Online life faces scrutiny as vlogger Chalijski expresses concerns: "Offline existence persists, but the online world poses queries"
Revamped Article:
Stepping into the world of Russian poker vlogs on YouTube, you'll likely stumble upon Chaliyskii, aka Artem Timsk, a long-time forum member who embarked on his vlogging journey in the summer of 2022. With dreams of becoming a poker pro, Artem shares his experiences in the competitive world of poker, providing an honest glimpse into the highs and lows of chasing that dream.
Since his beginning, Artem has amassed an impressive following, with almost 25,000 subscribers and several videos reaching over 100,000 views. A recent trip to Vegas marked a major milestone for Artem and brought back a wealth of experiences and insights. We caught up with him to discuss his vlogs, online and offline prospects, and other intriguing matters.
The Vegas vlog was unfortunately a casualty of YouTube's crackdown on gambling content, so Artem re-uploaded it to an alternative channel. We also touched upon this issue during our conversation.
Hey, Artem! Welcome back from Vegas! In a recent video, you mentioned flying to Poker's Mecca - quite a journey from playing tournaments for three bucks in a panelak. What sparked the idea of making money with poker for you?
Artem: I started playing poker at 16 with home games with friends. I discovered online poker around that time, but it didn't grab me until I wanted to play live. I was a school kid with no cash, so I'd save up a bit to enter $30 freerolls online. I had no money for cash games. I'd play $1-$3 tournaments online and had no idea about poker theory. I'd win here and there to cover expenses and play small offline tournaments.
When I found out I was moving to Canada, I thought pursuing poker there was foolish because of the high cost of living and normal wages. At 19, my poker career seemed to end before it began. Poker almost completely disappeared from my life for 7 years. But working as a logistics dispatcher didn't seem promising. People in the CIS often overestimate foreign salaries. On average, office workers earn around 4-5 thousand after taxes, which isn't enough for a comfortable life with good housing.
Three years ago, I was inspired by examples of American offline regs. I learned that one could make $50+ per hour and $10k a month playing poker. That's when I started taking poker seriously, as that's the kind of life I've always wanted. I still don't view live poker as work. Playing a 10-12 hour session doesn't tax me.
By the way, how did you end up in Canada?
My father moved here when I was 4. When I was 20, I got my residency through him. I remember landing in Canada on August 1, 2014, like it was yesterday. I tried various migrant jobs - factories, construction, dishwashing. I studied event and media production in college for 2 years. I even did some wedding videography, but never worked in my field. In 2018, my father started a transportation company and offered me a job as a dispatcher. I worked there for 2 years, then another 2.5 years at another company, until I was laid off in September 2023. By then, I had been playing NL50 online for 2 years.
At that time, my province of Ontario was in lockdown, with wait times probably twice as high as the global pool. When I was laid off, I had savings and a YouTube channel, and I was crushing NL50 at 5-6 BB/100, so I decided not to look for a new job and commit to poker full-time.
I've noticed you're playing NL200 in your recent posts. Can you share your limit progression?
Once my main motivation was the fear of blowing through my savings and having to return to an office job. I immediately added NL100 and started working on my game daily. I took coaching, used software, and got subscriptions. I invested as much time and money as I could to improve.
After 6 months, I started adding NL200. Now I play a mix of 100-200 and 500 under the fish.
If you're going to be a full-time pro, will you stay strictly in Canada or travel around?
Currently, I'm stuck playing online due to terrible conditions at the table and issues finding games in Toronto's offline scene. The rake is too high, and I can't afford the high stakes like $2/$5. I have my girlfriend here, and she doesn't have an American visa. I'd love to go to the States for 3-4 months, but for now, I'm stuck playing online and occasionally going offline.
Let's talk Vegas! You wrote about the city: "The most screwed-up rake on Earth and top-notch poker room service." Can you elaborate on that? Is the rake lower in Vegas than in Canada? What stood out to you specifically in comparison to Canada?
Specifically at Niagara, the rake is good. You pay for time, 30 minutes is $7-9 depending on the limit. But on average, the rake in Canada is much higher. In Vegas, the cap is $5-6. Plus, you get free drinks and a rakeback of $1.5-2 per hour on your player's card, which you can use to eat at the casino. I haven't seen that in Canada.
