Eugene Katchalov was born on 21st February 1981 in Kiev, Ukraine. Katchalov is a hugely successful poker professional who has won over $7 million dollars in live tournaments and recorded seven-figure victories in World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour events.
Katchalov spent ten years in his native Ukraine before relocating to the United States with his family in the early 1990s. The Brooklyn resident first took up the game in 2003 after graduating from New York University with a degree in finance and international business. Katchalov worked as a stock trader whilst building up a significant bankroll grinding multi-table tournaments online. He soon made the transition to the live arena and a maiden career. Cash followed in the World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic in 2004 where he collected $47,868 for finishing in fifth place. It would be another two years, however, before Katchalov truly arrived after winning the WPT Tour at the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Poker Classic Main Event for a staggering $2.5 million jackpot.
Katchalov built on that triumph by recording five cashes and a final table finish at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in 2008. A deep run in the $25,000 WPT World Championship preceded another impressive summer in Las Vegas where another six cashes boosted his reputation further. Katchalov showcased his all-round game in 2010 when he posted seventh, sixth and third place finishes in the World Series of Poker Omaha Hi’Lo, No Limit Hold’em and H.O.R.S.E Championship, respectively. The Ukrainian earned over $500,000 for those performances.
Katchalov finally won his second major live tournament title in January 2011 when he conquered a star-studded field to triumph in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (EPT) and land a $1.5 million first prize. His remarkable achievements on the felt led him to becoming a PokerStars’ sponsored Pro later in the year.