Poker Player Profile - Ivan Demidov

Ivan Demidov

Who will be the next world champion of poker? It just might be Ivan Demidov, a Russian pro with an extremely healthy chip stack heading into November's final. Everyone is trying to handicap the WSOP final table field, and Demidov is one of the favorites, especially considering his recent third place finish in the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event.

Personal Information About Ivan Demidov

A mere 27 years old, Demidov is one of the many young guns who has built up a professional poker resume online. After experiencing enough success online to consider himself a professional, Demidov began venturing into live events only a couple of years ago. He started in his homeland of Moscow before branching out to Las Vegas.

Poker Information About Ivan Demidov

Demidov is second in chips heading into the final table, with a total of $24,240,000 chips, within 2 million chip striking distance of the leader, Dennis Phillips. Blinds are up to $120,000 and $240,000, so Demidov could take over the chip lead in a single hand.

Although Demidov has been a successful online player for some time, he has little experience with live tournaments. His first cash in a live tournament came two years ago at the 2006 Russian Poker Championships in Moscow, where he took 5th place in a small $200 pot limit Omaha event for $3,517.

He followed that up with two big cashes, finishing third in 2007 at the $1,000 no limit hold'em event at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas for $21,710, and coming in 11th in the $1,000 no limit hold'em event in this year's World Series of Poker for $39,854. And of course, the $1,580,096 in the WSOPE.

Chances of Ivan Demidov Winning the World Series of Poker

Demidov's lack of experience with live tournament play could be a hindrance, although having survived two weeks of WSOP play and no doubt having practiced in numerous tournaments since making the final table, this problem may well not be an issue. As the second chip leader, Ivan Demidov must be considered an extremely serious threat to take the title. Other players will need to watch out for a big surge by this young, up and coming Russian poker star.

Facts about Ivan Demidov

Photos of Ivan Demidov