Today we follow Gragik’s Journey from a material science student to becoming a renowned high-stakes PLO player and Poker Coach.
Welcome to Poker Stories: Behind the Scenes, the podcast where we chat with interesting people from the poker world and share their stories, experiences, and insights.
Gragik’s Journey
Today, we have a special guest, Denis aka Gragik, who has been involved in the poker industry for over a decade and has a wealth of knowledge to share. Denis is a well-known high-stakes poker player, a pot-limit Omaha player, and a poker coach. He has been playing high stakes for about seven years.
“We all know a lot of people who quit poker with a plan B or plan C, and then they couldn’t handle a real job because they were used to huge swings every day and adrenaline spikes every minute.” –
Denis
Table of Contents
Highlights & Top Quotes
- “I’m thinking about quitting, like, every now and then. But I don’t have a plan.” – Denis
- “People underestimate the importance of skill in poker. Taking shots can be risky, as some people always run bad when they take shots, while others run really good.” – Denis
- “I had the impression that poker is a red flag because there’s this cliche of, like, you play the back chambers with whiskey, and everyone has three guns on him, and you cheat, like in the old westerns, and then you get shot.” – Herbert
- “It’s super important to accept yourself. Speaking about training, it’s good that he had the approach of ‘fuck training’. If he trained more, he would have been a worse player.” – Denis
- “You need to be yourself in order to be successful. Just do what you usually do without thinking.” – Denis
What was Denis doing before he started playing poker?
“So I started, as you said, that started like more than ten years ago. I would say it’s like even close to 15. So 1s first of all, like I all my life, I had like a big dream. First, first dream was to become a soccer player or football, I don’t know, how do you call it read when I was still in school, then I read some books and was dreaming of becoming a scientist. I thought scientist was SO romantic and everything. So with that dream, I, uh, entered the university. I spent like six years in the university studying material science.”
How did Denis get into poker?
Gragik’s Journey into poker started while studying material science in university. He started playing poker while still in university and became interested in becoming a professional poker player. He began with a $50 bankroll and eventually started making money playing online poker, primarily in no limit hold’em. He later switched to playing pot limit Omaha (PLO) and has been coaching players in poker for the past two years. He found out about poker through a popular poker show in Russia and was inspired by a commentator who explained the game and its potential for making money.
What poker games did he play when he started?
“So I started, as you said, that started like more than ten years ago. I would say it’s like even close to 15. So 1s first of all, like I all my life, I had like a big dream. First, first, first dream was to become a soccer player or football, I don’t know, how do you call it read when I was still in school, then I read some books and was dreaming of becoming a scientist. I thought scientist was SO romantic and everything. So with that dream, I, uh, entered the university.
I spent like six years in the university studying material science. I was like, I had perfect grades and everything. And by the end, like, in the middle of the university, I already started playing poker. So you can tell that I had my third dream of becoming a poker pro. And like, science was not like looking that good after I, like, opened poker for myself. So like, um, a standard story for many of us. Like I started with Poker strategy $50, which is a famous thing. Yeah, I busted like not even $150. People in Russia were doing it. People in Russia were doing it like an account for your mom, for your grandmother, for everybody.”
What is Denis’ mindset for high-stakes games?
Denis approaches high-stakes games with a stop-loss limit in mind, but he admits that he often doesn’t stick to it. He acknowledges that money is still a factor for him, but he tries to think about big blinds rather than focusing solely on the monetary value. He also recognizes the challenge of keeping up with the constantly evolving game and competing with younger, more flexible players who have learned new strategies.
What is the most famous poker player Gragik played against?
The most famous poker player Gragik played against is Isildur1. He was impressed by the amount of pressure right from the start, making him an incredibly uncomfortable opponent.
What is the Greenline poker project?
Greenline Poker is a Russian company focused on coaching, staking and creating a professional framework for poker players. Gragik says joining this networking community was the best decision of his poker life: “For me, it is a great experience to help people. Creating a social environment for poker players is such a life changer.”
What is the strategy behind staring at live games?
In live games, some players may use staring as a strategy to gain an edge. By observing your reactions and body language, they try to gather information about your hand or intentions. This can be a form of psychological play to make you uncomfortable or reveal information unintentionally. It’s important to be aware of this tactic and maintain a calm and composed demeanour to avoid giving away any tells.
What is Gragik’s approach to coaching poker players?
Gragik’s approach to coaching poker players involves helping them achieve their goals and finding balance and fulfilment. He believes that teaching poker is valuable not only for the players he coaches but also for himself.
Does Gragik have an exit strategy?
As mentioned in the podcast, Gragik thinks about quitting poker every losing session but has yet to have a specific plan for an exit strategy.
What is the mindset of professionals quitting poker?
Some professionals quit poker because they find the game tougher and less enjoyable over time. They may have been attracted to the easy-money aspect of poker, but as the games become more challenging and the traffic decreases, they lose interest. Additionally, some players may have other career opportunities or business ventures that they find more suitable for their skill set and personality. Quitting poker can also be difficult for some players who have spent years playing the game and may not have the necessary skills for other jobs. However, it’s important to note that not all professionals quit poker, as some continue to play and enjoy the constant competition and battle of the game.
Conclusion: Gragik’s Journey
That’s all for this episode of Poker Stories: Behind the Scenes about Gragik’s Journey. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes.
If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to drop us a message. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening, and we’ll see you next time!
