Robert Varkonyi's Vital Stats:
Robert Varkonyi was born in in New York, New York in 1961. He lives in Great Neck, Long Island with his wife (and fellow poker player) Olga and his daughter Victoria. He started playing poker as an undergrad at MIT.
Varkonyi won $2 million at the 2002 World Series of Poker Main event and writes columns for Card Player magazine.
How Robert Varkonyi Made Phil Helmuth Lose his Hair:
After Varkonyi busted out Phil Hellmuth on Day 3 of the WSOP, Helmuth told ESPN cameras that if "Varkonyi wins this tournament, I'll shave my head." When Varkonyi won the WSOP bracelet, Hellmuth made good on his promise and organized a public head-shaving.
Robert Varkonyi on How to Win the WSOP:
"Pure luck and guts."
Robert Varkonyi's Favorite Poker Player:
"My wife." (Olga is a mean poker player in her own right)
Robert Varkonyi Trivia:
- His favorite movie is "The Gods Must be Crazy."
- He spends some of his time promoting a new casino card game called "Hawaii Hi/Lo"
- Varkonyi graduated from MIT degrees in computer science and management
