AOL World Series of Poker Profiles: Dmitry Temkin

AOL is sending twelve lucky winners to the World Series of Poker 2007 in Las Vegas this year. We’re excited to have such fine players represent our team. AOL games are running a series of winner interviews of our top players. Our poker studs beat out tens of thousands of other players to get a shot at the World Series of Poker Championship. From the looks of it, Dmitry like to go off roading. The AOL games team loves an outdoors men.

Dmitry, you are under the AOL games spotlight



Dmitry, what is your occupation?
I am a Senior Database Administrator.

Tell us about your family and who will be accompanying you to the WSOP?
My wife is coming with me. But she is not allowed in a casino during my play. If you have seen a movie called "Cooler", you will know why.

What is it about poker that so engrossing for you?
I enjoy the competitive nature of the game.

Is there any advice you would give to the online poker playing public?
Even when there is nothing at stake, play the game same way as you would otherwise. It will help in a along run.

Do you watch poker on TV or read about it?
I watch poker a lot on the internet. Believe it or not you pick up a lot of different things from watching how other people play.

Do you have a "lucky" items?
None.

If you win a huge prize, what will you do with the money?
Move to some quite place in Europe, enjoy the rest of my life and play poker tournaments.

What did you do when you won your online tournament and found out you'd be going to play in the live WSOP?
Started calling all my poker buddies.

Do you play other games on AOL?
No.

Are you making any special preparations for the WSOP?
Just trying to play as much live poker as possible against new opponents.

What is your strategy for playing at the live WSOP?
Play the same way as I played in the online Main Event Tournament, which I happened to be fortunate enough to win.

Thanks Dmitry, we appreciate your time. Good luck!

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Dmitry got tangled with the famous webslinger, Tobey Maguire, played smart but was eliminated from the tournament. We caught up with him right after he left the tournament room.

What was it like to play in the Main Event at the World Series of Poker?
It was close to what I expected, but to play against pros gave me experience playing against people who actually know what they are doing, and I definitely learned a few strategies that are specific to the tournament style of play.

Did you have any big hands where you won a lot of money?
On the second day, on one of the first hands I hit the flush on the turn and the guy with pocket aces went all in and I doubled up. The pot was about $58k. The other one was more interesting because of who it was against. I was sitting at the table against Tobey Maguire, and I flopped 2 pair and he was on a flush draw, and I went all in, he made the call, and the flush didn’t come up and I hit full house on the river. That was very exciting. Laughs. I crippled him hard but he ended lasting longer than me.

What was your last hand?
I had Ace King of Spades and the other player raised pre-flop and I just raised the call, and I flopped a royal flush draw and after I made the bet he called and he put me away.

Could you have done anything differently?
Absolutely not. But next time around with the things I learned by playing such a big tournament, I might be a little more aggressive…