Eric Panayiotou is a businessman first. Born in Cyprus and transplanted to New Jersey, Panayiotou received his early education and training in accountancy. His analytical mind served him well. His career led him into the Big Eight account firms. On the side, Panayiotou built swimming pools during the summer. His entrepreneurial spirit was too much to ignore. He set out on his own and started his own pool construction company. Now, he owns one of the biggest companies of its kind on the East Coast.

His entire life, Panayiotou has enjoyed anything that could be considered a puzzle. His love for games and getting inside his opponent’s head led him to a pursuit that even he didn’t think could be as profitable as it was. With so much business on America’s right coast, it made it hard to travel out west for the big tournaments. So, Panayiotou focused his poker efforts around his home.

Between 1999 and 2006, Panayiotou made more than a dozen final tables in major poker tournaments. In 2007, he made a rare trip to the West Coast and spent $1,000 to enter a satellite tournament to the Bellagio Cup III. After winning his seat, Panayiotou went on a storybook run to the final table which ended in a payday of more than $150,000.