Real Women of Poker: Cyndy Violette
Cyndy Violette could be considered the first real "poker babe." But the difference between Cyndy and the babes of the modern poker world is that when she started in the game, she couldn't count on her looks to make money in poker. Violette has earned her poker money the old fashioned way: by beating you at the tables for it. "Early" Success Cyndy was born in Queens, NY but her family moved to Vegas when she was 12 years old. While the allure of the Vegas casinos attract a lot of poker pros at a young age, Violette says in her website bio she was already an adult and pregnant with her first child before she even stepped foot into a casino. In 1984, Violette decided to turn pro after taking down a poker tournament in Lake Tahoe. That decision would not only pay off but also put her in the record books. The very next year she took down a Seven-Card Stud tournament at the Golden Nugget netting her $75,000 - the largest prize for a woman in poker to that point. Wor...