Varun Goenka

Kazakhstan aiming to make their debut a memorable one in Macedonia!

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Making their first ever appearance at a live Match Poker event, the Kazakhstan national team could not be more excited to get to Macedonia and it couldn’t come at a bigger stage!

They were determined to qualify to the World Championships and managed to seal their spot in the last Asian qualifier, after revamping their team midway through the qualification season! There was a change in captain and Gulbanu took over as the team’s leader, guiding them to their Nations Cup debut! They are very proud to be representing their nation at a global stage, and aiming to make their performance one to remember.

Here is their squad for the 2021 Match Poker World Championships:

Name: Yedige Bekbassar

Age: 32

Bio: Hello, I am from Almaty, Kazakhstan. My profession is an economist. Poker and football are my hobbies.

Name: Rinat Tulepbergenov

Age: 36

Bio: Hi everyone! I’m from Almaty, Kazakhstan. I have a greenhouse. Poker is my hobby. I like this game!

Name: Aigerim Dairabayeva

Age: 35

Bio: I’m an economist by education. I was born and live in Almaty. I met poker 12 years ago. I work as a dealer in a local casino, in my spare time I play Chinese poker (pineapple).

 

Name: Aidos Bissariyev

Age: 36

Bio: Hi, I’m a lawyer by education. I was born and grew up in the city of Kyzylorda, at the moment l live in Almaty. I got acquainted with poker in 2014, l play it every day!

 

Name: Darkhan Rakhymzhanov

Bio: Hello, I have my own business, I’m engaged to the construction of the swimming pools and fountains, also I sell the equipment for the pools. Poker is my favourite hobby, I have been playing since 2010. I played many poker tournaments in Razvadov (Czech Republic), in Sochi, in Macau (China). It’s a pleasure for me to go to Macedonia and represent the Kazakhstan national team.

Name: Bauyrzhan Shaukenov

Age: 34

Bio: Hi, I work as an architect and commercial director of a manufacturing and trading company. I’ve been playing poker since I was 18. I am glad that we are flying to represent Kazakhstan, our team is ready to beat everyone. I love poker because it’s like life.

Name: Abenov Zhenis Makhsutovich

Age: 36

Bio: I am a crypto investor. I started playing poker in 2007 and was one of the first Kazakhstan poker players. I’ve won many official tournaments in Kazakhstan including latest Central Asia Championships, King Of Poker Championship and Tournament of the Champions. With more than 20 trophies in live tournaments, the thing I like most in this game is the competitive spirit and fast changing pace of the game in tournaments. After poker became illegal in Kazakhstan, I started my online poker career which has continues to this time. In my spare time, I like to do research and invest in prospective new upcoming projects in crypto. Married and a happy father of 3 children.

Name: Gulbanu Sapabekova

Bio: I am an economist by profession. I’ve been playing poker since 2011. I am the first woman to win a tournament in Portugal – Vilamoura. I also have wins at various tournaments and a lot of final tables on my account. At the moment I do not play as often as before, but I hope to improve my game in the future and achieve good results. It is a great honour for me to participate in such a prestigious tournament. Our team will try to show their best side. Thanks for the invitation and good luck to us!

 

Varun Goenka

Can the Estonians secure their first ever podium finish at the World Cup?

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The Estonian team has been a regular at IFMP events since 2012, and consistently impressed but haven’t made a podium finish as yet – something they are looking to change in Macedonia!

After the host nation received automatic qualification to the event, the Estonians were invited since they finished just behind Macedonia in the last European qualifier. A bunch of experienced Match Poker players, the Estonian national team has always been very enthusiastic to participate in any IFMP event. Kelly and Carmen are joined by some new faces making their live event debut this time, and no doubt will prove to be tough competition for the other participating nations!#

The Estonian National Match Poker Squad for the 2021 Nations Cup is as follows:

Name: Alari Raid

Bio: Alari is an entrepreneur, who’s passion is poker. He mainly participates in online events but has also won several live events.
One of Alari ambitions is to promote poker so he is organizing poker events among other things. His famous poker face and ability to read opponents makes Alari unexpectedly dangerous poker player.

Name: Marius Morel

Bio: Recreational player who enjoys long romantic walks on the beach, capable of winning 2 Estonian championships in 24 hours, 3-betting out of position. Allergic to limping, don’t bluff him, he never folds.

