Ivan Demidov Reflects on His Historic WSOP Run 10 Years Later

Ivan Demidov, known as 'Soul,' made history in the poker world when he finished in second place at the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. This achievement remains the best result for a Russian-speaking player in the WSOP Main Event, and Demidov's success helped spark the popularity of poker in Russia and the creation of the GipsyTeam site.

Demidov's journey into poker began through an unusual path. He was introduced to the game by a fellow gamer who played StarCraft and WarCraft. This gamer, who was from Holland, convinced Demidov to create an account on PokerStars and deposited $50 for him. Demidov started playing poker but initially found it boring and stopped. However, he returned to the game after graduating from the Moscow State University's Mechanics and Mathematics Faculty, inspired by rumors of other cyber athletes winning large sums of money in poker.

Demidov's learning process involved reading English-language forums, where he picked up strategies like ICM (Independent Chip Model). He played in various online tournaments and cash games, eventually building up his bankroll. Before the WSOP, Demidov gained experience by playing in offline tournaments at Moscow casinos. He was part of a team that included Sergey, Lyka Gerasimova, and Stas Alekhin for the WSOP, and his journey to the final table was marked by dedication and hard work.