The World According to Liv Boeree

Professional poker player Liv Boeree lets the chips fall where they may when she travels

8 mins

Mountain/desert/jungle/ocean which are you?

All of them! I love everything to do with the great outdoors, especially extreme climates. However, mountains are my favourite.

First travel experience?

To Disney World, Florida when I was seven. Every little girl’s dream!

Favourite journey?

Driving anywhere across the western United States. I recently road-tripped with some friends from Las Vegas, through Utah’s national parks to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone in Wyoming, then into Montana and finishing in Northern Idaho. Truly breathtaking.

Top five places worldwide?

Queenstown, New Zealand; Lugano, Italy; Cuzco, Peru; Barbados; Las Vegas.

Special place to stay?

Anywhere at high altitude with no light pollution.

Three items you always pack?

Universal travel adaptor socket (can’t live without my laptop); hiking shoes; camera phone.

Passport stamp you're proudest of?

Machu Picchu.

Passport stamp most like to have?

Nepal (because I’d have climbed Everest).

Guilty travel pleasure?

My group of poker playing friends and I always end up in fancy restaurants and inevitably play Credit Card Roulette. Everyone puts in a credit card and the waiter picks out one who then has to pay the entire bill. Fortunately, I have been fairly lucky with this and have only lost the cheap ones so far!

Window or aisle?

Window, EVERY time. I’m a huge geography nerd and love looking at the landscape. The thrill of flying has still not worn off in the slightest.

Who is your ideal travelling companion?

Anyone who can have fun, intelligent banter to whittle away the long hours with. Fortunately most of my friends can easily provide this!

Best meal on the road? Worst?

In San Remo, Italy there is an amazing restaurant called Mare Blu. Get the rosemary ravioli, it’s amazing!  Worst meal has to have been in Macau, China. My friend ordered the “Brisket”. It was lumps of animal fat that looked like translucent jellied slugs. Not cool.

Where do you NOT want to go?

Anywhere where women’s rights are impeded or reduced. I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a society where I am the same class of citizen as my male friends and family, and I could never subscribe to the ludicrous laws that some countries still impose on their citizens.

Who/what inspired you to travel? Any travel heroes?

Both my father and stepmother travelled a lot when I was growing up and I was always fascinated by the excitement and variation of the places their jobs took them to.

What do you listen to on the road? Any song take you back to a particular time or place?

I listen to mostly rock, metal and electronic music. I love anything with a lot of energy and a powerful and fast beat. I’m really into a band called Infected Mushroom at the moment, a perfect blend of trance and metal that’s great to play poker to.

What do you read ?

I mostly read horror, sci-fi and other thrillers, but sadly I don’t get that much time to read because I’m always so busy once I’m at my destination.

Is there a person you met while travelling who reaffirmed your faith in humanity?

I can’t say there’s any ONE person, however I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a huge range of fascinating, thought-provoking and kindhearted people along my travels. Always be open to the idea of talking to fellow travellers, you might discover your next lifelong friend.

Anyone who made you lose it?

I’ve seen some horrible cases of animal cruelty/neglect along my travels, something which upsets me greatly. It’s weird to think that some countries, even very developed ones have zero respect for or understanding of the welfare of other creatures than themselves.

What's the most impressive / useful phrase you know in a foreign language?

Most of the interesting ones are far too rude to be written down. I do know how say “raise” and “fold” in a number of different languages however.

What is your worst habit as a traveller?

Taking advantage of the free alcohol on long-haul flights!

Snowbound in a tent in Antarctica, how would you entertain your companions?

I’d teach them some fun card games or challenge them to some lateral thinking puzzles. I used to have a great little book full of them. Or I’d sing to them, badly.

When and where in your travels have you been happiest?

Anywhere that is beautiful, extreme and remote. Also, when I won the European Poker Tour in San Remo, Italy. A beautiful little town with incredible memories for me.

What smell most says 'travel' to you?

It’s not even so much a smell, but the texture and feel of the air of a different climate when you step off the plane. I love the exotic sensation when landing in a tropical place of the intense heat and humidity, and similarly of cold, dry air in the mountains. Nothing speaks more to me of travel than that sensation.

Given a choice, which era would you travel in?

If I could do it in reasonable safety and be guaranteed to return to the present day, then I’d love to see the world 50,000 years ago before it was remotely touched by humankind.

If you could combine three cities to make your perfect metropolis, what would they be?

Hollywood (for the variety of people and fun parties); Hong Kong (for the stunning skyline); Barcelona (for the food, culture and weather).

Poker StarsLiv Boeree will be appearing at the UKIPT Poker Tournament in Nottingham. The event runs from April 11-16, with a guaranteed £1million prize pool. For more information visit the website.

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