Cyndy Violette
Cyndi Violette was born on August 19, 1959 in Queens, N.Y. Cyndy first played poker as a child with members of her family. When Cyndy was 12 her family relocated to Las Vegas and she started playing casino poker once she reached the legal age. Cyndy worked for a short time as a casino employee, dealing blackjack and poker.
Cyndy launched her poker career with the winnings from a poker tournament in Lake Tahoe in 1984. She later took the top prize of $74,000 at a seven-card stud tournament at the Golden Nugget, which at the time this was the biggest tournament prize ever won by a woman. Shortly after that, Cyndy married her second husband, and took a two year hiatus from poker.
Cyndy returned to the poker scene in 1990 by winning $62,000 in a tournament at Caesars Palace.
Cyndy won a WSOP bracelet in the seven-card stud high-low split tournament at the 2004 WSOP. She was one of three women, with Kathy Liebert and Annie Duke being the other two, to win a gold bracelet in an open tournament in that year's WSOP.
Cyndy has also admitted to having a crush on the late Stu Ungar but... "He was married at the time and he was such a big player and I was...this young girl. But we were friends and he used to let me watch him play. I just loved his energy and charisma."
Fun Facts:
- Follows a strict vegan macrobiotic diet.
- Plans to open a vegetarian cafe and bookstore in Las Vegas.
- Has been married twice, has one daughter