Former Olympian Aleksey Ivanov Wins EPT Open Sochi

The EPT Open Sochi tournament, part of the prestigious EPT series, started last week in Sochi with 702 participants. The tournament featured a variety of events, including a Main Event with a $2,000 buy-in and a prize pool of $912,000, and a high roller event with a $3,920 buy-in.

Aleksey Ivanov, a 38-year-old from Belarus, won the EPT Open Sochi tournament and took home $26,357. Ivanov represented Belarus in cross-country skiing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He began playing poker in 2016 when a friend introduced him to the game.

At the final table, Aleksey Ivanov made a deal with Mikhail Sokolovsky and Emin Mugulov to secure his victory. Ivanov understood that the variance in large tournaments was high, and his chances of securing a high position were low. However, as he approached the final table, he began to consider the possibility of making it to the top three, which he successfully achieved.