Alex Kravchenko

Russian poker player Alex Kravchenko used to spend his time making investments in different businesses. The money was good, but he found that he could make even more cash in the local casinos around Moscow. He started out playing blackjack, before moving on to master the game of Oasis Poker - a variation of Caribbean Stud. But by the late nineties, the big money was being won in Hold’em tournaments, and Alex wasn’t prepared to miss out on his share.

After years of consistent cash finishes in tournaments around Europe, Alex had the best year of his career so far in 2007, especially in Las Vegas. He entered the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better event at the World Series of Poker* and won, picking up his first bracelet and $228,466 in cash. This was followed by four more cashes, including a final table appearance in the $5,000 H.O.R.S.E. event. Then came the Main Event. Filled with confidence after winning a bracelet, Alex cut through a field of 6,354 other players to make the final table. He eventually finished in 4th place, good for a huge payday of $1,852,721. Two months later, Alex travelled to London to play at the first ever World Series of Poker* Europe, where he reached the final table of the £2,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, finishing in 5th place for a cash of $35,671. He also scored a 13th place finish at the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship - just one of four WPT cash finishes he’s made in his career. He rounded of the year with a 3rd place finish at the Moscow Millions in November, winning prize money of $77,000. Alex’s total live tournament earnings currently stand at over $2,500,000, a figure that puts him 2nd on the all time money list for players from Russia.

When he isn't playing poker, Alex likes dining out in fine restaurants and spending time with his wife and kids. He also enjoys playing sports like basketball, football and tennis. His biggest hobby is travel, and he likes nothing better than chilling out on the beach after a major poker event.

With the respect of the poker world already earned, Alex has little else left to prove. But he’ll no doubt be looking to win his next major title in the near future. He is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online using the screen name ‘Kravchenko’.

To find out more about Alex, visit www.alexkravchenko.org.