Playing With Evelyn Ng Suited in Hearts for the Cover of Card Player or Vogue

This photo by Melissa Hayden all others by BJ Nemeth

Evelyn Ng's poker debut on the Travel Channel was exciting. She and Clonie Gowen turned away four top professionals, and then engaged in an aggressive heads-up battle for the season-two ladies' championship of the World Poker Tour (WPT). Prior to that airing, many in the poker community were familiar with the statuesque Canadian lady from her dealing and playing days. The brown-eyed Las Vegas resident (off and on for the past 10 years) began checking and raising at age 13, has been involved in the poker industry for 13 of her 30 years, plays up to $100-$200 limit poker, and is a spokesperson for PokerStars.



Evelyn is strikingly beautiful, and is also intelligent and articulate. Her responses to my questions were straightforward and complete. So, rather than providing more observations and assessments, I'll turn the show over to Evy, who will discuss relationships, playing online versus live tournaments, tells, focus, her nonpoker pleasures, and lots more.



Lee Munzer: There are many ways to play poker these days: ring games, tournaments, in casinos, home games, and online. What's your preference?



Evelyn Ng: For years I just played limit hold'em. I really didn't get involved in many tournaments because they just didn't seem to offer good value to me, and I knew the (financial) swings would be much greater than my limit results were. Now, I mix in tournaments, and I really like the excitement of no-limit events. There are so many ways to play a hand, and all have varying degrees of correctness. I really like playing online because I can play quickly, and I don't have to listen to all the talk; using the chat box is preferable to me. I like playing heads up or shorthanded online.



LM: Has the poker explosion made it easier to beat the games you play?



EN: Definitely. There are lots of inexperienced players these days, especially online. In general, it's helped the professionals. But, when you're in a tournament against these same unknowns, you have to be careful what you wish for, because they will often do the opposite of what you might expect.



LM: Your PokerStars gig is a plum. I play at the site, and know they treat customers well and offer a wide variety of cash games and tournaments. The opportunities for name players seem to be growing nicely.



EN: While there are definitely more opportunities for poker players than ever before, most of us, including me, think there should be lots more. I'll say this: If people are getting into poker because they believe they will get sponsorship, commercials, and endorsements (shaking her head from side to side), I would tell them to forget it. Those things are available to only a select few at this time. You know, when I got into poker, it wasn't to be on TV or to become famous. I just happened to luck into my arrangement, and I still pay my way into most of the events I enter. But now when I meet people, they often have stars in their eyes.

John Phan enjoys the company of Liz Lieu (left) and Evelyn Ng.

LM: Big expectations can lead to big disappointments. Let's turn to your poker game. What are your strengths and accomplishments?



EN: Well, I've made a living from the game for the past 13 years, if that's an accomplishment. As for tournament success, I cashed for almost $65,000 at the Borgata main event this year, and I've had numerous cashes at the World Series of Poker. I consider my strengths to be aggression, the ability to analyze situations, and, this may seem a bit odd, the fact that others often underestimate me.



LM: How good were your results at the 2005 World Series of Poker?



EN: Although I cashed in three events, I finished negative. My real disappointment was the main event. I had played so much poker by then that I was tired and unfocused. It almost seemed like it was just another event, and that's not how you should be thinking when you're playing for the world championship.



LM: When you play tourneys at that level, what kind of tells can you pick up?



EN: If I haven't played with an opponent, I ask myself if I think he or she is the type of player who is capable of acting, as opposed to being natural. If I think the opponent is capable of acting, I try to determine whether he or she can successfully "sell" a tell, an intentionally misleading one. I'm trying to determine what a player thinks of me at the same time. In other words, do they think they need to sell me on something? What level do they think I'm thinking at? Do they perceive that I'm reacting to what they're doing? I'm not looking for an actual physical tell, like the timing of eating an Oreo cookie. I'm just trying to get into the opponent's psychology and determine how he's thinking. As for visual tells, the main thing I look for is a feeling of ease or unease. I also make sure I don't categorize a player, stop watching him, and make decisions on my initial read of him. I'm always looking for a reason to adjust my thinking about an opponent.



LM: What's the best thing about poker?



EN: Being my own boss.



LM: What's the worst thing about poker?



