November Nine Player Focus: Ivan Demidov

The second Russian in two years to make the final table is profiled by PV...

By Simon Hopper 16th July 2008

"...he brought into the Main Event the old-fashioned way: $10,000 cash."

The success of Alex Kravchenko & Nikolay Evadkov at recent WSOP’s has highlighted the bourgeoning Russian poker scene and now Ivan Demidov looks set to continue the mantle.

November Nine Facts:
Ivan Demidov

Age: 27
Location: Moscow, Russia
Chip Count: 24.4 million
Chip Position: 2 of 9
Betting Odds: 4/1
Total Live Winnings: $65,081
Sponsor: PokerStars
More Info: Wiki

Kravchenko cashed 7 times at the ’07 Series and came 4th in the Main Event for over $1.8million. Evadkov cashed a phenomenal 10 times this time around. Can Demidov follow the success of his countrymen?

 

The 27-year old Moscow resident will go into the Main Event final table second in chips (on 24.4 million), just two million away from chip leader Dennis Phillips. A self-described ‘semi-professional’ poker player, his bankroll has mostly been formed online since he started playing in 2006 but had shown some live promise before the ME kicked off.

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A modest cash in the 2006 Russian Poker Championships (5th for $3,517 in the $200 PLO) must have whetted his appetite for offline poker and he made his first trip to Vegas the following year.

In December 2007 he started with a bang by going very deep in the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, eventually busting in 3rd for $21,710 (ironically, Evadkov came 10th in the same event). This is his first World Series but he already has a cash under his belt, coming 11th for $39,854 in the $1,000 NLH re-buys (Event #44). Of course, his takings come November will significantly increase from the $65,081 accumulated live so far.

As a result of this, he brought into the Main Event the old-fashioned way: $10,000 cash. Soft-spoken and shy, he confessed his final table appearance is the equivalent to “winning the lottery” but now he is here Demidov has a superb chance of beating Kravchenko’s 4th place finish last year and becoming the best placed Russian finisher in Main Event history.

 

* You can back Ivan Demidov at 4/1 to win the 2008 Main Event. See all the markets here!

More November Nine Player Profiles:
Dennis Phillips, 53, Missouri, 26,295,000
Ivan Demidov, 27, Russia, 24,400,000
Scott Montgomery, 26, Canada, 19,690,000
Peter Eastgate, 22, Denmark, 18,375,000
Ylon Schwartz, 38, New York, 12,525,000
Darus Suharto, 39, Canada, 12,520,000
David Rheem, 28, California, 10,230,000
Craig Marquis, 23, Texas, 10,210,000
Kelly Kim, 31, California, 2,620,000

16/07/08