|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Saturday
February 24, 2007 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Player Interviews
|
|
| |
|
Printer-Friendly Version
|
|
|
E-mail This Article
|
|
|
JJ Liu, One “Mac Truck” You Won’t Want to Mess With!
 Images |
JJ Liu the evening she won the WPT Ladies Night Invitational
|
|
Monday, October 30, 2006
To meet this petite quiet force of a woman, you wouldn’t know she will run you over like a “Mac Truck” at the poker tables. JJ Liu has been creating a buzz at the poker tables in recent months and we caught up with her to learn more about her, and her passion for the felt and the best hat collection we have ever seen!
JJ is a computer engineer who turned in her keyboard for a poker table. She began playing in 1996 at Bay 101 in Northern California. She quickly fell in love with the game and found she had a “knac” for it. She decided to work in poker and thought being a host for Bay 101 Casino would get her closer to the game. But she soon realized she needed to be at the tables where she could make real money and hone her skills.
JJ’s first tournament was the 1996 $ 3,000 Limit Hold'em WSOP event. She placed 4th for a purse of over $32,000. But her first “big win” was the 1997 $500 Limit Holdem event at the Four Queens in Las Vegas. She realized then that she could do well in tournaments because there were over 300 entries and T.J. Cloutier came in 3rd place. That gave her the confidence to move forward.
“I remember way back in 1999, a guy named Steve Lipscomb interviewed me for the Discovery Channel. Little did I know it was going to become the WPT and I would play in it 10 years later!” said Liu.
Liu understands why for so many years there were few women in poker. She has witnessed and on occasion experienced insults from men about her being a woman poker player. “It can be intimidating. But now, it’s much better and when there is a problem, the floor person will deal with it right away.”
We asked her how she got the name “Mac Truck” and she replied “Linda Johnson saw me play once and called me a Mac Truck… I guess it stuck!”.
JJ has married her sweetheart recently on the deck of the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. “We wanted to have fun as well as celebrate our love. He was Captain Kirk and my sister and I were Orion Princesses!” she shared.
The love for the game doesn’t fall far from the family tree. In fact, her mother, Kuei Chi Change, an 80-year-old woman, cashed in two Limit Hold'em events at this years World Series of Poker. JJ taught her how to play and now she plays more poker than her professional playing daughter. “At first, I just wanted my mother to know what I do for a living since she was upset I left my career. And now look at her, I have created a monster!” she giggles. “I am really proud of her and love that she shares my love for the game”.
She hit center stage when making it to the World Poker Tour’s Fourth Annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic Final Table in December 2005. She sat at the same table as Poker Legend Doyle Brunson, and Pro player Phil Laak. JJ came in 4th place but that event launched her into every living room in the United States. Then once again, she found herself on the set of the World Poker Tour when she was invited to compete in the Ladies Invitational event at the Bicycle Casino. “What a great time I had there. I loved playing the ladies and the Bicycle Casino was so welcoming to all of us. We, (the ladies in the event), were having fun and playing serious poker at the same time.” She went on to win the event which has given her a seat into the $25k buy in WPT Championship event at the Bellagio Casino later this year. “I wish all the events I played in were as fun as these ladies events. I hope women will get out there and play in some of these ladies events. They are far more fun than open events.” She added.
One thing you can be sure of is JJ’s colorful attire. She always has a smart or zany outfit when she goes to play and stands out in a crowd. She enjoys herself and is well known for her fun hat collection she wears when out to play poker.
When asking her what her poker dreams are, she concluded “I want to be the first women to win a main championship”. Women’s Poker News believes she is well on her way with over 30 professional cashes and two WPT final tables. We are proud of JJ and her accomplishments and look forward to covering more event successes in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reach women around the world!
Advertise HERE!
Simply contact us for more information, click here!
|
|
|
|
|
Advertise!
|
|
|
|
Advertise!
|
|
News Website
By Solupress |
|
Copyright © 2006 Women's Poker News - All Rights Reserved
|
|
 RSS Feeds
|
|
|