Alexander KRAVCHENKO: “ONCE LOSSED 40 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN AN EVENING”

     For the interview, Kravchenko chose the most gambling place - the casino of the Metropol Hotel. Getting ready to meet the first Russian world poker champion (remember, in June 2007, Kravchenko won the WSOP finals in Las Vegas in Limit Omaha Hi/Lo), I was a little nervous - until now I had associated this game either with Arab sheikhs, betting on oil rigs, or with professional cheaters played by Adriano Celentano. However, Alexander quickly dispelled my illusions - he turned out to be a businesslike, purposeful person who does not waste unnecessary words. A typical self-made man, as they say on the other side of the ocean. It was these qualities that allowed him to become the most successful poker player in Russia.

MONEY AND FAME IN ONE BOTTLE

     - Is fifth place at the European Championship a good result?

     - Definitely yes. There were over a hundred very strong players in the main event, and I made it to the final table, which meant I was in the top ten. For comparison, I took part in another championship tournament and was one of the first to be eliminated.

     - Where is the line between success and failure for you?

     - Complex issue. Of course, when you are in the black, you can talk about success, but poker is a game where literally anyone can win due to luck in a short period of time - in one game or tournament. Therefore, it is much more important to reach a certain level of play in order to win over a long period of time. The general sports rule applies here: if there is a game, there will be a result.

     - Are you an ambitious person? What is more important to you: winning a tournament or a stable income?

     - I think that all people participating in one or another competition are not without winning ambitions. As for me, I would rather become world champion once than take second place ten times, despite the fact that in the second case I will earn more money. After all, my name will remain in history! In addition, the popularity of poker is now such that, for example, the world champion will be provided with advertising contracts for a long time, so money and fame, as usual, go hand in hand.

     - In Las Vegas you won the world championship in Limit Omaha, in London you became fifth in No Limt Hold'em ( inIn Limit varieties, the size of the player’s bet is limited, in No-Limit it is not. - Approx. I.P.). Do you really care what you play?

     - Perhaps, yes. Of course, in some games I feel more confident, but by and large, a good player never falls below a certain level. Although there are quite significant differences in tactics and psychology between Limit and No-Limit poker. In the limited version, the bets are lower, which means there is less tension, more people participate in the drawing, and bluffing is much less common. At the same time, no-limit poker is more popular because you can win a big pot there.

     - The final of the WSOP series in the USA bears the title of the unofficial world championship. Do you think it's right?

     - These competitions certainly deserved the moral right to be called the World Championship. The WSOP is the oldest and most popular poker tournament in the world. They have no equal in terms of the number and strength of participants. However, de jure this title is not confirmed by anything. As long as there is no world sports poker federation, there can be no talk of any official championship of the planet. In addition, I believe that the strongest player on the planet should not be determined in one tournament - the probability of chance is too great. It would be much fairer to introduce a single rating of players, like the tennis rating. Or you can think about increasing the entry fee - then there will be no random people at the tables. True, the organizers of the series will probably not change the structure of the competition - it is beneficial for them to have as many players as possible participate in them, who spend money in hotels, restaurants and other entertainment venues in Las Vegas during the tournaments.

STOPING ON TIME IS FOR THE BEST

     - How did you start playing poker?

     - At first I played blackjack and poker against the casino, at the same time I made acquaintances with other players, and after a while we began to play ourselves. By that time, I realized that it was impossible to compete with a gambling establishment, but it was quite possible to win against an opponent made of flesh and blood.

     - Do you consider yourself a professional player?

     - No. The word “professional” in my understanding implies that a person completely devotes himself to some activity, like, say, an athlete or a scientist. I combine poker with a very successful business. There are not many people who live solely off the game, and in our country there are only a few of them.

     - Was it easy for you to go from a novice player to a world champion?

     - It depends on what you compare it to. Of course, I read special literature on poker theory, studied the mathematical foundations of the game, and for several years consolidated them in practice, participating in numerous tournaments. But I cannot say that it cost me titanic efforts - the learning process gave me pleasure. Moreover, I learned all the science of poker from my own experience - I had no teachers.

     - Do you remember your first tournament?

     - I played in a tournament for the first time in 1999 in Moscow. By the way, this was the first international poker tournament in our country. Usually beginners are lucky, so I was able to get to the prize money the first time. True, the winnings turned out to be small - I barely covered the buy-in (the amount that a player pays for the right to participate in the tournament; the prize fund usually consists of the buy-ins of all participants. - Note by I.P. ).

     - And what is the maximum buy-in you have made in your life?

     - Just at the recent WSOP Europe final in London, entry into the game cost $20,000 - this is my record so far.

     - How many times have you won and lost in one evening?

     - This summer at the World Championships in Las Vegas I won one million eight hundred thousand dollars. Just don’t think that you can get this kind of money all the time - I was still very lucky. Most players, even very strong ones, can only dream of such prizes. I also had failures - I once lost $40,000 within a day. However, this did not unsettle me - after all, I never risk amounts that are significant for my budget. By the way, this quality - the ability to stop on time - is very important for any player.

