Eugene Katchalov is a WPT & WSOP Champion with over $9M in earnings, who has transitioned his poker career into an Esports career. Listen in as Eugene discusses his Soviet Union background, his rise in Poker (including a $2.4M cash), and how he has co-founded and grown the Esports team ‘Qlash.’

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Here’s a glance at what you’ll learn from Eugene in this episode: 

• How Eugene chose poker over trading in the early days
• Leaving the Soviet Union as a child to grow up in America
• The foundation of Qlash
• Eugene’s approach to learning & training poker
• Cashing $2.4M at the Doyle Brunson Classic
• How Eugene signed with PokerStars (just before Black Friday)
• How Qlash is different to Esport teams
• Will NFTs find their way into poker and Qlash?
• Qlash’s partnership with AC Milan
• Poker vs Esports: Market size

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 0:15 – How Eugene Got into Poker
• 3:30 – Leaving the Soviet Union
• 6:20 – Gaming, Trading & Watching WSOP
• 11:55 – How Qlash was formed
• 18:55 – Las Vegas & Online Poker Cashes
• 21:30 – What Eugene Does to Train
• 27:05 – Cashing $2.4M
• 32:00 – PokerStars Sponsorship
• 36:20 – Eugene’s Poker Style: Preparation & Strategy
• 41:25 – Transitioning From Poker to Qlash: Current Plans
• 45:48 – The Foundations of Qlash
• 50:00 – The Scope of Qlash
• 56:30 – How does Esports Grow?
• 1:00:05 – The Qlash Team
• 1:03:00 – Sponsorships in Esports
• 1:05:42 – Favourite Poker Players to Battle With
• 1:08:10 – Deal with AC Milan
• 1:10:40 – Structure of PokerStars Deal
• 1:12:10 – Favourite Style of Poker Tournaments & Hands
• 1:15:15 – Eugene’s Family Reaction to Poker
• 1:16:45 – Summary of Poker Career: Advice to Younger Self
• 1:18:40 – Difference between Poker and Esports
• 1:22:10 – NFTs and Cryptocurrencies in Esports
• 1:24:10 – Video Games on the Rise
• 1:26:25 – Team Structure of Qlash & Fundraising
• 1:28:05 – How to Invest in Esports / Qlash Exit Strategy
• 1:33:18 – Building a Bankroll
• 1:38:15 – Handling Downswings
• 1:40:55 – Most Embarrassing Poker Moment
• 1:43:00 – Biggest Goal in Life
• 1:46:10 – Competition & Conclusion

Episode Resources:

• Eugene’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ekatchalov
• Eugene’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/EugeneKatchalov
• Eugene’s Stats: https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/play...
• Team Qlash Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamQLASH​
• Team Qlash Website: https://qlash.gg/

Podcast Links:

• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/jeffgrosspoker/
• partypoker: https://www.partypoker.com/
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