Cyndi Violette Bio

Cyndi Violette is an anomaly in the poker world. Upon taking one look at her, you see right away that she is a highly attractive woman. Violette started playing poker in the mid 1980’s when there were very few women players, and even fewer that had both looks and brains.

Violette did not try to ride her looks to become a success at the time the way that other women have tried to in the past. She put in the hours at the table to hone her skills and work her way to high limit games. One primary difference between Violette and many other players is that she focused primarily on Seven Card Stud. With the exception of players like Barbara Enright and Marsha Waggoner, there were very few strong women stud players in the world.

Violette would make history in 1986 when she took the 7 Card Stud event at the Grand Prix of Poker at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. For the victory, she earned $74,400, which was the largest prize won by a woman in poker history. This victory would make Violette a celebrity overnight. She was even the subject of an article in Playboy magazine.

Although Violette was doing great at the poker tables, she decided to leave poker in 1990 after marrying her second husband. He was opposed to her playing poker and she agreed to not play and focus on their family. Two years later, Violette decided to return to poker and by 1993, Violette and her husband were divorced. At this point, she moved to Atlantic City to play in the high limit stud game there.

For many years, Violette primarily focused on cash games, but she did have a great amount of tournament success as well. Violette would have make the final table of stud events at the 1995 and 1996 World Series of Poker. The final table in 1996 was in the $5,000 Stud Event where she finished in 3rd place. Over the next few years, she made several other final tables, but it wasn’t until 2004 that she finally broke through and won a braclet. She took down the $2,000 Stud Hi-Lo Split Event at the 2004 WSOP for $135,900 and her first bracelet.

Over the last five years, Violette has spent more time playing in No-Limit tournaments, but she is still a very active stud player. In 2006, she finished 3rd in the $5,000 Stud Event at the WSOP and had three cashes in the 2007 WSOP in events that included at least one stud variant. She also cashed in the Stud 8 or Better World Championship at the 2008 WSOP. Recently, she finished 4th in the $1,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at the L.A. Poker Classic in Los Angeles. H.O.R.S.E. includes the three stud variants of Stud, Stud 8 or Better, and Razz.

Violette signed a deal with Full Tilt Poker in September 2008 to play on their site and can be seen regularly in the Stud game on the site. She now resides in Los Angeles and regularly plays in the higher limit Stud games at the Commerce. When she makes the trek back to Atlantic City, she regularly plays in the high limit games at the Taj Mahal.

Cyndi Violette is not just a pretty face at the poker table. She is a tough competitor with a world of experience that stems back to when the only way to learn to be the best was to play the best. If you ever play with her at a stud table, try and stay out of her way. Better still, find another table.