Adrienne Rowsome: From Occupational Therapist to Poker Star

(Photo: Canadapoker.com)

There are many careers which lend themselves to the game of poker. A number of former traders have found their way to playing cards full-time, with risk management being a skill that crosses over between both occupations; while some now poker pros have come from a background in other strategy-based games such as Magic: The Gathering or chess. Adrienne Rowsome's professional background in occupational therapy does not scream poker player.

However, the Edmonton native found the game way back in 2002 shortly after she'd obtained her license to practice as an occupational therapist. Admittedly having a knack for maths, Rowsome – A.K.A. 'talonchick' on PokerStars – achieved a great deal of success playing online as a hobby while keeping her day job. So much so that the online cardroom giant signed Adrienne to become a Team Pro Online member in 2011 – a status that many online players aspire to reach.

Despite earning this title, Rowsome continued working as a therapist until 2015. Driven to play poker full-time by a desire to control her own schedule and enjoy time at home with her family, she is a mixed game specialist that now streams her poker action on Twitch to thousands of viewers. She has her own streaming schedule which you can find on her Twitch channel and has garnered over 12,000 followers since starting out. With mixed games being notoriously difficult to approach for players that are only familiar with No Limit Hold'em, Adrienne does a good job of explaining the complexities of these formats to make them accessible for everybody.

She emphasises the importance of preparing your mental state for the emotional roller coaster that is poker. Her pre-game preparations include meditation and mindfulness to ensure that she brings the best version of herself to the table. Look out for talonchick (her alias is derived from the first car she owned – a 1992 Eagle Talon) at games on PokerStars and on Twitch. More often than not, she'll be in the mix in any O8 tournaments that are going.