of my chips against a solid, tight player when I can see the flop first.
This is where it gets interesting: the small blind moved all-in for approximately 9,000 in chips. I had pegged the big blind as having a Liz may have suffered a bad beat at the Five Diamond, but Joe took it down strong hand, but after going into the tank, he hesitantly mucked it. The original raiser also mucked. My instinct told me the small blind was trying to steal the pot. I also knew I would be short-stacked if I folded, but would have a decent shot at winning if I called. I pushed the rest of my chips in, and was right! The small blind showed 10-4 offsuit! I flipped over my A-Q. The flop was a harmless 6-5-5, but the turn was a 4 and the river a blank. The bad beat knocked me out in 79th place.
When I returned to Los Angeles in late December, I took some time to enjoy the holidays with friends and family. With 2007 looming, I also began to look at all aspects of my life to determine what I wanted for myself in the new year. I didn’t exactly make any resolutions, but I started to make changes that would lead me down the path that I wanted to travel. I’m about to move from LA to the Panorama Towers on the Vegas Strip and just a short walk from the Bellagio. Who am I kidding? I’ll be driving the two blocks – not walking.
To the future
One of the biggest changes in 2006 was to do with my sponsorship. I have had a great relationship with Martins Poker, but a very tough decision was made to dissolve our business deal in December, and I am no longer officially representing the site. However, there are no ill feelings… none at all!
Despite the tough break – which felt a little like a relationship that ends, but the individuals remain friends – I was happy to be faced with several offers from other online gaming companies. In addition, I signed a deal with an agent to represent me and develop my commercial and public relations on a global scale. My agent is Stephen Pearson, and he has amazing vision! We both recognise that poker is becoming a global sport, and we want to be at the forefront of its development.
I feel the future is only limited by the number of hours in each day. And, I’m hoping I will be able to dedicate more time to playing good poker and worry less about my day-to-day business life. Change isn’t always easy; sometimes it is downright hard – but when done for the right reasons and with the best intentions, it is all worth it. So here’s to a busy next few months, but a great 2007! There’s never a dull moment in my life… Why? Because it’s not easy being a poker diva!
If you like interviews like this then why not try reading a digital copy of PokerPlayer magazine HERE