EN: Being my own boss.



LM: Do you have any pet poker peeves?



EN: Yes. People who have a bad attitude, especially toward dealers, people who have bad hygiene, and people who insist on telling everyone about their bad beats.



LM: What advice can you provide for our beginner and intermediate readers?

EN: Well, the first thing would be to try to learn as much as they can by reading (hesitating and laughing), preferably, credible information. A long time ago, I read Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players (by Sklansky and Malmuth). That helped me, but what really opened my eyes was Sklansky's The Theory of Poker. That book started me thinking at a different level. The game was no longer just how to play ace-king. Keeping accurate records will help to identify the areas you need to improve on. Players should be open to different opinions. That doesn't mean they have to accept everything, but at least they should analyze what people tell them. They should see what works for them, and they should know that learning is an ongoing thing. It's very easy to think you know everything. By thinking that way, you'll stop learning.



LM: Aside from reading, record keeping, and receiving assistance, how else can a player improve his or her game?



EN: Playing online is a great way to increase your experience level, because you get so many hands in per hour, you can play multiple games simultaneously, and you can play all the different forms of poker at almost any limit.



LM: Poker is a game of adapting to the many variables we encounter. Maybe we can help the readers by getting into the different adjustments you make when playing online tournaments as opposed to major casino events, such as the $10,000 buy-in Doyle Brunson North American No-Limit Hold'em Poker Championship at Bellagio.



EN: The major differences between online tournaments and main events, like 10K tournaments, are the time of each round (less online; of course, when playing online, you play more hands in less time) and the number of chips you start with (less online). So, when I play an event like the Doyle Brunson Championship, with 90-minute rounds and everyone having lots of chips, there's not as much pressure to build my stack early on. But, I must guard more against giving away information when players are observing my manner at the table, my body language, and what I'm doing with my hands. There's also a difference of what I'll call "bravery" when playing face to face against an opponent as opposed to sitting behind a computer screen. It can be intimidating looking into Chris Ferguson's stone face. I find that players are a lot braver when they're shielded by the anonymity of a computer screen. So, each type of tournament requires adjusting and a different set of skills.



LM: By the way, what happened at the Doyle Brunson Championship? You more than doubled your chips after day one, but a few hours into day two, you were gone.



EN: OK, this is going to be a long answer. I was extremely uncomfortable on day one. I was very tired, and worse, I was in pain. My neck was so stiff that I could hardly move it. I was stuck in seat five and felt very uncomfortable all day. When I'm feeling really terrible like that, I force myself to focus completely. I felt I was playing as well as I could the whole day. That night, I slept very well and felt better when I woke up. On day two, I started at a different table. I was trying to concentrate on the new people, and trying to figure out how they perceived me, but it just wasn't working. I must not have been focused enough. Because of that, I wound up making a play where I risked my tournament life on a read when I had insufficient information because I didn't know my opponent well enough.



LM: Do you recall the details of that hand?



EN: Yes. A few hands prior, I had made a preflop reraise and had to fold to Young Phan when he moved all in on me. So, now with fewer chips, and being sort of ego damaged from having to muck to a big reraise, I decided to come over the top when an unknown player made a strong raise from his button position. I could have made a different raise, but I decided to go all in. The funny thing is, he called in a heartbeat, and I had the better hand, 10-10 against A-K. A king came on the river. My read was that he had the type of hand that he wouldn't want to get involved with if facing an all-in player, so I moved in. I guess I just made too rash of a read. I didn't want to put the pressure on myself by making a small reraise and having to muck again, as I did a few hands previously, if he moved all in. So, I put the pressure on him and he called.



LM: Well, you had a good plan and you moved your chips with the best hand, so you might be beating yourself up too much for that play. Do you ever steam or go on tilt after losing a big pot in a cash game or tourney?



EN: If I take a bad beat – say someone gets really lucky against me – the result stings, but I won't go on tilt. I can't control luck. What really gets me is when I make a mistake that costs me a pot. That's something I might think about for a while. I'm not sure I would steam, though; I would just keep thinking about the hand, and how I could have played it differently.



LM: Who are your toughest opponents?



EN: As a category, it would have to be aggressive maniacs. The players I most fear are Daniel (Negreanu), Layne (Flack), and Gus (Hansen).



