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Varkonyi wins latest Extreme Poker Challenge

2006-04-03 15:30:00

Robert Varkonyi, the 2002 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Champion, fought off some stiff competition from Juha Helppi of Finland to win the latest installment of the Extreme Poker Challenge.

Taking place in an ice castle, the InterPoker.com sponsored event saw participants playing poker in temperatures that reached almost minus 23 degrees Celsius.

So extreme was the competition that players were given the option of repurchasing lost chips in exchange for their coat, meaning that with the first three hands certain contestants were forced to strip off their protective layer of clothing to stay in the game.

The tournament eventually came down to a head to head between Varkonyi and Helppi in which the former emerged victorious.

Varkonyi said: "Winning this title makes my suffering through the most excruciating cold I've ever experienced worth it, and I know this tournament will prepare me well for the 2006 World Series of Poker "

Peter Marcus, InterPoker spokesman, was also upbeat about the Extreme Poker Challenge.

He said: "The tournament was absolutely stunning - the players sat atop a seemingly endless ice shelf on the Artic sea and played a frostbitten game of poker, as the frigid winds tore across the table."

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