Liz Lieu

I had two great conversations with Liz Lieu which became Liz Lieu: A Leak of the Heart.   We both stumbled into what is probably one of the best two or three articles I’ve done.

I first reached out to Liz in the midst of her HU match with Erik123.  Through a dumb, throw-away question at the end of an email, I accidentally made a mess of my introduction to her.  I compounded it further by posting about it, one of those times where I put something down that I didn’t think was a big deal but was.

I introduced myself to her last year but didn’t press too much to have an interview.  Then this year I said hello, took pictures occasionally, and she was as gracious as always.  I was standing in the atrium area outside of the Amazon Room when she looked at someone who I think she’d scheduled an interview with, looked at me, then said, “You want an interview, right?  Let’s go.”

We went outside into the Vegas heat and sat on the steps.  Normally, I would have my list of questions and a tape recorder, but as we walked I told her I just wanted to talk to her about her charity work and family as I knew these were things important to her.  We had a great twenty minute talk last week then followed with another outside Monday.

I work really hard at these tournament wraps and try to give readers as much insight into things as I can, but I think the reason I’m in this poker stuff is really for articles like these.  It’s why I just railed Katja Thater all night last night, not because I’m intimate friends with Liz or Katja or Joe Sebok.  In fact, I try to avoid most of these folks like the good INTP that I am (see fuel55 for poster child).  I’ll take the opportunity just to have a gate opened for just a little bit, have a chance to see who they are, and see how alike we are with them.

For some reason, when I see Strasser or Alex Jacob or Justin Bonomo do well, it doesn’t really upset me.  When I’m writing about someone my age who started playing seriously a couple years ago; well, that upsets me.  Somebody has to win these tournaments, and it could be someone literally like me?  Yuck.

So anyways, back to Liz.  Head over and read Liz Lieu:  A Leak of the Heart.  It’s good stuff, I think.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 at 11:42 am and is filed under Uncategorized.