Vitaly Lunkin by the right applies for a rank the Player of the year under versions of various poker editions. Michael Semin has interviewed the most successful Russian poker player of this year.

Lunkin became one of the most appreciable persons on the last Red Sea Poker Cup. Still – the owner of gold bracelets WSOP, RPT champion, one of the leaders of a seasonal rating – it’s impossible to pass by such figure. A short interview has poured out in almost one hour conversation. However, this time cannot be named spent in vain.

— Vitaly, let's sum all over again the tournaments that you played on Red Sea Poker Cup. Is it possible to say that your performance was successful?

— I liked me playing on Main Event. It is necessary to consider, that it had the scheme of “turbotournament” because Red Sea Poker Cup is intended for rest and it should not take a lot of time. The initial stack was 15 000 chips, but the blinds grew very quickly, every 40 minutes, therefore approximately to the 14^th level it became uncomfortable with any stack.

I have got in a money zone, have not developed further, I have lost at the first equalizing. At cut-off I had put all-in with a small stack, and very strong player has closed me on a pair of nines. To do better, it is necessary to pass successfully such battles. But I am happy with the tournament, with the quality of the game too.

I have played very badly in the beginning of the VIP-tournament – did not read the contender. More truly, not that I played badly, it’s just that half an hour from the start had passed and I have not had time to be arranged under the contender. I went on very interesting bluff, and as a result have lost the big bank. The flop was three clubs, 9-10, I had Q-J, straight-dro and a queen of clubs. The opponent puts a big donk on flop, the same as bank was. I understood that he had one club, more likely, is more senior than my queen and if later there would be no other club I would simply take away the bank on river.

The turn shows other ten, on a draw I did not give him ten, I have decided to gather additionally on river. The nine has opened, he had put the big rate, I have put the bigger one because I gave him a hand of A-K or А-Q with one club. Practically it has appeared so, he had A-K, but both were clubs. I have incorrectly put to the contender a range of hands, and to me it has dearly managed. Having started with 15 000 in the beginning there were only 3500 left.

Then I have almost doubled my stack, but have lost one distribution to Dima Vitkind. In the beginning of tournament I tried to risk, because that’s what “turbo” provides, there is no time to wait, players are strong, it is hard to beat them without a card.

I put everything on the turn when I had a concurrence, on the flop it was the senior, on the turn it became the second, flush-dro and gutshot. I understood, that the most probable hand the opponent had on the draw is set. I had a lack of chances to deliver, but nevertheless I have thrown the remained chips in bank and have lost. Unfortunately, Dima was not able to pass far either.

It is sad, that Sasha Kostritsin was taken off from the VIP-tournament and he was unlucky in Main Event. He had 3-4, the flop was 2-5-6, it was already straight and flush-dro. He played against the senior set, and one of the contenders had a pair of twos. But on river the five has dropped out, having brought the four, and Sasha has lost the big bank. In the VIP-tournament he has lost a key distribution with eights in К-7. But it is a game, everything happens – the main thing is to be happy with the game and then you will win.

— A stack of 15 000 and 40 minutes levels – that is what you call turbotournament?!

— Before tournaments with such structure would be considered normal. I constantly played them and even managed successfully five final tables in a row on such events. A huge dispersion. But it’s easier to play with a bigger buy-in and deeper structure.

Take EPT for example. If the players are not very strong, it is easier to make the way in money, for a final table. But if contenders are as serious as in London, it’s very difficult to pass far. But here it has turned out so, that at the certain level it was necessary to pass through some collisions. It means that the coin should be on your side. The primary goal in poker tournament – to pass as far as possible without equalizing and putting in only a part of a stack - it is desirable that you play with no more than a third of the stack. This time I had to play with all chips.

And tactics accordingly vary.

With a greater stack one should press out the contender, especially understanding well its range. If there are not enough chips one should be patient and wait for a good starting card, or catch the luck on flop. This is the most suitable for vacation. Otherwise, a deeper structure would not give an opportunity to be pleased with the sea and other beautiful things of Egypt completely.

— On Red Sea Poker Cup there’s a tournament SnG for 10 persons. It seems to me like a roulette. And what do you think?

— You have to get experience, and strong players have more chances in this game. Weaker player will lose eight plays from ten. But in МТТ where, for example, 70 percent of players are weaker, someone from them would win half of cases. I want you to note one more time an excellent combination of game and rest in well-balanced parts.

— Isn’t it strange that on the VIP-tournament of 50 persons in the four of the best players has got only one famous player – Sergey Pevzner? Although you, Kostritsin, Alekhin and other strong pros participated…

­-- It’s an absolutely normal situation. It should be like this on any turbotournament. Here I have to note one thing: when you are on a final table you should try to get as far as possible. I am assured that if Sasha Kostritsin would take that delivery with eights he would knock down the table, the blessing, he had enough of experience for that.

— What tournaments are planned on the end of the year?

— Everything goes in a wrong way for me. Somehow I could not participate in those tournaments in which I wished to play. That’s why I am afraid to plan something. I would like to go on EPT to Prague and on a tournament to the United States. After that I have to have a rest for a while.

By the way, by December I am always on peak of my form - this month has been always successful for me. But how it will go this time I cannot imagine.