I also want to highlight the excellent work of the managers. They find you a seat quickly, open tables quickly. I never waited more than 15 minutes. In Canada, it could take 3-4 hours.
During WSOP, people always complain about dealers. Were there any issues with this during the quiet time?
Generally, dealers are good. Some were slow, but there were no major mistakes. The fastest dealers are in poker clubs in Toronto, where they have incentives to deal more hands to get more tips and commission.
From what I understand, you didn't like the player pools. I recently translated a podcast with a young American offline reg who said that if you're a poker pro in the US, it's better to play in the sticks or Texas, not in Vegas or LA. Are there many European regs in Vegas? How do they differ from American ones?
The fields aren't great, but I think that's just a trend of our time. People have generally improved their play, at least preflop. I haven't seen $2/$5 fish playing 70% VPIP and calling three streets with a pair in a long time. I think the main type of player at $2/$5 is advanced recreational players and semi-regs. I'm not sure about Texas, but in Miami's Hard Rock, it's the same, plus or minus.
But unlike Texas, Vegas always has plenty of games, and there's $5/$10+ almost every day. In Texas, according to Bravo and Poker Atlas apps, it's mostly $1/$3 (but in deep stacks). There were 1-2 Euro-regs at the table on average. They play better and have online experience. Unlike Americans who might have a day job, Euro-regs probably make their living playing. If they weren't good, they wouldn't be there.
Tell me about the average weak opponent. You write that people don't give - what's the main edge we get in this case?
The advantage comes from playing fewer hands. I feel like I have a limit to my concentration and mental energy for playing a hand well. Playing fewer hands allows you to put more cognitive effort into each one. You should use that to get the maximum edge and winrate.
Average weak opponents are very predictable and passive. They give out a lot of information in multi-way pots, especially on dynamic boards. Everyone folds, they can't call a small bet with a set on a board with a flush draw. They raise too often with weak hands. They get caught bluffing. They only bluff with equity. They don't bluff the river. They use overbets very rarely. They play their hand, not their range. They never check with the nuts out of position on the river. Top of their range will go into check-raise on the flop-turn, check-call only with bluff catchers. They never turn a hand into a bluff on the river. In essence, they are like weak passive regs in micro-stakes, but here we have more time and information to think and find the best decision.
How do you assess the expectation of playing in Vegas? What limits should you play to cover expenses?
At the $2/$5 limit across America, the expectation would be around $40-$50 per hour. I don't think it's worth playing lower. Accommodation, whether it's a hotel or Airbnb, can range from $50 to $100 per night. Plus, food, Uber, restaurants. You're looking at at least $3-4,000 a month.
Does the atmosphere at the tables differ from Europe and Canada? What's the typical American recreational player like? Does their love for the game show?
I wouldn't say Americans and Canadians are much different. Maybe some southerners with their country accents. Overall, for me, the portrait of the average white northerner is a somewhat heavyset man who enjoys watching sports, drinking beer, eating well, and driving his pickup truck.
They seem like freedom-loving farmers who might have a business, make good money, but still look disheveled. Buying a lot of unnecessary things, but wearing a stained hoodie. If you've been to America, you've probably noticed that their cars are never in garages because the garage is full of junk.
But the fact that gambling is in their blood - that's 100%. I think there's a genetic predisposition towards adventure and risk-taking. After all, they are descendants of immigrants who tamed the Wild West. Poker is definitely a part of their culture more than anywhere else.
A few words about Vegas itself? What's it like to step out of the casino and away from the fountain at Bellagio? Would you want to go back?
Vegas is a great climate-wise. It hardly ever rains. It's like a desert, but an hour's drive and you're already in the mountains with snow and a ski resort. Plus, compared to other cities with many games (Los Angeles, Miami), Vegas is much cheaper.
The main problem is that, apart from the Strip and the center, it's just a one-story backwater with many homeless people, weirdos, and prostitutes. On one corner, there's a worn-out porn cinema, and across the street, there's a big billboard saying "Jesus loves you". Such contrasts.
