Robert Varkonyi Q & A Session

1. With your win at the 2002 WSOP you got put on the poker map very quickly. What was you poker background prior to the 2002 WSOP?
When I was a kid I loved watching my dad play in small dealer’s choice games with his friends. I started playing nickel, dime, quarter dealer’s choice games in college but we never played any boring games like hold’em! We played all kinds of crazy games with wild cards and “guts” games. One of my favorite games is still “Anaconda 3-2-1” also known as “Pass The Trash” where you get to see 25% of the cards in the deck go through your hand. As for tournaments and the WSOP, seven years before I won I went out to Las Vegas once a year just to play $10K WSOP satellites on the weekend before the main event. I didn’t play any other tournaments until 2001 and 2002 when I splurged and played a little bit at the Taj Mahal in AC and Foxwoods in CT. I actually won myself a $7,600 seat at the Taj Mahal in December 2001.

2. How has the popularity of poker helped you off the tables?
Philosophically speaking, my wife and I always muse how much poker is like life and life is like poker. We’ve gotten some nice comps. I’m being offered a sponsorship and promotion deal with one of the upcoming online poker rooms.

3. What would be your suggestion for a player just starting out in poker? Where would you focus your efforts: Limit vs. No Limit, Ring vs. Tournaments?
Don’t play with more money than you can afford to lose. Although poker is a game of skill it’s also a game of luck. I think it’s safer to start playing Limit Ring games. In a limit game you probably won’t lose all your chips in one hand as you may in a no-limit game. In a ring game you won’t have the increases in the blinds that will force the action. Once you’re comfortable in a limit ring game then you should expand your horizons by trying no-limit games and tournaments.

4. What are you active with away from the tables? And do you consider poker your job now?

I’m involved with a couple of business ventures as well as discussing a sponsorship and promotional deal with an online poker room. Occasionally I give talks on poker at corporate events. My wife and I participate in several poker tournament and casino night charity events each year. Poker is not my full-time job but I play poker every chance I get. I LOVE to play poker!

5. Do you feel like you missed out on any of the fan fair by winning in 2002 vs. 2003 or did it take the Moneymaker story to put poker on the main stream?

I can’t complain about anything. I feel like I’m the luckiest guy in the world with a happy healthy family. I’ve gotten far more attention than I’ve ever dreamt of especially being a relatively low key, low profile person. 2002 was a watershed year for the WSOP because it was the first time the audience could see the cards and play along. However it wasn’t aired on ESPN until February 2003 only a few months before Moneymaker was crowned the 2003 champion. How can you beat a story with a guy who’s holding two jobs, wins his seat online for $40, never played a live tournament and whose name is Moneymaker? I still don’t believe that’s his real name! (just kidding Chris)

6. Going into the final table back in 2002 what was your thought process before the cards were dealt. And was there a point when you knew you were going to win?

When I sat down and looked around the final table I felt the other players were horrified which got me very excited to play very aggressively. Unfortunately I lost two-thirds of my chips on the first hand dealt where I had a 99 vs Julian Gardner’s AA. That hand created a maniacal table image for me that helped bring me action from the players later. You NEVER know you’re going to win until you have all the chips. The big turning point where I felt I had a good shot was the $2 million pot that I won from John Shipley. I was on the button with JJ and John Shipley was in the small blind with AJ. Before the flop I raised, he re-raised, I went all-in and he called. This hand was devastating for Shipley who started the day as chip leader and propelled me into the lead that I was able to hold until I won.

7. How would you describe your style of play now? And what areas of you game do you think you need to work on most?

Whether I win or lose my goal is to play perfect or near perfect poker. I’m very satisfied if I can walk away knowing that I didn’t make any big mistakes. I play extremely analytically which includes playing my opponents cards. Speculating on my opponents’ cards is more a matter of instinct but gets incorporated into my analytical thinking. After I’m done playing I will reflect on critical hands and turning points to evaluate whether I properly considered all the information and whether there was a better way to play for an alternative outcome. The area of my game I need to work on is [censored].

8. When you are at the tables what area do you see most amateurs should work on?

The biggest mistake amateurs make is playing too many hands because they are often overvaluing their hands. This is the way most new players start out but as with anything else we all learn from experience.

9. What are, in your opinion, "must have" skills to have success as a pro poker player?

There is a large skill set to be a successful pro poker player however the “must have” is DISCIPLINE. In the long run you must maintain military-like DISCIPLINE to be successful.

10. Has internet pokers popularity changed the way you play poker in any way?

Yes and no. Yes because there are a lot of relatively new players coming online. No because I’m just adjusting my play the way I would with any table of relatively new players.

11. We have a large number of players just getting starting out and working with a smaller bankroll. What advice would you give to someone with a bankroll of $100?

With a $100 bankroll I would suggest starting out in penny games and slowly work your way up into higher stakes at your own pace and comfort level.

12. What percentage of your winnings did you put away towards you poker bankroll from the WSOP?

That’s between me, my accountant and barber!

13. Do you have any big wins with the power hand 72os?

Once I limped in on the big blind with 72os, flopped a full house, slow played to the river and won a monster pot from a guy holding AA! I cracked those aces like a couple of farm fresh eggs!

Phil Hellmuth eating his words after Robert's victory in 2002!

  ¶ 8:55 PM