Dmitry Kravchenko: The majority of traditional reggae tunes are automated in performance.
Hey there, Dima! Kudos on the recent win! So,King of the Hill, how did it feel to defeat Adam in that heads-up match?
- Truth be told, I was a smidge disappointed with my gameplay. The final table was a pretty tricky one, and I felt I didn't showcase my true skills. I wished for a chance to really shine, but it just didn't happen.
However, this time the emotions were way more genuine, though I didn't go wild like I used to the first time around.
- So, does that mean the thrill of major victories eventually dulls over time?
- Probably. You start to realize that dough is plenty and you don't necessarily need a buckload of it.
- What's your gameplan for crucial final tables?
- First, I take a look at my opponents. This final table had a legendary lineup, but fortunately, I knew all of them. Still, if there were unknown players, I'd do some homework on them—hunt down their past performances, analyze their gameplay, and whatnot.
- Got it. So, if there were five newbies at the final table, you'd bust out your detective gear, right?
Absolutely.
Dmitry Kravchenko rakes in $1.75 million in GG Millions, besting Michael Addamo in heads-up
The final table was a packed one, featuring Alexei Burovkov, Arseniy Malinov, Arthur Martirosyan, Andrei Dergipilsky, Ole Schemion, Joao Vieira, LALIBERTE, and our debutant.
- This final table had a true legends' roster going. Who's the biggest shark in the waters?
- Deciding on the "Big Kahuna" is a toughie. Every player in there is well-versed in the game, proven and fitted with shark's teeth.
- Who was the trickiest one to go up against?
- Most likely, Addamo. The dude plays like a wild card sometimes, and it's hard to second-guess his moves. If he doesn't deviate from standard GTO and refrains from bluffing, it's a piece of cake. But when Addamo gets aggressive, blinds you with 3-bet raises, you just don't know what he's packing.
- Where do you find yourself in the pecking order for skills?
- I'd place myself in the top three, with no particular order:
- Me
- Addamo
- Martirosyan
Valera (LALIBERTE) plays an impressive game, but with this being his first final table on Millions, for now, let's stick him in fourth place.
- What makes you tick in high-stakes games? What gives you the upper hand?
- During high-stakes tournaments, I don't tighten up like a clam. I can stick to a real aggressive strategy, and fear doesn't rattle me. Secondly, I've been at this rodeo before, winning the Phase Million once, so I was confident a repeat was within my reach.
Thirdly, I love dabbling in unconventional, goofy moves. That Zany playstyle gives me a solid winrate, currently 13 bb/100 on ABI $900.
- Did you catch the broadcast during the game?
- My girlfriend caught the broadcast, I only heard the good news after the win.
- Greenwood was saying in the broadcast that you love to raise. INSANE levels of raising. Do you agree with that statement?
- Well, ol' Greenwood is a straight-up GTO player, if you ask me. He leans on a more conservative strategy, in my book he's not a heavyweight at the poker table. Real poker is all about exploiting your opponents, exploring their patterns, and pulling off cunning moves.
- Were there any hands at the final table that gave you the heebie-jeebies, made you question your decisions?
- I felt kinda nervous only during the heads-up match.
- There was a hand with A4, right?
- I still believe it was a smart play against Addamo in heads-up. He's the type who would fold to a bluff in that situation.
- What kinda bluffs do you think he might have had there?
- He could have had a bunch of gutshots and flush draws with Qx.
- Did you think he'd bet the river with a medium ace?
- Not exactly. I thought he was sitting on two pair or better.
- How in the world did you keep your cool after that hand?
- Oh, the hand was infuriating! I used all my time bank minutes, but ultimately decided to call on the final second.
When your brain's doin' somersaults due to stress, it can make some of us awe-inspiring superhumans, thinking way faster and clearer than regular folk. Unfortunately, my brain doesn't play that game; instead, it locks up like a safe. In that situation, it went bananas. After the call, I needed a freakin' break—to take some cool water, stretch, and collect my thoughts.
I told myself, "$1.2 million's not too shabby, and it's not too bad I made it to the final table with the shortest stack. So no need to get all ouchie-wochis."
After the break, I got back in the game.
- What gets you back on track in those nerve-racking moments?
- Splashing some ice-cold water on my kisser, hearing the swoosh of a waterfall sounds amazing. Or just good ol' ice-cold water. It's a must-have when you need to wake up your brain and focus on the game.
- So, did the fact that the prize pool was five times bigger than the regular Millionaire affect you?
- I didn't even think about it. We were going for the title, not the dough!
- Were you ever under the pressure of money in your career?
- Early on, I noticed that many players who usually play aggressively like bats out of hell in the finals would tighten up like deflated balloons. They didn't bring their a-game or employ all their skills. I saw the same pattern in myself, worked on it, and nipped the problem in the bud early on. I intentionally made a habit of playing less reserved in the finals, even goofing up on purpose to conquer this issue. It worked, and it eventually faded away.
- Three times you've won the Phase Million, which makes you sound like a legend. Do you ever think it's all just luck?
