Robert Varkonyi
Robert Varkonyi was born October 7, 1961, in New York. Varkonyi first started playing poker as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began playing poker a few years later after a stint as an investment banker in New York. Varkonyi is most well known for winning the 2002 World Series of Poker main event, overcoming 631 contestants and winning the $2 million 1st place prize. In the final hand, Varkonyi's Qd T♠ defeated Julian "The Kid" Gardner's J♣ 8♣. The five cards on a board, Q♣ 4♣ 4♠ T♦ T♣, resulted in Varkonyi's full house defeating Gardner's flush.
Because he was a relative newcomer, commentator and fellow poker player Phil Hellmuth agreed to have his hair shaved off for charity if Varkonyi won. Hellmuth made good on his at the end of the event.
Since his win Varkonyi has become a columnist for Card Player Magazine, which is available on our poker magazines page. | 
