Varkonyi Wins Literal Freezeout at Latest Extreme Poker EventTournament Was Played on an Ice Shelf |
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Robert Varkonyi has won the latest Interpoker.com Extreme Poker event that had all the players literally shivering in their boots. It was the second edition of the online poker site's version of playing poker in extreme conditions.
Varkonyi, the 2002 World Series of Poker champion, joined Juha Helppi and four other players on an ice shelf on the Artic Sea in Helppi's home country of Finland. Helppi got to choose the location of the second Extreme Poker Tournament because he won the first one, which was held underwater off the coast of St. Kitts.
Despite temperatures that dropped to 10 below zero, Varkonyi was forced to play in only a T-shirt because he lost all his chips early to an Internet qualifier. The players had the option of exchanging clothing for chips, and Varkonyi removed his parka to stay at the table.
Varkonyi stayed warm by running laps around the table. The six-player tournament, which also included Peter Larsson of Sweden, Daniel Stein of England, and Ulrik Jensen and Rene Christensen of Denmark, came down to Helppi and Varkonyi. Jensen and Stein qualified for the freezeout online.
Helppi not only had the advantage of being from Finland, but also stayed fully-dressed in a thick parka in the frigid temperatures. But Varkonyi was the one to win the tournament after he hit a full house against Helppi's flush draw.
The next Extreme Poker tournament will take place in a plane 10,000 feet above the desert in Nevada in July. Whenever a player is eliminated, he or she must take the "loser's leap" and parachute to the ground.
Every player who qualifies for the WSOP at Interpoker.com will automatically be entered into a qualifying tournament for the chance to play Extreme Poker on the plane.
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