     - Do you play poker on the Internet?

     - Yes, I play, but not very often. In general, online poker is quite different from playing in real life - you don’t see your opponents, so it’s impossible to observe their behavior at the table. On the other hand, they don’t see you, so playing over the Internet does not require extreme concentration and super control over emotions. In addition, the computer makes it possible to accumulate statistics about the game of your opponents and your own game and, depending on the results, adjust it. By the way, recently a certain symbiosis of two types of poker has become popular - playing over the Internet using web cameras.

     - How do you rate your game on a 10-point scale?

     - I think about eight or nine points. I'm definitely one of the top ten players in Russia.

     - What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player?

     - My advantages include a calm character, which becomes almost phlegmatic at the table. I rarely give vent to emotions during the game, I quickly forget successes and failures. I also have a good understanding of the mathematics of poker; I can quickly and, most importantly, correctly assess the probability of success or failure in a drawing. As for the shortcomings, I will modestly keep silent about them so as not to give my future opponents an extra chance.

     -Are you not interested in other intellectual games, for example, bridge or chess?

     - No, poker is my only passion. It seems to me that this is the only game that combines simplicity of rules and tactical variety, strict mathematical calculation and exciting excitement. In addition, it is much easier to find partners for poker; there are special gaming clubs and casinos.

POKER IS A SPORT

     - Was there a person in the history of poker who would be de facto considered the “first hand” of the world?

     - Hardly. The fact is that in poker, as in any game based on alternate moves of opponents, there is a so-called “ideal move” in a specific position. Of course, this move depends not only on the card layout, but also on the psychological properties of the individuals sitting at the table. But a strong, experienced player, with the help of calculation and intuition, is able to come close to solving the mystery of the “ideal move.” Therefore, there is no clear leader, there is a group of leading poker players who play almost perfectly. By the way, intuition plays the most important role here. It is no coincidence that poker is one of the few table games for which it was not possible to write a computer program that plays at a high level.

     - Are there any other incentives for a poker player besides money? Let's say, if prestigious international competitions were held and you were invited to play for the Russian national team completely free of charge, without a prize fund, would you agree?

     - If the tournament is official, that is, organized, for example, by some world poker federation, then I will respond to the invitation with great pleasure - I consider myself a patriot of my country. I have no desire to go to private tournaments for free so that the organizers make money on your name.

     - You have participated in dozens of tournaments where, in your opinion, there wasbest organization?

     - I liked it most at the WSOP finals in Las Vegas - after all, many years of experience in organizing such events take its toll. In addition, in the USA there is a very lively, spontaneous audience - for example, during the fight at the final table, when the tension reaches its maximum, the spectators do not restrain their emotions, encourage the players, shout, as at football. And American television does not ignore large poker tournaments, which also affects the popularity of the participants.

     - The final No-Limit Hold'em tournament lasts seven whole days. Is it difficult to maintain concentration for such a long time?

     - Not easy. You need to be in good physical shape to maintain a clear mind and good spirits. In addition, the specifics of no-limit games are such that one mistake can cost you elimination from the tournament, so losing attention is very dangerous. Many people break down under stress and make fatal mistakes.

     - Do you know how to “read” the actions of your opponents?

     - I can’t call this quality my strong point. However, a good player rarely betrays his intentions by his behavior. Therefore, in a serious struggle, I prefer not to waste energy on useless actions. But studying the playing style of your opponents, monitoring their tactics, and finding weak spots are activities worthy of a good poker player.

     - Is it possible to compare the development of poker in general in the USA, Europe and Russia?

     - The USA is the birthplace of poker, people have been into it for more than a century and a half, there it is a truly popular game. According to unofficial data, in this country the number of players reaches 50 million people, that is, every fifth American is a poker player. In Europe, the game is also actively developing, especially in the Scandinavian countries, but the European mentality is somewhat different from the American one. Europeans have never shared the American dream of achieving great success overnight, going from rags to riches. In Russia, many people are obsessed with this idea, so I think that the poker idea in our country has fallen on fertile ground.

     - It was a year ago The Federation of Sports Poker of Russia was created. What do you see as its main tasks?

     - First of all, this is the popularization of poker. It is necessary to organize more tournaments in Russia, both large and small. Based on these tournaments, it is necessary to create a unified rating for players and introduce the official title of Russian champion. Any sport gains fans only after competitions become regular.

     - Does poker have the right to be called a sport, since chance plays a very big role here?

     - Of course it does! The role of chance in the game is greatly exaggerated. Of course, the player is forced to constantly evaluate the probability of winning, but this is the skill of a poker player. Where an inexperienced observer sees only an incident, a professional will discern a pattern and, over a long period of time, will be in the black.

     Ilya POLYAKOV