2002 WSOP Champ wins InterPoker.com tourney in freezing conditions
Friday 31st March 2006
Robert Varkonyi, 2002 World Series of Poker Champion, felt the chill as the latest InterPoker.com Extreme Poker Challenge forced him to heat things up in order to stay alive, let alone keep his full faculties intact to record a remarkable win.
Battling temperatures that reached -10oc, the players were given the option of repurchasing lost chips in exchange for their coat, forcing them to play in only a t-shirt. At one point in the match, Internet qualifier Daniel Stein, was forced to peel off his protective layer of winter clothing just to stay in the tournament. Varkonyi later resorted to running laps in between hands to maintain circulation and stave off frostbite.
'The tournament was absolutely stunning -- the players sat atop a seemingly endless ice shelf on the Arctic sea and played a frostbitten game of poker, as the frigid winds tore across the table,' said InterPoker.com spokesperson Peter Marcus. 'All of the players showed an amazing amount of concentration, skill and pure grit during this tournament, especially our Internet qualifiers, who I anticipate will have very promising poker careers.'
After coming from behind to win the tournament, Varkonyi said, 'Winning this title makes my suffering through the most excruciating cold I've ever experienced worth it, and I know this tournament will prepare me well for the 2006 World Series of Poker.'
