Nikolay Evdakov – the owner of the WSOP record by quantity of getting prize-winning places during one series. Recently he became the owner of the largest poker forum in Russia and before that he kept crocodiles.

— Nikolay, we are very glad to see you on Red Sea Poker Cup. How did it happen you got here?
— To tell the truth, I have got on this tournament at the last minute. It has turned out so, that my pro poker contract was restored which previously has been broken off by mistake.

I was invited to play here and it was inconvenient to refuse. I do not regret at all that I have come – here it’s a fine atmosphere, I have never been on Red sea before. I came, I saw pyramids, beautiful girls are all around – in general everything is perfect.

In Cairo it was not pleasant, because it was very dirty and in general it has amazed me. So it has turned out, that earlier I did not visit undeveloped countries, except Cuba about 15 years ago, but it was basically a rest in hotel there.

We had a rest in five-stars hotel, I remember, that I brought two alive crocodiles from there and raised them.

— Is that true?
— One crocodile lived with me for seven years, has grown almost under two meters. I had an office with a bathroom. He lived in a bath. The second one lived in an aquarium.

When my son was born, I have moved to live in the private house and, certainly, I was afraid, that the boy could enter casually into a room with crocodiles. By the way, the Cuban crocodiles are the most aggressive of these reptiles, they are cannibals and they have a very good reaction. This is very serious.

For example, in an aquarium a crocodile has gobbled up all small fish in a short time and rushed on any living creature within reach. Therefore because of the child I have decided to get rid of it.

— It would be logical if you have had sharks, considering your buiseness.
— Well, you know, everything has happened absolutely casually, we have visited a crocodile farm on Cuba. They were selling small crocodiles for 20 dollars like souvenirs. I brought them in the country illegally. I have put them in a pillowcase and have wrapped it up around my belt. I could not get out of my head one thought: what will happen if it suddenly gets out and goes down below?

I collect coins and have bought some on Cuba for my collection. The customs officer was not skilled and, having seen coins, he has detained me. And on my belt I had the crocodiles moving! For 10-15 minutes I was kept on a post, I was afraid very much that they would start to search. On Cuba an export of crocodiles was equated to contraband. So I have hardly slipped.

— You are quite a rich man… You have a lot of achievements in poker. And here is the question: what for do you or another good player have a contract with any poker room?
— I received such an offer one year and a half - two years ago. The most important thing is that it is not an obligation. To paste a trade mark on a vest – it is not difficult to do. But if you play on Internet, you have 100 % return of rake (it means that you play without commission). For an hour of game in sponsor's room I get paid the certain sum. Certainly it’s not a big money, but for me poker is a hobby, instead of a way to earn. However it is important, that this hobby is not unprofitable. Because every fool can lose money having it, but in the game there should be competitiveness, an interesting sports component.

— What other pluses does the contract give you? Is it possible to do private tournaments only for friends in the room?
— On the other hand, I am not obliged to go on any tournaments, there are no restrictions – I can play on any events and in any room I want, in general, I have no problems.

— Several words about yesterday's tournament. Almost all the time you had a stack bigger than a half. Then you’ve lost everything. What happened? What do you think about a field of players in general, about structure of the tournament?
— The field was good enough – not very strong contenders, but there also were not the really weaklings who didn’t understand the play absolutely. It was pleasant to participate in this tournament, I played just for fun and in the beginning everything was fine.

There was one interesting distribution, I was on big blind, blinds were 300-600, ante was 50, from the 2-nd position a player made a call, small blind – call, I checked with variegated К-2. The flop was Q-5-2, I had a younger pair. Everybody checked, the turn was 4, again three checks. The river brought repetition of five.

I have taken off as follows: first I have incorrectly played with A-K, there was a raise before me, and I had to put all-in, but I have thought that it was too early, and have thrown off. Blinds were growing and soon I have remained with a short stack. I was forced to expose with А-10 and I was beaten by two queens.

— ou have a video camera with you – do you plan to make the reporting on Red Sea Poker Cup?
— Yes, I have been on WSOP and I have bought the camera there and have made there some interview. Later I placed them on my site. People liked that. So we will continue this practice, but now more professionally.

— How is it to play against famous players? As for you is it easier or heavier? Is it possible to use your image and intimidate contenders or everyone considers as a duty to beat a celebrity?
— You exaggerate my popularity! I do not consider myself as a very strong player - the average level, - maybe even lower than that. It’s just that somewhere I have developed, somewhere I have carried...

Concerning to your question, certainly, I try to vary the way I play, I watch the contenders around a table. And here in online-game in some tournaments there is a feature – a prize for beating out the professional player of the poker room - bounty. And then, certainly, everybody starts to play very aggressively against you. First, it is interesting to play against the pro, second, in case of success you receive a prize.

I raise and everybody answers: Call, call, call. Everyone would like to win bounty. And it should be considered – either I should raise in a large way or wait for monsters.

In normal play – if I notice that someone constantly comes under my raises I start to change tactics. Yesterday nobody attacked especially here – I could bluff and steal blinds.

— Tell in more details about your talisman — cardholder – about this little man.
— This talisman gave me my son. He told me: daddy, put on table for luck. It was in Las Vegas this summer. We went to the Wax museum of madam Tussaud and there close to the exit they always sell souvenirs. My son has bought a lot of such little men. You put them on fingers and then it is possible to frighten people with them. So Andrey gave me one of these for luck.

— Did it help to improve you results?
— Probably they did, the son could not wish me something bad. At least, in boundary situations I look on this little man and I reflect that I should play as if I have no more money now and it is my last tournament in case of defeat, and my family will starve then.

It helps to make adequate decisions, in fact when buy-in is not a deterrent, it is easy to relax and release reins. I try on any tournament, even free rolls on cgm in which I often participate and I also invite you, to play as much as possible serious.

— I should ask about the future of poker in Russia...
— I think the greater policy is involved here. Unreasoned promises have been given first and then they should be carried out. That’s how poker has got under the hammer.

In the future all depends on our political government, maybe situation will change and a common sense will win. At the same time, if there would be no interdiction, probably, this tournament in Red sea would not take place. It is necessary to find the positive moments in any situation, figuratively being expressed — when you look through a prison lattice, to see not dirt but stars.

— It’s time to speak about cgm, let's talk more in detail about this resource known as a poker forum. You have bought it recently, haven't you?
— Yes, I have got it on the 1st of April, but not for the sake of a joke! It’s not only a forum, but also a poker site, which was unknown before. We have changed its design and functionality. The second re-branding is ready and the site becomes as much as possible user-friendly. Our goal is to deduce cgm.ru on standards of world poker resources. Now we are at the 23-rd position in the world rating under a version of Pokerscout. In the near future we wish to appear in ten.