Name: Argo Garamaga

Bio: Argo is an Estonian poker player who has been playing poker for 10 years with some impressive results in his bag. For the past 5 years he has also been working with different teams that stream poker events around Europe. Poker has always been a major part of his life and he really loves the game and its social side of that. Argo is always positive and friendly!

Name: Veiko Aava

Bio: One of Estonia’s best known poker players who has won 5X Estonian championship titles. Veiko’s main virtues are his vast experience and the ability to read his opponents.

 

Name: Carmen-Elina Vist

Bio: Carmen-Elina is a second term Estonian Tournament Poker Federation board member who helps to shape Estonian poker landscape by organising different events from private to national championships. She is one of the most aggressive players with whom mostly people are scared to play in the same table. In her 10 year poker career she achieved among other things two Estonian champion titles and been voted several years in a row as the best female poker player of the year.

Name: Kelly Limonova

Bio: Entrepreneur, who has been representing Estonian national team since 2012 when they won the European Nations Cup Qualifying event in Vienna. Kelly is an uncomfortable opponent to all of her competitors. She actively plays poker also today and
her tirelessness, patriotism and sociability make this woman one of the pillars of the Estonian national team.

Name: Toivo Ojasoo

Bio: Toivo has 3 Estonian poker championship titles – one in Omaha, one in Holdem and one in Team challenge which means that he is a great team player who is always ready to jump through fire for his team. Fellow players characterise him as a man, who is nice and friendly in life but becomes the devil at the poker table.

Name: Danel Kunman

Bio: He has 15 years of experience in live and online poker. He holds many tournament champion titles, also very important – he has the title of Estonian Champion. He is super calm so it makes it extremely irritating trying to get any read out of him. He is a construction businessman and poker is long lasting hobby.

Varun Goenka

The Italian Stallions are looking for revenge in Macedonia!

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The Italians recorded their best ever Nations Cup performance in 2017 in Oxford where they finished runners up to the Irish! The trip to Macedonia is personal after the recent football result which saw the Azzurri losing to the Macedonians and missing out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar!

The FIGP represented national Match Poker team will be looking to take responsibility for the nation’s sporting endeavours and aiming to atleast secure a podium finish at the World Championships. A team of experienced Match Poker athletes, they secured their Nations Cup spot after a closely contested match in their last attempt!

The Italian squad for the World Championships:

Name: Isidoro Alampi

Age: 49

Bio: General Manager, President of Italian Poker Federation. Founder of Italian Poker Federation in 2006 with his passion for sport, he contributed to the spread of poker as a sport throughout Italy. Member of the Tournament Director Association, he organised the Italian WPT in 2011. His dream is to see poker officially recognised as a sport in Italy.

Name: Antonio Parlavecchio

Age: 47

Bio: I have been in the world of poker since 2007 both as a player, participating in national and international events (EPT, WSOP, etc.), and as an organiser. A sport that immediately fascinated me and allowed me to reap great satisfaction.

Name: Massimo Majolino

Age: 54

Bio: Always a lover of poker in general, I approached sports poker as soon as I got a foothold in Italy in 2006 now after having known and played it I am increasingly convinced that the future of sports poker is only Match Poker. I have done some good results online in various platforms such as Pokerstars, 888 etc. Together with my two partners, I manage the dealer staff in the tournaments that take place at Casino Malta.

Name: Giuseppe Ruggeri

Age: 47

Bio: As soon as I met sports poker I approached only out of curiosity but then curiosity became passion. Discreet live and online player, I have obtained several good results in various Mini IPT, Pokermaps, Battle of Malta tournaments. I am a dealer/floorman in the most important European events.

Name: Marco Sfameni

Age: 26

Bio: Pharmacy student still full time. In love with discovery and adventures. I love traveling and learning about new cultures. Lover of sports poker for a long time (well before I could actually play), a passion that also extends to other card games.

Name: Katia Crisafulli

Bio: The beautiful part of the team. Everyone bets that it will be the surprise of the impenetrable tournament, the poker face of the team.

Name: Mario Sfameni

Age: 52

Bio: Pharmacist with a passion for Texas Hold’em. Since 2006 he has been attending the Texas Hold’em world first as a live player ($50,000 won in his career) and then as a tournament organiser especially in Malta from 2009 to present. Vice President of F.I.G.P. and part of the IFMP family since 2013 ready to spread Match Poker across the Italian territory. He was part of the 2017 Nations Cup team which finished runners-up to the Irish.

 

Varun Goenka

10 years after becoming Champions, can Germany add a Second Star to their Jersey?

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They are proud to wear a star on their jersey as a reminder of their 2011 Nations Cup victory in London, UK at the first ever World Championships! However, they are definitely not satisfied and have been chasing that elusive second world title.

The Germans have come close, putting on impressive performances in both continental and global events, but haven’t managed to emerge victorious and be crowned World Champions for a second time as yet. They finished 3rd in the 2018 Nations Cup in Dublin, behind Ukraine and Ireland. They ended the group stages in Kyiv as the leaders, but weren’t able to convert that into a podium finish. This is a big opportunity for the German National Team to now bring home their 2nd Nations Cup, 10 years after they won the inaugural championship!

It wasn’t easy for them to qualify for the finals, missing out on qualification in Q1 to Austria by only 6.5 points but securing their spot after seeing off a tough fight from Lithuania and Norway in Q6. They are well prepared and ready for the challenge of the 2021 Nations Cup Finals!

Here is how the German squad looks for their attempt at a 2nd world title:

Name: Daniel Eylenfeldt

Age: 42

Profession: Poker Coach and Professional Poker Player

Bio: Daniel has been playing poker since 2007 with a focus on online cash games. Since the 2017 Nations Cup in Oxford, he has been continually involved with match poker. He has been coaching the German national team since 2019 and is particularly looking forward to the new points system, which is being used for the first time in North Macedonia.

Name: Jan Heitmann

Age: 45

Profession: Keynote Speaker and Trainer

 

Bio: Jan fell in love with poker quite early (1996), when it was still very underground in Germany. During his studies at university (management), he played more regularly. Once he got his diploma in September 2003, he travelled around Europe for a year, playing poker in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Vienna, London, etc., climaxing in his first WSOP in 2004 and turning professional after that. He had quite a long and successful career, spanning 15 years, including doing lots of promotional work for poker in Germany (as a commentator, trainer for celebrities and part of Team PokerStars Germany). These days poker is still a big part of his life, but in a very different way. He uses poker as a model for decision making, holding keynote talks and trainings for managers, leaders and decision makers.

Name: Alexander Kleppe

Age: 40

Profession: IT architect and project manager

Bio: Alexander loves to play poker for over 20 years, especially online cash games and tournaments, as well as the German Heads-up live championship. He works as an IT architect and project manager and has played for the German Nations Cup Team since 2019. Currently, he is organizing the first German Match Poker Championship with his organization team. Alex loves the idea of poker as a mind sport along with the international challenges with players from different nations and wants to see Match Poker advancing to the next level of recognition.

Name: Boris Münch

 

Age: 37

Profession: Bike messenger and software developer

Bio: Boris was looking to start something new and so he began to play online poker in 2017, mainly focusing on cash games. He really got caught by the game and its technical and psychological nature. What he likes the most is that there is always something new to learn. You can’t reach a point, knowing everything, just being a grandmaster with a long grey beard. It’s way too complex, in the most positive manner. The concept of Match Poker is channeling this competitive aspects. That’s why he’s a part of the wonderful Team Germany and really looking forward to play some international events.

Name: Julie Schumacher

Age: 36

Profession: Physician and mother of 2

Bio: Julie started playing poker in 2006 while living in Vienna, Austria. She played mainly live tournaments ranging from Austrian National League up to EPT. Additionally she made an apprenticeship as a card-dealer and worked at some major tournaments around Europe. She’s also part of the core-team of the HerzdamenClub, an international club for all women interested in playing poker. She became a member of the German Nation Cup Team in 2021.

Name: Kai Rieche

Age: 41

Profession: CEO

Bio: Kai started playing poker in his hometown Berlin around 20 years ago and is still playing the game. He had so many good times with this game all over the world, that in his opinion it is still the most beautiful hobby. He’s really looking forward to the world championship in North Macedonia.

Name: Mila Monroe

Age: 39

Profession: Co-Founder of the Herzdamenclub (female poker player club)+ Podcaster

Bio: Mila started playing poker as a hobby in 2007, but in 2013, after a tragic accident, that very hobby brought her back to life and helped her travel around the world in a wheelchair. On her adventures she has already played against Daniel Negreanu, Kevin Hart (actor) and Charly Carrel, for example. In 2019 she founded the HerzdamenClub along with Natalie Hof Ramos to provide a platform for women playing poker. She has been a member of the Match Poker Team since 2021.