LM: You, along with many poker players, have become recognizable in the past few years and, in many cases, have achieved a degree of celebrity-type fame. How is fame affecting you?



EN: First and foremost, I don't consider myself to be famous. I know that some people recognize me from my television appearances. To be honest, I'm slightly uncomfortable with that. I'm somewhat reserved, and when I play poker, I need to concentrate. I get distracted when people talk to me. But, having people notice me and talk to me may have helped in a way – to get me over my shyness.



LM: Do you take advantage of your obvious pulchritude, and do you deploy feminine wiles at the table?



EN: No, I don't use my looks as part of my strategy. But, I realize my appearance might work to my advantage at times. Sometimes a gentleman is just trying to be nice to me, and he may even check the nuts when he's last to act. I'll usually ask him nicely to please bet his hand, because I'll be betting my hands. If he continues to play soft against me, having been given fair warning, I'll use his play to my advantage.



LM: Tell us about your relationship with one of the top players in the game, Daniel Negreanu.



EN: Daniel is one of my best, best friends. We have known each other a long time, and we know each other very well. We dated off and on many years ago, but for the last eight years, we've been good friends. Daniel has been very instrumental in my development as a poker player, not so much from a strategy viewpoint, but by instilling the right, professional attitude in me.



LM: Speaking of relationships, you've been linked to several well-known players through the years. I'm sure that our single male readers are dying to know if you are between boyfriends.



EN: (Laughing) Yes, I don't have a boyfriend, nor am I looking for one at this time. I just can't deal with any romantic distractions at the moment. I'm trying to focus on poker, other areas of my life, and my friends.



LM: Do you believe it's a good idea for a poker professional to date or marry another poker pro, or, perhaps a mature feature writer?



EN: (Ignoring my incredible offer) Well, poker certainly is a different world than most people are familiar with, so I can understand a poker player wanting to date someone who knows that world. However, you have to realize that any problems related to poker that you face might wind up being squared or cubed. To me, it's not such a great idea. I'd say, if you can find someone you have a great relationship with, and you still can pursue your career, that's like winning the lottery.



LM: What do you do when you're away from the tables?



EN: Well, I waste a lot of time playing video games (laughing). I like puzzle games and strategy challenges (she mentions Mindsweeper, Puzzle Bubble, and Tetris). And I'll be playing Stacked (a new poker game with unique artificial intelligence) when it comes out. Poker takes a lot out of me, so I get lazy sometimes. I like fashion. I like pop culture. I also have this unquenched artistic side. When I was younger, I liked to draw and create things. I also read. I used to read lots of novels, but lately I've been reading mostly nonfiction (Evy recommends Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell – a nonpoker book, but since it's about making decisions under pressure, it will improve your game). I enjoy playing pool. I like lots of board games, like backgammon and Scrabble. I watch TV and listen to music.



LM: What are your favorite TV shows and who are your favorite musical artists?



EN: Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of my favorite shows. I like to learn things, so I watch science and nature-type shows like the Discovery Channel. As for music, I listen to pretty much everything, except country music. I like some music that was before my time. Currently, I'm listening to Audioslave, Fiona Apple, and R&B (rhythm and blues) from the '70s (she names Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder).



LM: Since you're a late riser, we'll skip breakfast. Would you prefer to have lunch tomorrow with Mick Jagger or Marilyn Monroe?



EN: Well, Marilyn Monroe was cool, but her allure was more toward males, so I'll go with Mick Jagger. And I think he would probably prefer to have breakfast with me than Marilyn Monroe.



LM: (Smiling) Ah, your poker-player ego finally comes out. How about dinner with Abe Lincoln or Bill Clinton?



EN: Bill Clinton. He's really cool. He's like the alpha male. He has a great, alluring, captivating personality.



LM: Late night with Leno or Letterman?



EN: (Emphatically) Letterman! Leno's a buffoon. He's not funny. Letterman is funny. Leno just has a shtick. He's too "PG" for me, I guess.



LM: Well, there goes the Leno appearance when you win the world championship in 2006. Thanks for taking the time to let our readers get to know you.

E-mail Lee with comments, questions, or suggestions for feature articles at [email protected].