Cindy Violette eliminated from 2008 WSOP

Cruise ships will be allowed to open late-night casinos in port after Cabinet approved a plan aimed at fighting off increasing competition from rival cruise destinations.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party last night attacked the move, which it said had been made without any public consultation and would open the door to gambling on the Island.

Premier and Tourism Minister Ewart Brown announced the decision in the House of Assembly on Friday as one of a number of alterations to cruise ship legislations.

The Premier said ships would now be allowed to open bars and signature shops and “provide full entertainment inclusive of the opening of casinos after 10 p.m. while in port”.

He said cruise lines would in return be required to contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to on-Island activities such as the Bermuda Music Festival and Harbour Nights.

Opinion over gambling has long divided the Island, with the AME Church recently condemning the controversial casino ship Niobe Corinthian which came to Bermuda and the Seventh-day Adventist Church hitting out against poker games which were being played in bars.

UBP Leader Kim Swan said in a statement released last night: “The United Bermuda Party is extremely concerned the Brown Government has allowed gambling in Bermuda without any public consultation whatsoever.

“Premier Brown’s statement in the House of Assembly that his Government will allow cruise ship casinos to operate while in port says he would rather bypass than engage the public on the matter.

“All Bermudians should be concerned about such a development, and ask themselves if they prefer not to have any say in Government decisions; particularly ones that may well impact the future. Make no mistake: Dr. Brown’s decision opens the door to gambling in Bermuda.

“Gambling is a highly controversial issue among Bermudians and the public should have been consulted prior to any decision on the matter.

“Dr. Brown’s rationale for the decision could well have provided the basis for a constructive public debate, but it is clear he would prefer to govern by edict than to bother with the views of the people.

“The decision raises legal issues since Bermuda outlaws gaming houses. It also raises the question of double-standards since the Government moved aggressively a few years ago to shut down the use of gaming machines around the Island.”
Cindy Violette was born in Queens New York and grew up in a family where she played plenty of poker games. While on maternity leave from her blackjack dealer job, Cindy Violette played poker for money for the very first time. Cindy Violette’s first time at the tables proved extraordinarily successful and she had a major winning streak. That single game gave Cindy Violette a taste for poker that has led her to become the professional poker player she is today. Cindy Violette was eliminated on day 1 of the 2008 WSOP along with the likes of Gavin Griffin, Stuart Paterson, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo and Kristy Gazes.

While Cindy Violette lives in New Jersey and often spends time in Atlantic City, she spends quite a bit of time in Las Vegas, where she intends to establish a bookstore/vegetarian café. She had one time had a significant crush on the poker play Stu Unger and she acknowledges and admiration of the way Unger presented himself at the tables.

Cindy Violette brought home significant amounts of cash playing mostly cash games, and she won enough money at a tournament in Lake Tahoe to get a professional poker-playing career started. However, she won 75,000 dollars at the Golden Nugget’s Grand Prix of Poker Seven-Card Stud Championship in 1985, and further earned herself a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2004 when she made the move to playing tournaments. Her success at the tables has earned Cindy Violette a great deal of attention; she has had an interview that appeared in Playboy magazine , and she has also had an appearance on Poker Royale. To date, Cindy Violette has earned over a million dollars in winnings.