The Beginning of the Beginning

These are the adventures of Miss Clio Soleil, the first female to win the main event of the World Series of Poker. She out-lasted over 6,000 players each paying $10,000 to enter a no-limit hold'em tournament where the champion of poker is crowned.

The main event is often described as 'The Cadillac of Poker' but the phrase seemed outdated to Clio. If pressed on this issue, she probably would have mused merely that a more modern phrase might be 'The Hummer Stretch-Limo of Poker,' for where Cadillac brought to mind images of quality, sophistication, and style (a good description of the tournament in the 20th century), the main event lately seemed full of hype, bling, and egos.

As it was, she never considered in any conscious way these insights because to her, the WSOP was simply what it said it was- the World Series of Poker- the one game on the planet held to determine who would wear the crown of World Poker Champion.

The title came with a not inconsiderable pile of money. Literally! The tournament organizers laid out a huge pile of money in the middle of the poker table! Alluring as this might be to most people, what was even more so to most players was the bracelet that came with it, for many people became millionaires each year, but there is only one bracelet per year, and therefore, one chamption.

But it was not ego that led Clio down this path, oh no, it was selflessnes. She played for the money. She had none came to the conclusion that a huge pile of it was just what she needed so that she could help others. The fact that the bracelet came with a good deal of fame only meant that she could help more people, and as that fit perfectly within her plan, she began to embrace it. This was harder for her to do this than it might seem because Clio had become quite comfortable in a rather seclusive, independent, and anonymous lifestyle. Yes, all of that would change, but as she had discovered... it's hard to help people if no-one knows you!

So it was that deep down, more than anything, she just wanted to give. She wanted to give back to those who had helped her become the woman she was, she wanted to provide ladders of opportunity to those marginalized by society (as she once was), and she wanted to help her people.

This is her story.