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Voices from the SiGMA Poker Tour: Drea Karlsen redefines "a modern player"
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By all outward appearances, Drea Karlsen isn¡¯t the typical representation of the poker world. A single mother of three, a mental health advocate, and a former photographer from the tiny Norwegian island of Fr?ya (population: 4,000), she¡¯s not your archetypal hoodie-wearing, Red Bull-fuelled player. But don¡¯t let her disarming laugh fool you because Karlsen is as sharp and competitive as they come.
¡°I grew up with a twin brother,¡± she tells me during a break at the SiGMA Poker Tour. ¡°And all twins fight. We were always competing. Who¡¯s faster and who¡¯s smarter. That¡¯s probably where it started.¡±
Karlsen¡¯s route into poker is far from conventional. She began as a photographer, hired to cover the Norwegian Championship in Dublin. Watching the tables sparked something. ¡°I played a bit with friends for small money and thought I was good. But then I played a real tournament and realised that I didn¡¯t have a clue,¡± she laughs. ¡°And then the competitive side of me kicked in. I thought I need to get better at this.¡±
That drive, equal parts stubbornness and self-belief, became the engine behind the rise that has taken her from recreational games to the global poker circuit. Her recent 22nd-place finish in the main SiGMA Poker Tour event left her with mixed feelings. ¡°A bit disappointing, of course. I wanted to win it, but today wasn¡¯t my day.¡±
Still, Karlsen isn¡¯t in it just for the prize money. ¡°The networking here is amazing. The vibe, the people ¡ª it¡¯s fun. And for someone like me, trying to build both a poker and streaming career, it¡¯s the perfect place to be.¡±
Balancing poker and parenting
But poker is only one part of Karlsen¡¯s complex life. Her day job – if you can call it that – is as a poker streamer, broadcasting four days a week from home. In between hands, she¡¯s also raising two toddlers and a school-aged child, solo.
¡°It¡¯s really hard,¡± she admits. ¡°Poker is always late nights. Then you have to wake up early with the kids, get them to kindergarten, make dinner, and I¡¯m always juggling.¡± She pauses, then adds, ¡°That¡¯s probably one reason the game is still so male-dominated. Not many single mums can do this.¡±
That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s backing down. In fact, her children are her biggest fans. ¡°They love watching me on TV. They always want me to bring toys to the table to use as card protectors so they can see them. They think it¡¯s cool.¡±
The domestic side of Karlsen¡¯s life is quietly radical. Poker, not exactly famous for its diversity, Karlsen is staking out space, literally at the poker table. Poker, long lacking in diversity, is where she¡¯s carving out her place. ¡°There was a Divas tournament yesterday,¡± she tells me with a glint of pride. ¡°122 women. That¡¯s a lot more than I expected. Things are changing.¡±
Mental health and being bipolar
Karlsen¡¯s openness doesn¡¯t stop at parenting. She is candid about her struggles with mental health. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she¡¯s not only managing it but advocating for others.
¡°I wrote a book about it in 2018,¡± she says matter-of-factly. ¡°It¡¯s about teenage years, being hospitalised, navigating that whole world. It¡¯s serious stuff, but I wanted to tell the story.¡±
Her lived experience has shaped her poker game and vice versa. ¡°Poker and life are so alike. Upswings, downswings, and emotional control. You can¡¯t tilt. You have to stay steady.¡± She credits poker with making her more resilient and more balanced in daily life. ¡°I honestly think I¡¯m a better poker player because of my mental health journey. And I handle life better because of poker.¡±
In a game where emotional regulation is the silent superpower, her insight is gold. ¡°One thing poker players always say,¡± she adds, ¡°is you have to look after your mental health. You can¡¯t play well if your head¡¯s not right.¡±
A different kind of security
Karlsen¡¯s path hasn¡¯t always been stable, financially or otherwise, but she has options. ¡°Of course I worry. Poker isn¡¯t a guaranteed income. But I¡¯ve got streaming. If it doesn¡¯t work, I can go back to photography. Or writing. There are always things to do.¡±
That self-assurance is hard-won, and she acknowledges the privilege of being able to work from home. ¡°It¡¯s flexible. I can run my life, be there for my kids, and still do what I love.¡±
What¡¯s next?
After a quick girls¡¯ trip to ?lesund for a low-stakes ë°”ì¹´ë¼ night, Karlsen is setting her sights on Malta, where she¡¯ll compete again on the SiGMA Poker Tour. She¡¯s also become something of a SiGMA ambassador, an unofficial role she seems to wear with pride.
¡°I¡¯m so impressed with what SiGMA does. I went to the American Expo and just felt inspired. The motto was ¡®inspire to aspire.¡¯ That really stuck with me.¡±
She¡¯s not just part of a growing community of poker players; she¡¯s helping redefine it. As a woman, a mother, and someone who speaks openly about mental health, Drea Karlsen is challenging the poker world’s long-standing narratives and winning.
¡°People think poker is about bluffing,¡± she says. ¡°But actually, it¡¯s about being honest with yourself most of all.¡± And in that, Karlsen has already hit the jackpot.
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