They stood in a windswept field in the Netherlands, shivering, their voices breaking.

"It's been painful, and it's been hard, but so many other people don't have the opportunity to go through that pain, that hardness. That's what it was for me."

The words came from Tiffany Michelle, flanked by her partner Maria Ho in the CBS reality TV show The Amazing Race. In an episode that aired Sunday, the contestants were forced to swim in long underwear to play golf-inspired croquet with clogs mounted on sticks or ring a carnival bell with an impossibly heavy mallet. It was a challenge neither could compete, and the professional poker players bowed out of the race.

Now the pair, known as the "Poker Girls" in the race, are ready for their next challenge: the B.C. Poker Championships at River Rock Casino Resort.

Michelle, 26, is ranked 36th in the all-time money list among female poker players. She earned the name "Hot Chips" and her biggest paycheque at the 2008 World Series of Poker, finishing 17th out of 6,844 players, good for $334,534.

Ho, 25, turned pro in 2005 after a few years of playing poker during college. She's made it to the 33rd spot on the women's money-earners' list thanks to being the last woman standing in the main event of the 2007 World Series of Poker.

The Richmond Review reached the Poker Girls in Los Angeles.

Review: Tell me about your experience on the Amazing Race, and your finish—it appeared you were both frustrated that final day.

Ho: "Tiffany and I were looking forward to this experience because obviously we knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime thing... Regardless of what happened in the end, we're still so grateful for the chance to not only travel around the world and do all these things, but really push ourselves to the limits that we did. It's really a sense of accomplishment for the both of us. Our friendship has benefited the most out of this.

"As far as the way we went out, never in a million years did we think that there would be something that we could not do on this race. But it turned out to be one of those situations that, like you said, it was extremely frustrating. We gave it our all. We tried every which way possible."

Review: Would have you approached that final day any differently?

Michelle: "There was no other way we could have approached it... The fact that we were out there for three hours giving it a shot said that we thought of and tried and did everything we possibly could."

Review: Soon you'll be playing a game you're more familiar with at River Rock. Have you played in any tournaments lately?

Michelle: "We're excited to come out to the River Rock. We had such a blast last year and we love Vancouver. For once in our life, after this crazy race, Maria and I both looked at each other and said, 'We can't wait to play poker.' Usually we play poker all the time, so you don't mind the break, but after this summer, we can't wait to sit down and get back to what we're familiar with."

Review: Describe yourself as a player.

Ho: "For the most part, it's better to err on the side of being more aggressive than not. Anytime I'm in a hand or at the table, I try to exert a quiet but strong sense about me. Definitely when I'm in a hand, I'm in it to win it. I'm not afraid to make plays in certain situations that call for it."

Review: How would your opponents describe you?

Michelle: "How my opponents describe me doesn't matter, because I'll tell you what: guys don't like being beat by girls at the table, so needless to say, I don't make a lot of friends. If another guy beats another guy, they don't start chirping too much. But when I put a beat on them, I instantly become their enemies."

Review: How would you encourage more women to join tournament play?

Ho: "It's easy to feel a little intimidated when you're the minority coming into something, and women accounting for such a small part of the field, do have a kind of sense of intimidation by entering these tournaments. That's true by the fact all-women's tournaments get such high numbers of females.

"I think sometimes women are afraid to put themselves out there in situations where they may be uncomfortable. And also putting up $10,000 in and of itself is contrary to something that is very characteristic of women—we're more rational about things like that, we don't like to take risks like that... But poker is an equalizer. Once you sit down with the rest of the guys, they don't have any inherent advantages over you."

Michelle: "The first thing I actually tell anybody is find a less expensive hobby. Poker is a brutal lover. The highs are high and the lows are low. And it's frustrating sometimes—it goes back to the race actually—to give 110 per cent, to play your best game, or to give your best shot at something, and not have it be enough... It's tough because strong, competitive, confident females are usually seen in a very negative light. They're such beautiful qualities. It needs to be promoted more with a lot of young women. It's a wonderful thing when a woman can be confident and step into a man's world."

Review: How do you prepare for a tournament?

Maria: "I like to get a really good night's sleep. I know that I play very poor poker when I'm tired. When I first started playing tournaments, I would have a little bit of nerves. But now, everything is pretty smooth for me. I just try to remain focused and keep a cool head in the situation. Listening to music before and while playing poker helps me."

Tiffany: "The long hours you sit at a poker table can be gruelling, so I do simple things like getting a good night's sleep, making sure to eat breakfast before you go play. The trick is to not hype something up, because you could be gone in 10 minutes from that tournament."

Review: What's your most memorable poker moment?

Ho: "I would say it's obviously the 2007 main event (World Series of Poker) when I was the last woman standing in that main event. It's the biggest tournament in the world, and making it that far is something that every poker player dreams of. Since women account for less than three per cent of the total tournament field, it was a good accomplishment for me."

Michelle: "I have to go with late into the main event (2008 World Series of Poker), when my aces went up against Alex Outhred's set of 5's. (Outhred had three 5's on the flop. Michelle landed her third ace on the turn.) Turning that ace will probably be forever engrained in my head. There's nothing like the moment that you think you're down and out and having another shot, which is what poker is all about. That's why you can never walk away and think that you're done."

***

B.C. Poker Championships

•Nov. 12 to 22 at River Rock Casino Resort

•Estimated prize pool of $2.5 million, 1,750 seats available

•Fifth annual tournament; must be 19 years or older to participate; register at 604-247-8983 or in person at River Rock, 8811 River Rd.