But still, you kind of want to go back. The city charms with its uniqueness and seems completely indifferent to what you think of it.
The main poker goal is achieved. What's your next dream?
For the last couple of years, I've had a dream to play on the Hustler stream. If my English improves a bit, there might be a chance to get into such a game. The rest is more like creative plans. To travel to all the cool poker spots in the world and make awesome videos from everywhere.
Let's talk about your channel then. In the Vegas video, you mention that a dealer almost kicked you out, saying you needed permission. Does this happen often? How is filming regulated in casinos where you usually play?
It depends on the place. The first casino I started filming at was Niagara. It's strictly forbidden there, so I started very discreetly. I'd lower the screen brightness, put the phone on a stand, and pretend I was watching something. But it's very stressful. People walk by, someone might notice, complain, tell the floor, etc.
It's easiest to negotiate with regular clubs, card rooms. Casinos always have some bureaucracy. In Bellagio, they told me I had to get permission from MGM. I wrote to them, and it's been over a month without a response.
So in casinos, I operate on a "better to ask for forgiveness than permission" principle. If you don't overdo it and don't get caught, you can film without permission. Usually, dealers and floors don't care, as long as no one complains.
Do players often express displeasure? What do you do in such cases?
I've never had any negativity from players. If a neighbor asks, I can tell them I'm filming and give them the channel link. In the card room where I've been filming lately, everyone knows about the vlogs. They want to be in them, sometimes even provide action for it.
What inconveniences does recording create? What is the -EV?
It distracts attention. You can't just record continuously for 6-8 hours of a session. Every time a hand comes that I'll be opening, I have to turn on the camera. And if you're recording without permission, it adds stress because everything has to be done covertly. After the deal, you have to record the board, effective stacks.
But that's not even the worst part. The biggest -EV is the seat at the table. To get the best shot, you need to sit at the end of the table, where you can see all the action. So, whenever I'm recording content, I'll always try to sit there. Often, I might end up in a good position on the button, but I'll leave it for the content.
If I've already secured one of these boxes, I'll play and record until the end. I won't switch tables, even if it becomes bad. Because there's no guarantee that I'll find one of the needed boxes at another table.
Vlogs are very popular in the English-speaking poker community. Why do you think Russian-speaking players practically don't work in this genre?
Probably because it's not as financially beneficial. The English-speaking segment has a larger reach and better pay-per-view rates. The biggest American vlogger, Brad Owen, said in an interview that he makes over $100k a year just from YouTube's built-in ads. In the Russian-speaking segment, we have lower reach and views from Russia aren't paid at all right now. In my case, it's just a couple hundred a month, which barely covers the editor's work.
So, the only monetization left is advertising integrations, software, and room referrals. I did quite well with the club in the app. But again, it's not some huge money. At the moment, I can't cover my expenses just by creating content. My main source of income is still online and offline grinding.
How did you start recording? Who inspired you? What motivates you? Do you think you can significantly grow your audience through this content?
I was inspired by the first vloggers: Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme. Before them, I had no idea that offline poker pros existed. But one day, a video popped up in my recommendations, and that's how it all started.
This video changed everything, really. At the time, I was 25, working as a truck dispatcher, making $20 an hour. Then, a face on the screen tells me not only can you make a living playing online poker, but they make a dollar an hour more than me. I started digging deep into it, watching and reading all the bloggers, and I realized these numbers are real. So, I came up with the perfect plan. I'd become an online pro and also start making poker vlogs in Russian!
It didn't happen overnight, but my first vlog from Niagara dropped in June 2022.
Q: Why do you do this? What brings you the most joy?
Creating content fills a significant gap in gaming earnings. Many feel empty just making money and seeing hand histories. Some start coaching, others create content. I love making these videos because, besides the hands played and money won, there's a product left behind. It's easier to handle losing sessions when you've filmed them, knowing you've created something.
The growth of the channel, views, positive comments, and attention were very motivating at first. Plus, the process wasn't tiresome in the early stages. Over time, making a regular vlog felt less creative, and view counts stagnated. I realized the cap for Russian poker videos is around 100k views, a couple of mine hit that. But realistically, you can expect 30-50k for good entertaining content. Now, I want to make fewer but bigger videos, like the one from Vegas. Travel to interesting places, have good content, maybe even make documentaries.
