Robert Varkonyi: Poker's 2002 World Champion - Part II

In the last issue, I wrote about Robert Varkonyi's life and poker experiences prior to the 2002 World Series of Poker. This past May, Varkonyi's life changed when he topped a record field of 631 players to claim the title of world champion, as well as the $2 million that went with the title. Here, my interview continues, with Varkonyi arriving at the 2002 WSOP.

Linda Johnson: What was your plan of attack for the 2002 World Series?

Robert Varkonyi: I flew to Las Vegas on the Friday prior to the championship event. J.P. Massar, who has been a buddy of mine since we met and played poker together in college, encouraged me to play some one-table satellites for the big event, stating his belief that they were a great value. I took his advice and played a one-table satellite on Saturday and won it. By the way, J.P. bought 1 percent of my action, "just in case."

LJ: Once you had won your entry, what did you do to prepare yourself?

RV: I spent Sunday relaxing all day. I had a nagging cold all week and was trying to shake it before the tourney started.

LJ: What was your strategy for the first day?

RV: I played very steady and conservative poker. My goal was just to survive the first day. I ended up in the middle of the field.

LJ: How did the second day go for you?

RV: I was low on chips for much of the second day. Toward the end of the day, I was in poor chip position and sensed the need to make a move. On the very last hand of the day, I was dealt an A-K. Two players went all in, as did I. They each had a pair of queens, and I was fortunate enough to catch a king on the flop. I had tripled through to end the day in 21st position with about $90,000 in chips.

LJ: Tell me about the third day.

RV: I struggled all day without holding any cards. My stack was dwindling. The scariest part of the day was when I got moved to a table with Chip Reese, Phil Hellmuth, and some other players whose pictures appear regularly in Card Player. There were lots of chips on the table, which was a double-edged sword; it was a great opportunity to acquire chips, but there were some very tough players to get through. I adopted a very aggressive strategy and ran my chips from about $40,000 to about $100,000. Then, the big hand came down between Phil and me. I was in late position and made a small raise. Phil made a big reraise, and I moved all in, sensing weakness on his part. He jumped up, took off his hat, and started screaming, "They keep coming over the top of me." I couldn't help laughing at him; he looked so silly. He finally called and we turned up our cards … Q-10 for me; A-K for Phil. The flop came A-Q-10, then two rags. Phil was crippled and I had more than $200,000. Of course, I got lucky on that hand, but I really hadn't expected him to call my all-in raise. I said to Chip Reese, who was sitting next to me, "Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing at the right time." I ended the day as the chip leader with more than $550,000.

LJ: Were you able to sleep that night?

RV: Absolutely; I slept like a baby each night during the tournament. I was ecstatic to make it through each day. In the mornings, I usually had breakfast with J.P. Massar, and we discussed strategy, the players at my table, chip counts, and so on.

LJ: Tell me about the fourth day.

RV: It was pure torture, because I got no cards. I finally picked up two kings in the big blind and everyone folded. I wanted to break down and cry. I played very aggressively and bluffed a lot, and stole more than my share of blinds and antes. I ended up in fourth place at the end of the day with $640,000 in chips.

LJ: We all know the results, but tell me about the final-table play on the last day.

RV: On the first hand of the day, Julian Gardner raised, and I moved all in with pocket nines. He was only too happy to call with pocket aces. I lost almost two-thirds of my stack on that hand. I think everyone wrote me off, assuming I would finish in ninth place, but I still had chips and confidence. I had been in worse spots. That first hand set me up to get called on subsequent hands. I knew I would have to be patient and wait. A few hands later, I got kings and doubled up.

I was having the time of my life. Everyone else was so serious. Every time the cameras moved to me, I had a big smile on my face. It was so much fun. It was at about this time that Phil made his comment about shaving his head if I won the tournament. About two hours later, I had $2 million in chips. I turned to Phil and told him to get the shaver ready.

I knew I needed to maintain my focus and concentration to win. Then, I won another big pot with Q-10 against A-9; this time Scott Gray was the victim when two queens flopped, and he went out in fourth place. I was so embarrassed that I had to put my head down. Now threehanded, I had about $4 million in chips and my opponents had $1.3 million and $1 million. I inquired about making a deal, but the answer was no. Soon, Ralph Perry went out third when his pocket jacks ran into my pocket aces. Julian and I then played heads up for about 30 minutes. I was very aggressive. On the final hand, I had Q-10 and the board came Q-4-4 with two clubs. Julian moved all in with the J 8, and I called. The turn was a 10 and the river was the 10. Julian jumped up, not realizing that I had made a full house with the same card he had made the flush.

Then, all hell broke loose. I was so elated and relieved that it was finally over. It really is every poker player's dream to win the "big one."

LJ: After you won, did you actually shave Phil's head?

RV: This is the way it went down: Phil took a seat in front of the final table, and they handed me an electric haircutter. The crowd was screaming, "Shave, shave, shave!" I trimmed about an inch off the back of his neck as a symbolic gesture. I put my arm on his shoulder and told the crowd, "I think Phil has learned his lesson and he's gonna be a good boy from now on." They responded, "Shave, shave, shave!" I didn't really feel comfortable with continuing, so Becky Behnen and a few guys shaved most of him and then asked me to pose for a picture with the razor. You have to give it to a guy who doesn't even make the money but still manages to steal the limelight.

LJ: Was there a big party after the tournament was over?

RV: Yes, that night we had dinner upstairs in the Steak House, and I found a $100 chip on the floor. It's funny, because normally that would have been the highlight of our trip, yet it wasn't too relevant at the time.

LJ: How has life changed since your big victory?

RV: I was supposed to start a new job the very next week, but I called and told them I was too busy. We bought a house in Long Island. We were on the news and in lots of newspapers, as well as the national Fox News Network. There was even a small article about me in Sports Illustrated. And now, here I am in Costa Rica enjoying a great vacation. Life takes funny turns.

LJ: Are you enjoying the notoriety?

RV: I have very mixed feelings. I have always been a low-key person. I never liked being the center of attention, but it has been a lot of fun having my 15 days, not minutes, of fame. It's fun to walk into a cardroom and have people come up and shake my hand. Shortly after the World Series, I was playing $5-$10 Omaha eight-or-better at Foxwoods. When Card Player arrived, people looked at the magazine and then at me, and shook their heads. They weren't sure it was me, because I was playing $5-$10. People don't understand that I play for fun.

LJ: What are your goals for the future?

RV: Well, now that I am a 50 percent partner with the government, I will try to dip my toes into more tournaments and play some high-limit side games.

LJ: Rob, it has been fun getting to know you. Good luck in the future.

Now, let's play poker!