- Friends, poker pals, and even strangers tell me I play well. And my win rates are sky-high. That gives me the confidence boost I need.
- It seems like a whoooole lotta luck to some folks. Did all the praise and talk about your luck bother you?
- Well, haters gonna hate. Yeah, any negativity is a downer, but now I'm working on my response. I try to ignore the haters because focusing on all that negativity serves no purpose.
Besides, I didn't bring that cursed luck upon myself.
- Before winning your first Millionaire, you went through a pretty bad downswing for a whole year. How did you keep motivated during that time?
- The downswing lasted a year, and I endured two to three months of near-zero swings and lost a grand total of $100k. It was tough to summon the will to sit down and play when things didn't seem to be going my way.
But when you've got a solid game and high win rates that leave others in the dust, dealing with a downswing is rough. There's no obvious way to improve when you're already better than everyone else. That's when it gets tricky to stay positive. But my win rates didn't slip during the downswing; they even shot up!
- What kept you going during that time?
- Taking a vacation, close-up to nature, spending time with friends to miss the game and return with renewed energy.
- You jumped into high-stakes poker at the right time in the middle of your downswing, right?
- No doubts, so I didn't wait for an upswing and went straight to high-stakes.
- Are MTT winrates a pretty good indicator of playing skills? Can someone have a two-digit winrate and play really poorly?
- On high-stakes, probably not, as you got there, you know the drill. But on ABI $15, yeah, there's a pretty big chance that someone with a two-digit winrate plays like a fish who doesn't have a clue.
- It's hard being a MTT player: big wins are a matter of luck, winrates don't tell much. How do you measure the strength of your game accurately?
- Checking hands with competent players, building self-confidence. Also, working on Flopzilla –seeing what opponents fold to a bet, determining if it's profitable.
- Your graph is red, causing envy in so many. Should anyone intentionally boost their graph if their game feels fine?
- I don't think so. It's more useful on high-stakes where people fold more and aggression might give you an edge. On low and medium stakes, focusing on value hands and getting paid is the way to go. On high-stakes, intricate value betting is crucial.
- Speaking of Adam, was it his AT that you crashed with? )
- Well, I've got my fair share of crazy hands too, like this one where I dominated six pots with weak top pair against Vyacheslav Buldygin:
- What's the secret to success in MTTs?
- Discipline, grinding, rest, foot massage. Can't forget the foot massage.
- How do you prepare yourself for a grinding session?
- I always get pumped up with a workout before sitting down to play, and I make sure to take breaks and stretch. My back and lower back need some lovin'. Recently I bought a massager and use it while gaming.
- Did winning all that cash change your life?
- Not like you might think. I've been traveling more, exploring new places. I also started paying more attention to investments.
- Where have you been gallivanting around the globe?
- In Kazakhstan, the Maldives, and Hong Kong. I've got to say, the Maldives was a snooze fest, though the first few days were a blast—eating, sleeping, lounging on the beach. Key is not to stick around for too long or you might cray cray.
- Way back when you first started, you were grinding $0.25 tournaments.Tell us about that chapter of your life, your dreams, and your routine back in the day.
- I was 18, studying in Moscow, living in a dorm, just mucking about, playing for fun. I even wound up in the Poker Academy by chance. I learned all my poker skills from the BabyShark videos.
By the way, I bumped into denis luily021, and we're still in touch. I met the guy in a $0.25 tournament, and later he joined the FunFarm fund, and that's how I jump-started my professional career.
At first, my parents were against poker, even disclosing that their son is a gambling addict. Once, my father even introduced me to an old friend who used to play offline poker before casinos were illegal. He warned me that if I kept playing poker, I'd wind up losing my apartment, debt, and all that.
- Are your parents cool with your poker career now?
- Yep, their point of view has evolved as my successes piled up. They started appreciating my talent firsthand, and eventually declared themselves my biggest supporters.
- Was there an "a-ha!" moment that led to a breakthrough in your career early on?
- My first coach taught me about overbets, which seemed revolutionary at the time. But it was scary at first—who would go so far as to call an overbet with a weak hand? But eventually, I started to notice the number of folds in response, and that's when I realized this crazy tactic works.
- Any differences between the new school of players and the old guard?
- I believe the old-timers are less creative and innovative. They're like robots, lacking the ability to adapt to new situations. A lucky few, like Addamo, still come up with fresh ideas.
- It seems that Dmitry Kravchenko's preparation for crucial final tables involves studying the opponents, looking at their past performances, and analyzing their gameplay.
- At the final table of the GG Millions tournament, Dmitry Kravchenko faced some "legendary lineup" players, including Arseniy Malinov, Arthur Martirosyan, Andrei Dergipilsky, Ole Schemion, Joao Vieira, LALIBERTE, and Adam.
- In the heads-up match, Dmitry had to compete against Michael Addamo, who was labeled as a tricky opponent due to his unpredictable playstyle.
- During the tournament, Dmitry Kravchenko raked in a massive cash prize of $1.75 million, placing him at the top of the game.
- After the tournament, Dmitry found himself among the top three players in terms of skills, along with Addamo and Martirosyan.
