Robert Varkonyi

Robert Varkonyi (born 1961) is an American poker player, best known for winning the Main Event of the 2002 World Series of Poker.

Robert Varkonyi
Varkonyi playing at the 2009 World Series of Poker Champions Invitational
ResidenceLong Island, New York, U.S.
Born1961 (age 59–60)
New York, U.S.
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)1
Final table(s)1
Money finish(es)5
Highest ITM
Main Event finish		Winner, 2002

Early life

Varkonyi was born in and raised in NYC. He first started playing poker as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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.

Poker career

Varkonyi is most well known for winning the 2002 World Series of Poker Main Event, taking the $2 million prize. In the final hand, Varkonyi's Q♦ 10♠ defeated Julian Gardner's J♣ 8♣ on a board of Q♣ 4♣ 4♠ 10♦ 10♣, 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 played several hands together. In the 2003 World Series of Poker, Varkonyi's chance of a repeat championship was dashed when his K♥ K♦ met Nguyen's A♦ A♠.

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 in his poker career. He finished in 514th place in a field of 6,865 players, earning $23,876.

As of 2011, Varkonyi's lifetime live tournament winnings exceed $2,200,000.[1] His three cashes at the WSOP total $2,075,274.[2]

World Series of Poker Bracelets
Year Tournament Prize (US$)
2002 $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship $2,000,000

Personal life and family

Varkonyi currently resides in Long Island, New York, with his wife Olga, who also plays poker, and two daughters.

Olga made an appearance at the 2005 World Series of Poker main event, finishing in the money in 238th place.

References
  1. "Robert Varkonyi – Stats". TheHendonMob.com. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  2. World Series of Poker Earnings Archived June 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, worldseriesofpoker.com
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