When it comes to poker, Eugene Katchalov has been there, done that. Ukraine-born and Brooklyn-raised, Katchalov has the accolades that come from years spent at the top of the game, as well as over $9M in recorded tournament earnings.
A WSOP bracelet, a WPT title, multiple EPT side event wins and a stretch as a PokerStars Team Pro make for an impressive poker resume, not to mention his visit to the Bahamas in 2011 for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. First, he won the $100K PCA Super High Roller for $1.5M, then just 10 days later he finished as runner-up in the $10K PCA High Roller for another $131K.
His barnstorming 2011 is just one of the topics Katchalov discusses in The Interview with Craig Tapscott. Click the banner above to watch the full interview, or listen now on Spotify or Apple podcasts.
‘That went to my head’
“In 2011 I was Player of the Year, I was number one in the world, and that went to my head” says Katchalov in the latest edition of The Interview, above. “In 2012 and 2013 I realized, things aren’t just going to go my way all the time. I can’t just sit around and think, ‘I’m the best’.”
That realization led to Katchalov becoming more self-aware as a person and as a poker player. The business graduate and former trader, who understood bankroll management but admits he didn’t always stick to it very well (“I had a little too much gamble in me”), watched as many of his peers burned out or faded away.
“I’ve seen too many stories of very successful poker players who just went up, and then went busto, went broke… Those stories scared me, and I never wanted to get to that place.”
He never did, getting himself back in the lab and working on improving his game, his approach and his mindset. Now, after a stint away from the game, Katchalov is back in earnest, looking forward to the WPT World Championships, to new poker-related business ventures in 2025, and beyond.
Hanging out with Negreanu, Schulman, ElkY and more
Katchalov’s in-depth chat with PokerOrg’s Craig Tapscott covers everything from his arrival in America as a 10-year-old to his successes on the felt, his friendships with some of poker’s biggest names and his vision of where poker is heading.
Watch or listen now for stories including:
- Leaving the USSR on the day it fell, as tanks surrounded the airport
- Playing in underground card clubs in New York City, where he first met his good friend Nick Schulman
- His transition from a financial trader to a full-time poker professional
- His reaction to winning Player of the Year in 2011, getting his ego in check and adapting to new trends and strategies
- Friendships with Daniel Negreanu, Nick Schulman, ElkY and other stars
- His vision for the future of online poker, content creation and his upcoming poker businesses
- How meditation and silent retreats have reframed his mindset
We also find out how Katchalov’s old friend Daniel Negreanu suggested he join PokerStars Team Pro, but to do so he’d first have to ‘win something big’; the two friends would soon find themselves heads-up at the PCA – with more than money on the line…
If you enjoy The Interview, check out our other in-depth conversations, including our recent episode with former card mechanic Houston Curtis. You can check out other recent episodes below.
Listen Now! You can now experience The Interview on your Apple and Spotify podcast channels.
Additional image courtesy of Danny Maxwell/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd.