Cards, chips and large poker tables. Behind them are not just players, but athletes. This is the Full House sports poker club in the very center of Kyiv. Club director Nikolai Sergienko gave a tour for Gamingpost.net
“There are 14 tables in the main playing area. There are also two play areas of increased comfort. They have another table that is used for tournaments. Either multi-table or single-table fixed-blind SNG tournaments. There is also a final table, which is played by players who advance to the final round. This table is also a TV table. We conduct large competitions online, the fans can see what is happening, they can see the cards with which the players are playing,” - says Nikolai Sergienko, director of the Full House Khreschatyk sports club.
Club director Nikolai explains that Full House is not a casino. There are many differences between sports and gambling poker. The main thing is that in sports, chips cannot be exchanged for money.
“We do not gamble. In sports poker, the prize pool is formed from the fact that players make contributions to participate in the tournament. And standard poker is played for money. As you can see, our club has conditions of the European level, we have instructors and judges with categories that are assigned according to the sports classification of sports poker. Because sports poker is an official sport,” - says Nikolai Sergienko.
March 19, the last working day before the long quarantine, there is a stir in the club. Athletes take part in the tournament. Ivan managed to win in the first table. She says that both professionalism and luck help.
“A friend brought me a talisman for a successful game - a tambourine from Tanzania. You see, I got in, qualified for the next tournament, so it works. Gambling is when you place a bet, then make a decision. In poker, the opposite is true - first, you make a decision, and then you make a bet. Sports poker is a brain load, it is good analytics, it is interesting, it is communication,” - says professional poker player Ivan Stovbun.
The coronavirus has crippled the plans of the sports club. Since March 20, for several weeks, gatherings of more than 50 people have been prohibited under lockdown rules. Players are also frustrated by the fact that it is forbidden to play without a mask.
“It’s very uncomfortable to wear a mask in terms of poker because you don’t see at all what a person is thinking, how he reacted to certain actions, bets, and so on,” - says poker player Eduard Ivanov.
During the lockdown, the Full House club decided to close. But after the quarantine, there are plans to hold many tournaments, including the all-Ukrainian series.
“We will have a lot of tournaments. Free rolls will be free for beginners. There will also be rating tournaments, and stationary short-term and longer ones, such as the All-Ukrainian series. When the quarantine situation improves,” - says Nikolai Sergienko, director of the Full House Khreschatyk sports club.
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