Amid all the hustle and bustle of PKR Live III, one of the most electrifying players to ever grace PKR's tables joined the ranks of Team PKR Pro. Vladimir 'Beyne' Geshkenbein, the 21-year old Russian-born Malta-based star rose quickly through the cash game ranks, winning hundreds of thousands of dollars before targeting the live poker circuit in search of fame and fortune.
PKR's CEO Malcolm Graham welcomes Beyne
APPT Macau High Roller event
In August this year, Beyne flew to Macau for the APT, with no intention of staying on to contest the High Roller event run by the APPT. A chance encounter with a roulette wheel meant his buy-in and hotel were taken care of, and he took to the felt against 63 of the finest players in the world. The following day, he found himself facing the legendary Johnny Chan heads-up for the APPT Macau title (see video below!). Beyne went on to defeat the two-time World Champion with consummate ease, earning his 'Russian Bomber' nickname from the ten-time bracelet winner.
A champion is born
PKR Heads Up Grand Slam
In October, the unpredictable young pro bought into the $10,000 buy-in PKR Heads Up Grand Slam event, where he tore his way through a class field including Tom Dwan, JC Tran, Annette Obrestad and Luke Schwartz to lift the trophy. Beyne defeated fellow Team PKR Pro james666 in an unforgettable semi final en route to a demolition of Juha Helppi to claim the $120,000 first prize. Expect the televised event to cause a stir as the episodes are aired on Sky Sports in the New Year.
Kara Scott and luminaries from PKR applaud a remarkable victory
Simon Prodger, PKR's Marketing Director commented, "Vladimir is already a star with two impressive titles under his belt, and we expect entertainment, astonishing poker and more success in the future from a player we've had our eye on for some time. He's an outstanding talent who has the chance to go right to the top, and we're proud to be represented by a young man who perfectly fits the bill for our next-gen online poker experience. We look forward to seeing what he can do in 2010!"
Words from the man himself
On signing for PKR, Beyne had this to say, "It means a lot to me, as with this step I bring my poker career a little bit more into a professional light. While before I was just a random gambler, today I am a representative of a big poker site, which is something to be proud of. Getting a sponsorship deal is something that many players dream of and I could accomplish it! I'm also very happy with the other guys on the Team- I've already met them a few times and they were always good times!"
On his goals for 2010, he said, "Of course it will be hard [to improve on 2009], but I always set myself hard goals, and the goal will be to get even better results next year than this year."
We asked him for his top three moments from 2009, "Moving to Malta, my Asia trip with my friends and hmmm.... shipping the Heads Up Grand Slam!"
Every year, The Queen sends a Christmas message to the nation, wishing good health and prosperity to us all. What would be Beyne’s Christmas Message?
"Well good health, happy days and keep some money aside for me!"
Tournament titles
| Event |
Date |
Location |
Buyin |
Position |
Prize |
| APPT High Roller |
August 09 |
Macau |
$11,000 |
1st |
$266,000 |
| Heads Up Grand Slam |
October 09 |
London |
$10,000 |
1st |
$120,000 |
Beyne vs Johnny Chan - APPT Macau
Deliver some pain to Beyne!
Want to play the living legend? Check out tonight's $10K GTD PKR Open Bounty (18:55 GMT), where he'll be carrying a $100 bounty on his head! He's also the pro in this month's Pwn a Pro challenge - keep an eye on the PKR Forums for details of how to qualify...