Maxim Lykov
Russian pro Maxim Lykov started playing poker back in 2005 while studying at an engineering university in Moscow. By 2006 he’d begun to take his game seriously and started to crush the online game. In fact, Maxim claims to have only ever made two $40 deposits into his poker account. Since then he’s managed to parlay these small investments into a huge bankroll, and currently stands as one of the highest earning Russian live tournament players of all time.
Maxim’s breakout year came in 2009, starting off with a run of deep finishes at events around Europe, including a win in an event at the Red Sea Poker Cup for $69,797. He then went to Las Vegas and came close to winning his first World Series of Poker* bracelet when he finished 3rd in a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout event for a cash of $145,062. Then, just a few weeks later, Maxim scored the big title win that had so far eluded him. He played the first-ever European Poker Tour (EPT) event in Kiev and won, taking prize money of $468,504 for his victory over the 296-strong player field. He’s continued to win big since, with several other WSOP* cashes, a 13th place finish at EPT Snowfest, a 4th place finish at EPT San Remo and other decent results added to his resume. He also took down a $1,000 side event at the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA), good for $100,000, and returned to the PCA in 2011 to earn another huge cash of $369,490 for finishing 3rd in the $25,000 High Roller tournament. Then in 2011 Max added his next big tournament title when he took down a $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event at the World Series, good for his biggest cash to date, a massive $648,880 plus his first bracelet. There have also been huge results online, including a win in the Sunday Warm-Up in 2013, worth $110,780.
He’s now determined to prove himself as being the best poker player Russia has ever produced, and says he hopes to win more EPT titles and more World Series bracelets in the years to come. Maxim is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online using the screen name ‘Maxim Lykov’.
Career Highlights
| Event | Date | Position | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sea Poker Cup €3,000 No Limit Hold’em | May 2009 | 1st | $69,797 |
| 2009 WSOP* $5,000 No Limit Hold’em Shootout | June 2009 | 3rd | $145,062 |
| EPT Kiev €4,700 No Limit Hold’em Main Event | August 2009 | 1st | $468,504 |
| PCA $1,000 No Limit Hold’em | January 2010 | 1st | $100,000 |
| EPT Snowfest €3,500 No Limit Hold’em Main Event | March 2010 | 13th | $21,423 |
| Partouche Poker Tour €780 No Limit Hold’em | September 2010 | 1st | $51,120 |
| PCA $25,000 High Roller | January 2011 | 3rd | $369,490 |
| EPT San Remo €5,300 No Limit Hold’em Main Event | May 2011 | 4th | $290,000 |
| 2011 WSOP $1,000 No Limit Hold’em | July 2011 | 1st | $648,880 |
| PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up | March 2013 | 1st | $110,780 |
*World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Caesars License Company, LLC ("Caesars"). Caesars does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with PokerStars or its products, services, promotions or tournaments.
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