Profiling Past WSOP Champions Part 3

In our final part of the three part series on past WSOP champions, we are going to have a look at three of the more recent winners of the main event. These players are fortunate enough to win in an era where they remain well-known and able to play in big events with television exposure. The prize money for winning the main event also increased from the standard $1 million of times gone by to winnings much larger. Our three profiled winners in this article are Robert Varkonyi (2002), Greg Raymer (2004) and Jerry Yang (2007).

Robert Varkonyi won the main event at the World Series in 2002. This was one year before the big poker boom but he still collected $2 million prize money for his win. Robert has, somewhat unfairly, managed to obtain the title as the worst winner of the World Series given to him by forum posters in the poker community. Most likely this is due to him simply returning to his normal lifestyle after winning and being a quiet man who prefers the family life with his wife and children. Varkonyi was an investment banker after graduating from MIT Sloan School of Management in 1983. Varkonyi’s wife Olga managed to cash in the 2005 World Series of Poker finishing in 238th place. He managed another good run at the World Series in 2007 finishing in 177th place for just over $50,000. He resides in Great Neck, New York with his wife and two daughters.

Greg “Fossilman” Raymer won the event the year after the Moneymaker win in 2004. He beat final table opponents such as Dan Harrington and David Williams. He had a memorable tussle with Mike Matusow leading up to the final table, creating some excellent online video you can still watch today. After winning the $5 million first prize Greg was signed up as a Team Pokerstars Pro and continues to represent the site at tournaments around the world. Raymer was a patent attorney by trade before becoming a poker professional and is highly involved with the PPA, which is attempting to become a union for poker players. In the 2005 World Series main event, in a field with 5619 entrants Raymer finished 25th which is regarded as a massive achievement coming so close to defending his title in such a huge field. Raymer has won many titles in poker; he managed to win an online WCOOP tournament and has winnings totalling over $6 million. Raymer is known as one of the nicest men in poker who is very happy to give many interviews to poker media and hobbyists alike.

Jerry Yang was a popular winner of the 2007 World Series main event, picking up a massive $8 million dollars for his win. This was a great moment for poker, as Yang had come from a very tough background and worked hard to provide for his family of his wife and six children, whom he held a picture of during each hand he played during the World Series. Jerry, real name Xao, had a very tough upbringing having escaped from Laos in the 1970’s and spent four years in a refugee camp when he was young losing a brother and a sister during this time. Eventually he was moved to the USA where he eventually trained as a therapist. He holds a masters degree in health psychology and continues working with children and those in hardship despite his incredible win. Upon winning the tournament he immediately donated 10% of his winnings to three of his favourite charities. He continues to play the big poker tournaments but focuses his time on continuing his good work with children and their charities.

Perhaps the next champion we will profile will be you, so good luck at the tables!

By Malcolm Clarke

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