The InterPoker’s Extreme Team takes poker one step beyond.

There are always plenty of natural distractions to deal with when playing poker, be it the taunts of an opponent or the brunette at the next table. But how do you contend with mother nature having her say on the felt?

That’s exactly what InterPoker’s Extreme Team, made up of players including Robert Varkonyi, Kathy Liebert, and Juha Helppi, are finding out. After playing a marathon game of underwater poker near St. Kitts, the team dealt with even less favorable conditions in the Arctic wilds of northern Finland.

Varknoyi, the eventual winner of the event, ran laps around the table to keep warm after trading in his jacket for more chips. Inspired by either the awkwardness of the situation or the hypothermia that began to set in, he soon began grabbing at other people’s clothes, throwing their hats around the table. “It was quite invigorating, all that running around,” says Varkonyi. “It was so desolate out there. You could be on the moon.”

By winning the last extreme event, Varkonyi may get to pick the next locale. His choice? “I’d rather be in the Caribbean.” Tentative plans are for the next event to take place this July in an aircraft flying over Las Vegas. Get knocked out and you jump out mid-flight. Just don’t forget your parachute, it’s a long way down.

It is not clear how this game in the air will take place, maybe in a zero gravity situation. As the players will have to focus on maintaining their balance, they will have a hard time to think too much about the best strategy to apply to their hands. This series of extreme poker events is certainly original and we cannot wait to see the next installment.