{"id":3343,"date":"2014-08-15T09:31:50","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T09:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slategray-wallaby-310340.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/2014\/08\/15\/anatoly-filatov-the-life-of-a-russian-poker-pro\/"},"modified":"2014-08-15T09:31:50","modified_gmt":"2014-08-15T09:31:50","slug":"anatoly-filatov-the-life-of-a-russian-poker-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casino-online-best.com\/index.php\/2014\/08\/15\/anatoly-filatov-the-life-of-a-russian-poker-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"Anatoly Filatov \u2013 The Life of a Russian Poker Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Front page photo credit: Danny Maxwell<\/a>, PokerNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Russian poker pro Anatoly Filatov<\/a> might not be the most well known player from his home country, but this year ???????? ???????<\/a>, as his name is spelled in his native Cyrillic, made quite the splash.<\/p>\n

Filatov, who recorded his first live tournament result in 2012, finished 28th<\/sup> in the European Poker Tour Main Event in Vienna after having had the chip lead on Day 4, he finished second in the \u20ac10,000 High Roller just two days later for $366,700 and notched up three cashes during the EPT Grand Final for well over $170,000.<\/p>\n

Online Filatov plays under \u2018nl_profit\u2019 and has $1.6 million in winnings, including a 2013 WCOOP victory in the $320 no-limit hold\u2019em knockout tournament. Filatov also has multiple Sunday 500 final tables, a runner-up finish in the $1k Monday on Full Tilt Poker and a SCOOP final table this last spring.<\/p>\n

When talking to the 26-year old you immediately sense that he loves sharing his thoughts, emotions and passions, but speaking in his second language hinders him more than it should.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry for my English,\u201d is a common phrase the Muscovite uses, but there\u2019s no need, as the successful poker professional provides quick rebuttals when yours truly makes a faulty assumption about the Russian culture.<\/p>\n

The ever-apologetic approach of non-English natives about their skill of the language is perhaps a false sense of modesty, or just a result of bottled up annoyance created by wanting to express without being able to do so to the full extent.<\/p>\n

Filatov speaks with flare and excitement and his thoughts are clear for the one who wants to listen. If Russia was in search for an international ambassador, Filatov should be high on the list, because his ability to self reflect on a conflicted country while maintaining a positive attitude is nothing short of impressive.<\/p>\n

The young man, who is about to turn 26, was born on 8-8-88 and jokingly refers to Chinese customs officers who always praise him for being a lucky charm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey always tell me I must be a lucky guy,\u201d Filatov smiled, and compared to most, he probably is.<\/p>\n

Life in Russia<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople in Russia live the same lives as people in other countries, there are just a few big differences. Our mentality, and the Russian character, is just not the same as in Europe and the United States. Most of the people in Russia live in a much different environment compared to other countries, which was especially the case during the \u2018crazy 90s\u2019. <\/em>Things were a lot different after the perestroika period,\u201d Filatov explains as he must be speaking mostly from stories that were told by his parents.<\/p>\n

The perestroika period turned out to be one of the most pivotal in recent Russian history as it has, according to many sources, lead to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose times were really hard on my parents, and it was strange too because all of a sudden people could travel all over the world and make a lot more money. So right now it\u2019s a really good time to be here compared to 20 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven I can see how Russia and Moscow have changed. The city and country have improved a lot and I feel really comfortable here. Every time I visit an international poker tournament I tell everyone that they should come and visit Russia and Moscow. It\u2019s a beautiful place and it\u2019s a lot safer than it was before,\u201d Filatov said.<\/p>\n

After a moment of silence Filatov added, \u201cI like my country,\u201d full well knowing that the pressure on its public image could not be any bigger right now.<\/p>\n

When talking about what makes Russians different from the many countries it surrounds and trades with, Filatov offers an amusing answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>We don\u2019t always support our government, as every Russian feels like they need to criticize it. This is the way we live, and people are very used to blaming the government for all their own problems. I think that this is a problem many Russians have, and it means that when we travel, and see something we don\u2019t understand, we just try to argue against it instead of trying to understand it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMainly our people are a little bit crazy because we don\u2019t do anything we don\u2019t absolutely need to. If there were a rule a Russian thinks is stupid, they would definitely speak up right away. Russian people don\u2019t adapt very well, they would either break the rule or find some way to act up against it. I think this is the same for poker in Russia and that\u2019s why Russian players are considered crazy sometimes, because they don\u2019t feel like playing the style that would seem to be the most profitable one. They just want to do whatever they feel like doing. It\u2019s in our blood to not want to listen to what other people have to say, we want to do what we think is best,\u201d Filatov said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Russians travel to other European countries they aren\u2019t very polite and that hurts the public image. They get drunk a lot and I don\u2019t like how they act outside of the country. We have to behave ourselves, and if we do I believe the image of Russian people will improve. I personally never have a problem with anyone because I don\u2019t drink, so it is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

For someone as well traveled as Filatov, who has been a frequent visitor of the United States, and has made the money in poker tournaments in eight different countries, things are different.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me personally this attitude problem is not a thing because I feel like I\u2019m much more intelligent than the average Russian. My English is a bit better and I\u2019m very open to the ideas of other people. When I travel I try to show that Russians are good people, and that Russia is a great place to visit. So I never get any strange reactions from people when I tell them I\u2019m from Russia. Russians are very proud of the fact that they are from Russia, I am too but I also feel very comfortable in other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Anatoly\u2019s blogs about traveling to the United States he writes a lot about the differences in culture and social climate. This perspective is quite unique for someone from a country like Russia, where most people that travel to foreign countries do so to merely relax and have a good time. Filatov looks to also indulge in the foreign culture\u2019s history, arts and other aspects to get a better picture of what\u2019s going on around him.<\/p>\n