Of course, it needs to be financially viable, at least matching hourly game earnings with such time investment. Hopefully, a poker room will sponsor this in the future. As I see it, vlogs and streams from offline events have greatly popularized poker in the last 5 years and brought in many new enthusiasts.
Q: You mentioned thinking about creating content in English too?
On English, there are many vlogs, and here one has to try hard to stand out. But in the Russian segment, I have an advantage: there's not much of such content, and I live in Canada where I can travel to play in the US. Russians are always interested in how people live in the West, and poker content is no exception. But I have a couple of interesting ideas I'll try in the near future.
YouTube's Gambling Content Crackdown and Poker's Future
- What are your thoughts on YouTube's attacks on all gambling-related content? I see it's affected you too.
YouTube is essentially the only platform where a nobody can create quality content and build an audience from scratch. It's sad that despite its many positives, it has such a terrible system for detecting violations, strikes, and video and channel bans. The system can flag a violation where there is none, delete your video, and you can't discuss it with anyone. Everything is automated.
After I promoted my club in the app a few times, my videos were deleted. I stopped mentioning the club in my videos, but I still randomly get strikes with timecodes where nothing happens, it's just a hand being dealt. The same thing happened with my latest Vegas video: it got 25,000 views in the first 2 days, then it was deleted. I had to re-upload it to a second channel, and so far, there are no issues. But if the system considers something a violation, it will start finding problems where there are none. In the end, you can get 3 strikes in one night, and by morning, your channel is gone.
The only solution is to create backup channels and actively use social media so you always have something to fall back on. Overall, the state of social media is such that the number of subscribers doesn't matter, and your media success should only be measured by your last few videos. There are countless dead channels with millions of subscribers where videos get only a few thousand views. Great engaging content is the ace in the hole right now. You can upload it to a new channel, and a small push from Telegram or a forum can start a chain reaction of algorithms.
- You made money in Vegas, but the vlog still ends on a sad note. Is poker really down to its last 2 years, or are we on the brink of a new offline boom, as some say? What could trigger it?
Honestly, I think public online poker is already practically dead. Even in my area, the wait times have significantly worsened over the past 2 years. It's clear that this isn't a sustainable career path.
I've been actively reading the forums for 4 years, mostly focusing on cash game players. It's quite telling that there are no new faces. All the popular cash game players playing NL100 and above are over 30, and I've been reading about them for 4 years. People are leaving, but no new players are joining.
Offline, I have much higher hopes. There's much more recreational value for casual players. It's slower paced (fewer hands), the players are weaker, and there are plenty of perks like socialization and free drinks. How can you compare going to a fun casino with virtual gambling at home within four walls?
The success of streams and vlogs shows that casual players' main request is live poker. TikTok zoomers, YouTubers, and young people are playing on streams. Even the 15-second content generation finds live play interesting.
I think all this indicates that offline poker will survive. The questions are around online poker. Online gambling growth is mainly driven by slots and sports betting, not poker.
The only issue is that rake is high everywhere except America and continues to rise. I think rake and inflation are our main opponents in the near future. Money is devaluing, but the game isn't moving up to higher limits. Ten years ago and now, the main limits are $1/$2 and $2/$5. And $5/$10 and above aren't always available and not every day.
Other than that, I'm generally optimistic about offline poker.
- What initially sparked the idea of making money with poker for Artem was discovering that one could earn $50+ per hour and $10k a month playing poker, a lifestyle he had always desired.
- Artem's poker vlogs on YouTube, known as "Chaliyskii," offer an honest glimpse into the highs and lows of chasing the dream of becoming a poker pro, providing insights for those who aspire to do the same.
- Artem's trip to Vegas, which he documented in a vlog, was unfortunately affected by YouTube's crackdown on gambling content and was re-uploaded to an alternative channel.
- Artem's recent progress in poker includes playing NL200 games, having amassed an impressivefollowing with almost 25,000 subscribers and several videos reaching over 100,000 views, and discussing his vlogging journey, online and offline prospects, and other intriguing matters in the revamped article.
