Viktor Kudinov, of Russian origin, is one of
the best poker players of his generation. In record time, he has posted
record-breaking numbers, won several awards and is one of the most competitive
poker players you can find today.
Viktor Kudinov's profile in The Hendon Mob,
the well-known poker database, leaves no room for doubt. His numbers speak for
themselves: $768,914 won in total, a best cash game prize of $164,000, 82nd
on the Russian All Time Money List, and 3,275th on the World All
Time List.
He is ranked 3,113th on the
"All Time Money List Best Rank", and has been ranked 3,953rd in the
Global Poker Index Ranking. In terms of popularity, he is ranked 6,262nd
in the Popularity Ranking, which measures the recognition and perception of all
poker players in the world.
Nicknamed the "killer" of poker for
his style of play, he is one of the best poker players in the world. His style
of play has been the subject of debate for often using unusual betting sizes.
His game, despite breaking some basic assumptions taught to poker
novices, is effective. For this reason, Kudinov is the greatest exponent of
what is known as "gangster poker".
An example of Kudinov's style of play can be
found in preflop. Let's make a back to basics about preflop: never pay
raises from SB. This is something that works and what you learn when you
have little experience in poker.
Kudinov, on the other hand, approaches his game
differently: as the strategy adapts as the stakes go up, Viktor changes his level
of aggressiveness as the strategies change, which leads him to adopt a
different game depending on the size of the bet with the peculiarities that go
with Kudinov.
That's why it's not uncommon to see him paying
bets from the small blind, or bluffing on the flop. Something that, while
unconventional, works for him.
But this style of play has been developed by
Kudinov with time and the experience of a pro. Because his trajectory
has oscillations in his winrate that are worth studying, and that we will see
in a moment.
The pillars of his trajectory have been:
·
Time.
·
Dedication.
·
Study.
·
Talent.
One of the keys to Kudinov's records is
precisely the number of hours he admits to dedicate to poker. He himself
affirms that the experiences of a year can be summarized in one sentence: get
up, have breakfast and play, understanding the game as a work routine to
which he dedicates the same amount of time as a working day. Interspersing time
with family and hobbies is essential for this routine to be sustainable over
time.
Still, Kudinov acknowledges that at one point
in 2020 he was diagnosed with what is known as "latent depression,"
an ailment that manifests itself in various forms and in which burnout is
often a potent catalyst. The desire to improve and take on the bigger
players led him to build a larger bankroll, which didn't help mitigate the fatigue,
although it did improve the way he managed his poker routine.
A peculiar trait of Kudinov and his style of
play is that he faces each game without fear or trepidation of losing money. He
himself admits to having a great ability to detect his own flaws quickly,
something very useful in poker. Nor does a bad play undermine his confidence,
which explains his recovery after a bad streak.
His withdrawn nature is something that helps
him to put a barrier between himself and the other players, abstracting himself
from his surroundings and putting all his attention on the game. Kudinov
says, "I love people, but only as long as I don't have to interact with
them," which says a lot about himself.
But the key for him has always been to enjoy
the game. That gives him the confidence to approach each game in a unique way. Not
being afraid to make a fool of himself has allowed him to try things that no
one would have dared to try and that have ended up working. A peculiar
character who has managed to make a place for himself among the best on his own
merits.
Viktor Kudinov's poker career since 2020 is
full of moments worth analyzing. Those ups and downs in his winrate occur
mostly between 2020 and 2021, when he goes from playing 1 million hands in
NL1K+ in 2020 (with predominantly wins, given that he was in the midst of
expanding his bankroll) to losing $500,000 in 2021.
In early 2021, Viktor Kudinov fell into a steep
tilt, a bad streak that saw him reach such an amount in losses. But, as he
himself admits, his driving force is anger, and that allowed him to approach
his game in a more aggressive way at key moments, making him recover everything
he lost and maintaining his good streak. A slump to which no player is alien
and that tests the resilience of each one.
In live tournaments is where Viktor Kudinov
moves like a fish in water. According to The Hendon Mob, his total live poker
winnings are almost $800,000, of which $164,000 is his best cash reward
in live tournaments.
Although more focused on his family life, Kudinov is not staying away from poker and plans to resume the study hours that have brought him so much success, so the records of the gangster poker "killer" could go even higher in the future.
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