Name: Niklas Andrews

Age: 25

Profession: Graduated psychology student

Bio: Niklas has been playing poker for about 4 years, focusing on cash games since the beginning. What he loves the most about poker is the complexity of the game. The fact that the room for improvement seems to be infinite is why he keeps falling in love with poker.

Name: Timm Albrecht

Age: 41

Profession: Business, Life and Poker Coach and Professional Poker Player

Bio: Timm has been playing poker for 14 years now, mostly online cash games but also MTTs and SnGs. He loves discussions, books, videos and quizzes about poker. Since 2019 he’s a member of the German Match Poker team and he is really happy to play at the world championships in North Macedonia.

Varun Goenka

The Swiss to make their Nations Cup debut in Macedonia!

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Making their first-ever appearance at a Nations Cup event, the Swiss national team represented by the Swiss Poker Sport Association (SPSA) is bursting with excitement to play for their country!

The SPSA has been doing a fantastic job in the growth of poker as a mind sport and game of skill in Switzerland. Regular competition and events with an active and engaged player pool has lead to the creation of a strong skilful national team. They sealed their spot for the World Cup in their second qualification match, seeing off the Estonians in second place.

No doubt they’ll be looking to bring home a podium finish but will face tough competition from the other qualified nations and perhaps even a mini battle with their neighbours Austria and Germany who will have their sights set on the Nations Cup trophy!

Here is Switzerland’s squad for the World Championships:

 

Name: Claudia Chinello

Date of Birth: 19.05.1978

Bio: Claudia Chinello, born and raised in Zurich, is a half German half Italian Swiss multipreneur and poker player. One of her businesses is the PokerAcademy, that organises poker courses, events and Business Poker Workshops for managers. Poker is not just a game for her, it’s a smart way to train your ability to observe people and to improve your negotiation skills.

Name: Daniela Locher

Date of Birth: 27.12.1974

Bio: Daniela’s superpower is tournaments. What she likes about poker is the combination of strategy, tactics, patience and passion. Daniela works in the IT sector as an assistant and is an organisational talent. Other hobbies are geocaching, soccer (passive), skiing and aerobics.

 

Name: Benjamin Winiger

Age: 18.06.1976

Bio: Hailing from Hombrechtikon near Zurich, Benjamin’s superpowers are that he has a good poker face, is balanced and logical. Besides poker, sports (active/passive) is also a great hobby – he also likes geocaching; always new adventures out in the woods. Professionally, he works in the financial sector.

Name: Roger Gertschen

Age: 15.05.1979

Bio: Roger has over 20 years of practical online and live experience. Since one year as a pro on the road and specialising in cash games. Is a poker coach himself and also a spiritual transformation coach.

Name: Hubert Prachoinig

Age: 07.08.1976

Bio: He came into contact with poker as a child and it has never let him go. During the last big poker boom, he became intensively involved with the game for the first time, and subsequently also internalised a lot online. What he finds fascinating about poker is that the rules are child’s play, yet the game remains challenging for life.

Name: Martin Bertschi

Bio: I was born in 1968, I am unmarried, and I played my first poker tournament back in 1997 in Las Vegas. Since then I am a part-time poker pro, a blogger and a self-employed project manager. Currently, I am also a reporter for the Swiss Poker Sports Association (SPSA.ch) on a daily basis. As a poker blogger, I advocate for a fair legalization of poker and the detachment from other games of luck like roulette, so that poker can establish itself as a social game.

Name: Dominic Joel Oertle

Date of Birth: 09.07.1998

Bio: Dominic is a student in Zurich, majoring in theoretical computer science for his Master’s and also works as a private teacher. He started playing poker about 2 years ago and plays mainly cash games.

Name: Alexander Bochmann

Date of Birth: 17.03.1980

Bio: He is probably the beardiest player on the Swiss national team. He is also the chairman of the ethics committee of the Swiss Poker Sports Association (SPSA) and a floor-man in the biggest poker club in Switzerland. As a player he can call himself world champion in amateur poker.

Name: Gaspare Leone

Date of Birth: 31.03.1974

Bio: National team coordinator and representative of the Swiss Poker Sport Association. Gas Leone is a passionate poker player with a background in finance and years of experience in events. A very engaged 48 year old, he has been a member of the SPSA since the beginning. Currently the development coordinator of the Swiss MatchPoker League. With his “Monkey Brain” it is better not to have him at the poker table as an opponent.