Cyndy Violette “The Poker Flower“

Birthplace
New York, NY

Birthday
August 19

Total Winnings
$105,420

Cyndy Violette's family moved from Queens, New York to Las Vegas when she was 12-years old, and by the time she was an adult, she was dealing blackjack in casinos. By the early 1980's, during a time of pregnancy leave from her job and a visit to the Silver Slipper where her sister was dealing cards, she played her first $1-$3 stud game. Soon after, she tried hold'em and found herself completely taken by poker. She transitioned from blackjack to poker dealer at the Four Queens in downtown Vegas, and the experience gave her incredible insight into the game.

In 1984, Cyndy won her first poker tournament in Lake Tahoe, and the winnings allowed her to make the decision to play poker professionally. The following year, she won the limit seven card stud event at the Grand Prix of Poker for $74,000, the largest sum of money won by a woman in poker at that time. She soon found herself as the subject of a number of articles in gaming as well as mainstream publications. Even so, when she met her second husband in the time that followed, she decided to quit poker for two years to focus on family but came back to the game in 1990 with a refreshed zest and readiness for more success at the tables.

While becoming a staple at the cash games around the country, Cyndy was also making her presence known on the tournament circuit. She cashed in various events through the years but finally won her first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2004 in the $2000 seven card stud hi-lo split tournament. Several months later, she gained more international exposure when she was an invited player at the World Poker Tour's Ladies Night II televised event, where she placed fifth. Though she seen a number of final tables in her years of poker, she hopes to capture more titles in the near future. In the meantime, her time away from poker is spent writing motivational books and spreading the word about vegetarian cooking and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. One day, in addition to her poker goals, she hopes to open a natural food café.