Voices from the SiGMA Poker Tour: Drea Karlsen redefines "a modern player"
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 Frøya (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 — 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, she 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, 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 Ålesund for a low-stakes casino 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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