Ivan Demidov: Poker Star, Poker Czar PDF Print E-mail
coverstory400ivandemidovwsopemainevent.jpgThe Scary Part Is The Young WSOP Runner-Up Has Only Just Begun

by Michael Vu

The Scary Part Is The Young WSOP Runner-Up Has Only Just Begun

by Michael Vu

coverstoryivandemidovwsopemainevent.jpgIvan Demidov became one of the famed November Nine and went on the 117-day hiatus knowing that he had already made WSOP history. Before returning to Vegas to take his shot at immortality, Ivan did the unthinkable and almost won a bracelet in London. Demidov finished third at the World Series of Poker Europe main event and is the first player ever to make main event final tables on both sides of the Atlantic.
    “I had little experience previously,” he said. “It was really new to me. It’s always easy to do for the second time when you know all the little secrets. Playing in Las Vegas really helped me in London.”
    Over the course of a few short months, this young Russian’s status in the poker world grew as big as the former Soviet Union. My interview with Ivan took place on two separate occasions and we first spoke while he was in London after the WSOPE. Unsure of the single hand that led to his third-place finish, Ivan attempted an explanation of what happened in three-handed play.
    “Before this break I was doing really well. I think I want to say I was in control of the table. I was a small chip leader at that time with three people left. You know I just made a few big bluffs. I thought I could read people well and stuff like that. I was feeling good. But after the break something changed…Probably I was too tired to play my best game. I made a lot of mistakes that cost me the bracelet or the second place.”
    Demidov, 27, said he was ready to return to Vegas and take down the title after falling just short of the main event bracelet in Europe. His finish in the WSOPE was nothing short of impressive and Ivan wasn’t sure if he created a Red Scare among the rest of the November Nine or if it would have any effect on their play.

Ready to Gamble
“It’s really hard to say…when it comes to winning the final table, it really takes more luck than skill. That’s my point of view. You have to gamble a lot at one point or another and you have to get lucky.”
    While this statement may be true, Demidov is still considered a feared and skillful player. He knows how to adapt to the level of play and skill of his opponents. The final tables in London and Las Vegas were very different and it wasn’t luck alone that got him to both.
    “Definitely, the tournament in London was a lot harder than the one in Las Vegas. I mean the field was a lot tougher. In Las Vegas you have a pretty easy field but you know, seven days of play, 7000 players is very hard also. In Europe almost all of my tables were very hard, with a lot of known pros and good online players. I really didn’t feel I was outplaying the tables in London…at least most of the time. People were really good and they play against my style, but sometimes I just got lucky. Right cards at the right moment.”
    Prior to making the November Nine, Demidov was a semi-professional online player with very little live tournament experience. He played in most of the
preliminary events in Vegas but only managed to cash once, bubbling the final table of the $1000 No-Limit Hold’em w/rebuys event to earn $39,854.
    “My results weren’t that great early on in the World Series,” he says. “Most people lose in poker. You need to play a lot and learn from your mistakes.”

Observant and Fearless
Besides learning from his mistakes, Demidov’s observation and recall of mistakes made by other players is also important to his success. In a hand played early on at the Main Event final table at the Rio, Ivan used his whole stack to bluff chip leader Dennis Phillips out of a monster pot in front of 1000 people and media from all over the world. He four-bet preflop with A-Q suited and raised all-in on the flop with what turned out to be three outs. Phillips had A-K and folded. It’s not the kind of move Demidov thinks he could’ve made if they played out the final table back in July.
    “Probably not, just because I had information from London. Dennis played a few limp reraise under-the-gun hands and I knew his range was not just A-A. I was ready to make a huge semi-bluff for all my chips even back then. I had the information and felt it was a good spot.”
    Before Demidov returned to Vegas to play out the WSOP, he was unsure what he’d do with the money if he won. Though speaking English is not his strong suit, Ivan thought he would make a great ambassador for poker and really wanted to win the bracelet.
    “You know my goal is always to win. I would be disappointed unless I win. But I realise even ninth place is life-changing money for me,” he said. “The Main Event is the only event where the bracelet is probably more important than the money.”

Long Heads-Up Battle
Demidov began the final table second in chips and finished second, runner-up to Denmark’s Peter Eastgate after four hours of heads-up play. Though Eastgate won the title and the bracelet, Ivan still took home a nice consolation prize of almost $5.8 million for his second-place finish, he’s a household name, and the two remain friendly.
    “He’s just a really nice guy. I want to say we play the same way – we have a lot in common when it comes to poker style.
    “I’m sad I had such a good chance at the bracelet and missed it,” he continued. “Second place is still great. It’s more than I could’ve hoped for a few months ago. Obviously I am happy with the way I played most of the time.”
    The final hand was a bit of a cooler when Eastgate made a wheel and Demidov hit two pair, but he doesn’t believe this was the hand that cost him the tournament.
    “Bluffing with A-9 against the flush [a few hands prior to the final hand]. And a few calls I made on the river that are
questionable…I made a few mistakes, especially in heads-up, but I’m only human.”
    The change from the 2008 WSOP Main Event is likely here to stay. Overall, Demidov says he was pleased with the coverage and the way the final table was handled.
    “It was good, I think. They showed all the good hands…It was definitely fun to play with all the crowd.”
    In 2007, Russian Alexander Kravchenko finished fourth in the WSOP Main Event and he also made a final table in an event at the WSOPE. Parallels between these two players are unavoidable, but Demidov’s successes even eclipsed those of his comrade.
    Kravchenko was once the highest-earning Russian player in poker history – a distinction that Demidov now holds. Though it happened quickly, the former video gamer’s meteoric rise to poker stardom was not an easy path.
    “You have to be sure if you’re going to be serious about it,” he says. “You need to have the right qualities to be a real poker player. I have seen a lot of my friends who thought they would be able to win in poker, and it didn’t happen. You must always try to improve and find your mistakes.”
    It’s scary to think that this formidable player is only starting out and has years to improve.                                                 «


Michael Vu is a freelance journalist, professional photographer, blogger and part-time poker player. His portfolio can be found at www.imgmav.com . Michael blogs regularly at www.pokerazzo.com and you can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

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