You're reading: A world poker champion hails from Kyiv suburbs

Two decades ago, Eugene Katchalov was a typical Ukrainian boy, romping around his home in the suburban Kyiv city of Vinogrador. He never dreamed that he would end up moving to America and become a millionaire. His work routine is not a 9-to-5 desk job; his whole year is filled with trips to places like New Zealand and the Bahamas to play poker. Without a steady paycheck, Katchalov sometimes finds himself poor and at other times, flush with millions. After seven years of playing cards as a hobby, the world-class poker professional committed to the game full-time.

He didn’t start out as one of the best. As a child living in a two-room apartment with his mother in Kyiv, he didn’t even take much interest in cards, besides playing the Ukrainian card games durak and Seka with the boys for coins.

Yet, the aptitude for card playing must have been in the boy’s genes, since Alex Katchalov, Eugene’s father, was a skilled card and nard player in town, making more than engineers, he says.
“My dad played in Hydropark and often took me to watch their games,” recalls Katchalov, 29, who returned to Kyiv for the Russian Poker Series tournament in September.

We were leaving in the middle of the night. The tanks were all over the city and we weren’t sure if the plane would take off, recalls Katchalov.

Rejecting life under the Communist regime, Eugene’s father left Ukraine when the opportunity presented itself. In 1989 Alex Katchalov emigrated to New York as a Jewish refugee and in a few years the family joined him on the other continent.

On the day of Ukraine’s independence, 10-year-old Eugene and his mother gathered their modest belongings and boarded the plane to New York City. “We were leaving in the middle of the night. The tanks were all over the city and we weren’t sure if the plane would take off,” recalls Katchalov.

In several hours Katchalov was marveling at the graffiti decorated walls of Brooklyn. Having arrived with only $50 in their pocket, the Katchalovs started from scratch: mother Liza worked as a seamstress and Eugene started in a Russian-Jewish school, while the father worked at a car dealership and occasionally delivered pizzas. Eugene struggled to fit in:

“As the youngest kid in school from a non-religious family, I was often mocked and abused by my peers. Russian immigrants were looked down upon, which made me ashamed of my heritage.”
But the Katchalovs persevered resiliently. His mother went to college and got into the fashion industry, eventually working for American designer Michael Cors. And, Katchalov junior also went to college which, unexpectedly led him to poker.

On a carefree summer night, after graduating from New York University business school, Katchalov with friends were aimlessly cruising around looking to kill time. One of the friends suggested to strike up a poker game for fun, without even knowing the rules. It was Katchalov’s first time playing poker.

While training to become a stock trader with no real job Katchalov started playing poker on the side at first winning consistently $30-40 a day, he recalled, which was “better than earning nothing.” Today, he has some $7 million in a bank, according to Katchalov’s public profile on PokerStars, the company he represents.

To me wealth is not more than the proof that I am excellent at what I do, it gives me confidence necessary for victory, shares Katchalov.

In poker he used the skills he learned from trading, combined with a natural knack for understanding complex computational situations and people.

Alex Katchalov believes his son has a true talent: “He’s got patience, logical thinking, good interpersonal and money management skills. He is in control of himself, which is crucial.” Alex also might be his son’s biggest fan: he keeps all of Eugene’s bracelets and trophies in a safe.

And, Katchalov savours the unpredictability of the game: “I have always liked the excitement of not knowing what’s going to happen at the end of the day. When you go to work you know you will get a pay check, but with cards you are never certain. You can win big or lose big.”

The first taste of big money and a boost of confidence was in the first live tournament in Las Vegas in 2004, when Katchalov won $45,000. But his “life-changing” win, as he calls it, was two years later in Vegas when he walked away from the tournament held in Bellagio hotel with $2.4 million. He says, however, that he didn’t selfishly indulge in his new wealth.

He bought a new apartment for his grandmother near the ocean in Brighton Beach.

“To me wealth is not more than the proof that I am excellent at what I do, it gives me confidence necessary for victory,” shares Katchalov.

Playing poker and doing trading simultaneously became too time-consuming and something had to give. Eugene chose full-time poker which has opened up an extraordinary and exciting lifestyle.

When I show up at the tournaments, I am usually the only one from Ukraine. Now I am proud of my heritage, says Katchalov.

“Poker tournaments take me to Vegas, Bahamas, London, New Zealand, Russia and my native Ukraine. Poker allows me to explore new places and meet interesting people,” says Katchalov. Wearing a plain t-shirt, he smiles generously.

Despite the millions and a comfortable lifestyle, Katchalov seems to stay down to earth. “Poker is a very humbling sport – today you are on the top, and tomorrow – at the bottom. Luck isn’t always sustained,” says Katchalov.

“You can call him in the middle of the tournament, and he will be there for you,” says Natasha Walman, whose family also immigrated from Kyiv. The two bonded in high school by sharing memories from childhood.

“When I show up at the tournaments, I am usually the only one from Ukraine. Now I am proud of my heritage,” says Katchalov.

Kyiv Post staff writer Mariya Manzhos can be reached at [email protected]