Won a WSOP gold bracelet in 2004
Despite moving to Vegas before she was a teenager, and subsequently traveling all over the country as a poker player, Cyndy will always be a girl from Queens. Her deep family ties and the positive attitude she fomented there are two things she treasures above just about everything, even WSOP gold.
Cyndy developed her love of card games at her kitchen table with her family. But it wasn't until she was an adult and pregnant with her first child that she tried her hand in a casino. The atmosphere wasn't as friendly as those early home games, but there was an up side - she could win money.
Cyndy worked for a short time as a blackjack and poker dealer, watching and learning all that she could. In 1984, she entered a tournament in Lake Tahoe and built up a sizeable bankroll. She decided to invest the money in herself and went pro. It turned out to be money well spent, because less than a year later she won a tournament at the Golden Nugget and took home $74,000 - at that time the largest tournament prize ever won by a woman. She became an instant poker celebrity and stories about her were featured in magazines, newspapers and on TV shows. During all this she met her second husband and decided to take a break from the poker whirlwind. They ended up settling down in Washington State.
Two years passed and then during a vacation in Vegas she entered a tournament on a lark. She ended up winning and her competitive spirit came roaring back. Though her home was still in Washington, she spent almost all her time in casinos between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Eventually, she and her husband split up, and she moved back to the east coast. It was a tough time in her life, but she knew playing poker was what she was meant to do.
In 2004, Cyndy achieved a professional milestone and the dream of every poker player. She took home a championship gold bracelet by winning the Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo event at the World Series of Poker. The following year she had her most profitable WSOP to date, making it to three final tables.
Cyndy has since moved back to Las Vegas. And when she's not playing in cash games and major tournaments, she works on her poker-themed businesses. Through it all - good and bad - the girl from Queens has learned that attitude is everything, which is why she always looks forward to the next challenge.
