Robert Varkonyi
Encyclopedia
Robert Varkonyi is an American poker
player, best known for winning the main event of the 2002 World Series of Poker
.
.
After his graduation in 1983 (with degrees in EECS
and from the MIT Sloan School of Management
), he was an investment banker in Brooklyn
, New York for a number of years before beginning to play tournament poker.
main event, taking the $2 million prize. In the final hand, Varkonyi's defeated Julian Gardner's on a board of , resulting in Varkonyi's full house defeating Gardner's flush.
In the WSOP main event the following year, Varkonyi was at the televised feature table, playing in defense of his championship. Two time world champion Doyle Brunson
was also featured at the table for a while. Later in the broadcast, 1998 world champion Scotty Nguyen
was also at the feature table and they plaved several hands together. In the 2003 World Series of Poker
, Varkonyi's chance of a repeat championship was dashed when his met Scotty Nguyen's .
He cashed in the main event in 2007, finishing in 177th place in a field of over six thousand players, winning $51,398.
In the 2009 WSOP, Varkonyi competed with 19 other former WSOP main event world champions in the first ever Champions Invitational tournament. He finished the tournament in second place, being defeated in heads-up play by 1983 world champion Tom McEvoy
.
At the 2011 WSOP, Varkonyi cashed in the main event for the third time. He finished in 514th place in a field of over 6,000 players, earning $23,876.
As of 2011, Varkonyi's lifetime live tournament winnings exceed $2,200,000. His three cashes at the WSOP total $2,075,274.
, with his wife Olga, who also plays poker, and two daughters. He named his first daughter Victoria after his World Series win. His second daughter is named Valarie.
Olga made an appearance at the 2005 World Series of Poker
main event, finishing in the money in 238th place.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, best known for winning the main event of the 2002 World Series of Poker
2002 World Series of Poker
The 2002 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe.This edition was historically notable for two reasons. It was the first WSOP in which pocket cams were installed to allow broadcasters to show the players' hole cards, although only for the Main Event...
.
Early years
Varkonyi was born in and raised in New York. He first started playing poker as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
After his graduation in 1983 (with degrees in EECS
EECS
EECS may refer to:* Electrical Engineering & Computer Science* European Energy Certificate System...
and from the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
), he was an investment banker in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York for a number of years before beginning to play tournament poker.
Poker career
Varkonyi is most well known for winning the 2002 World Series of Poker2002 World Series of Poker
The 2002 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe.This edition was historically notable for two reasons. It was the first WSOP in which pocket cams were installed to allow broadcasters to show the players' hole cards, although only for the Main Event...
main event, taking the $2 million prize. In the final hand, Varkonyi's defeated Julian Gardner's on a board of , resulting in Varkonyi's full house defeating Gardner's flush.
In the WSOP main event the following year, Varkonyi was at the televised feature table, playing in defense of his championship. Two time world champion Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
was also featured at the table for a while. Later in the broadcast, 1998 world champion Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
was also at the feature table and they plaved several hands together. In the 2003 World Series of Poker
2003 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time...
, Varkonyi's chance of a repeat championship was dashed when his met Scotty Nguyen's .
He cashed in the main event in 2007, finishing in 177th place in a field of over six thousand players, winning $51,398.
In the 2009 WSOP, Varkonyi competed with 19 other former WSOP main event world champions in the first ever Champions Invitational tournament. He finished the tournament in second place, being defeated in heads-up play by 1983 world champion Tom McEvoy
Tom McEvoy
Thomas K. McEvoy is a professional poker player and author. He is best known for his win in the 1983 World Series of Poker main event.-Early life:...
.
At the 2011 WSOP, Varkonyi cashed in the main event for the third time. He finished in 514th place in a field of over 6,000 players, earning $23,876.
As of 2011, Varkonyi's lifetime live tournament winnings exceed $2,200,000. His three cashes at the WSOP total $2,075,274.
Personal life and family
He currently resides in Great Neck, New YorkGreat Neck, New York
The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens...
, with his wife Olga, who also plays poker, and two daughters. He named his first daughter Victoria after his World Series win. His second daughter is named Valarie.
Olga made an appearance at the 2005 World Series of Poker
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
main event, finishing in the money in 238th place.