"5 Minutes with a Legend"

The proverbial “Rose among thorns” , (More appropriately in this case, a violet among desert cactus), Cyndy Violette, stands out at a poker table no matter what seat she’s sitting in and I don’t mean because she is the one with the most chips, although she very often is! Even when “short-stacked” this baby-faced (the female Dorian Gray of poker, which does not seem to age,) cutie will get your attention.

Cyndy turned pro in the mid 80s and after a successful run in tournaments and cash games. She took off a two year hiatus from poker. She returned in 2000, apparently not forgetting how to check raise with the best hand. She won a WSOP bracelet (one the few women ever to do so) in the 2004 Seven card Stud Hi-Low Split event. Seven card Stud coincidently, is Cyndy’s favorite poker game. She was by the way, quick to point out (contrary to this reporter’s assessment that Stud and Draw are going by way of the dinosaur) that Stud is alive and well, especially in Atlantic City.

Cyndy says that at the Taj Mahal there are several Stud games daily ranging in limit from $2 & $4 or $3 & $6 all the way up to $300 & $600.

In the 2005 WSOP Cyndy made three final tables and cashed six times.

Cyndy has been featured on many TV poker shows. She will be, as I write this, playing in the WSOP ladies event, and for one of the few times will not stand out at the table, what with 120 tables of the fairer sex duking it out for a couple of days.

When put to the question, "You have made it to the final table in a $10,000 buy-in Stud event, which six opponents would you NOT like to see at your table?", Cyndy stated, “Phil Ivey, Danny Robinson, Chip Reese, John Hannigan, Ted Forrest and Walter Davis.”

Upon reflection, Cyndy Violette IS a thorn after all, a thorn in the side of her opponents in the poker jungle…..

Thank you Cyndy!