With the partypoker Live Tour heading to Russia and stunning Sochi, we sat down with Russian player and Sochi tournament organiser Artur Voskanyan. As well as having a solid record at the felt himself, both live and online, he can’t wait to welcome players to Sochi for what is sure to be an amazing event.
Artur Voskanyan: partypoker LIVE Sochi tournament director
“I’m the organiser of poker festivals in all the CIS countries. Being Tournament Director, with partypoker as my partner for the partypoker Million in Sochi, is fantastic. I won’t be playing myself, of course, because I’m organising the tournament and can’t wait to welcome everyone to Sochi.”
It’s sure to be a huge event, with attendees not just from mainland Europe, but from all over the world. But where does Artur enjoy playing when he gets the chance?
“I usually only play cash games at poker festivals, so from my point of view, the most comfortable places are North Cyprus, Kazakhstan and Sochi itself. I also love playing in the United States, where my favourite cardrooms are at the Commerce Casino and Aria. I grew up reading Dan Harrington and David Sclansky’s poker books.”
The beautiful Sochi casino
Artur’s best live result in terms of tournaments came in Cyprus, but it’s not all about six-figure scores. Part of why Voskanyan is looking forward to partypoker Live arriving in Sochi is the sheer size of the event.
“The Poker Club in Casino Sochi is fantastic and will soon be the focus of the country. I’m expecting to see more than 3,000 poker players from countries around the world arrive to play at what is a stunning casino. My own aims with partypoker include trying to create a tournament with 1,000 players or more. It will be amazing if we can make that happen in Sochi.”
Many solid, consistent players such as Voskanyan now have a disciplined routine when it comes to how they treat their bodies with regards to their game. Gone are the days of excess, with so many professionals using poker as an excuse to kick off a night out. But what are Artur’s food and exercise regimen when playing poker?
“I only eat healthy food in the build-up to a poker event. I don’t drink alcohol and I play sports three or four times a week. I always focus on the positives while playing as it’s important to do so. I enjoy surfing, snowboarding and soccer.”
The bustling Sochi casino poker room
The World Cup will be welcomed to Russia in 2018, so Voskanyan will be able to indulge his passion for sport, hopefully for him and his fans with fond memories of poker success in Sochi. Voskanyan has been playing professionally for some time, but like many players can remember the first time he ever saw a deal.
“I started playing poker in 2004, and of course it was on partypoker117.com! Poker has become so important to me. I no longer have time to watch television. I work, I play poker and, of course, spend time with my family.”
While Artur Voskanyan may need some luck to be successful in Sochi, he’s made the best preparations he can to put himself in line for success. When we close by asking him who his best friend in poker might be, he has a quick and succinct answer: “The dealer!”
Artur Voakanyan will be in Sochi for the debut partypoker Live Tour Main Event with an incredible $1 million guaranteed prize-pool. The Main Event winner will walk away with an amazing top prize of $200,000, and you can qualify for just a few cents now on partypoker117.com.
“Увидимся там” as they say in Russia…see you there!
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