david-chicotsky

After dominating online poker in 2008, David "The Maven" Chicotsky has bigger plans ahead.

BLUFF Magazine declared 2008 the year of The Maven, at least as far as the online poker scene goes. David “The Maven” Chicotsky took home online poker’s most prestigious award with a late-December run to push him past Jon “PearlJammer” Turner and Chris “Moorman1” Moorman. Shortly after wrapping up the title we spoke with Chicotsky about his success, his drive to win the title and his future plans.

First of all, congratulations on winning BLUFF Magazine’s Online Player-of-the-Year. Did you follow the standings throughout the year?

Very much so. I was in first place for the Silver Division for a year or so in the past. I kept my eye on all the rankings and I use thepokerdb a ton! I ‘ve been in and out of bluffmagazine.com day in and day out as part of my “due diligence”, looking players’ stats up etc. The rankings always appealed to me, it’s always good to have direct competition. It helps keep you fresh.

What does winning OPOY mean for you personally and professionally?

It’s an integral part of my poker resume. I came on the scene and absolutely murdered Bodog for six figures in no time, in my first year playing tournaments. I’m an avid traveler and am looking at possibly playing poker around the world in the next couple of years. I’m willing to go the extra mile…I’m looking to continue to work hard. I think my online grinding days are behind me for the most-part

Back in November you were in third and it appeared to be between “PearlJammer” and “Moorman1” for the title. At what point did you think “I can win this”?

It wasn’t until the middle of December.

Did you start playing a greater volume of bigger buy-in tournaments? You lost the lead in the Silver rankings, but surged ahead in the Gold.

Yes, I began playing every $50 and above tournament, 15 hours per day. Pot Limit Omaha, Hi/Lo, Limit, Pot Limit Hold’em, everything! My schedule from December 16-ish on was as brutal as it gets; around 100-hour weeks.

How’d you find the increase in volume effected your performance?

Lucky for me I have an unreal support system. great girlfriend, family and friends. I didn’t sleep more than 4 or 5 hours for 15 days straight. here was a time towards the end of the month where I was laying my head down on desk and when it went “beep” I’d peak through the slits of my eyelids make the move and close my eyes for a couple extra seconds etc. I ended up having a great month, just under $40k in profit.

Tell us more about your support system and what that meant to you. Did any of them think you were crazy for playing that much around the holidays?

My girlfriend didn’t like it much, but I made her promise me that she’d help get me through the new year. We’d get in a little fight about nothing and I’d smile at her and say, “you promised”.

Did you have to make any other changes to your daily routine in order to accomplish your goal of winning OPOY?

(My girlfriend) would be in my poker office, giving me a facial, cutting my nails, brushing my hair. It was literally bang bang, wake up and play. I’d have the tournaments starting 30 minutes to an hour before i woke up. I came in late, but I still had a chance to win big bucks. I even went as far as to have private kung fu and tai chi classes with my master while I was playing. He’d come in and light incense, we’d stretch, breathe and as I always would say, “Hyptnotize me to win this; just make it happen.”

So your girlfriend was there almost every step of the way. Was there anybody else?

I live with Ari (Alan ”BodogAri” Engel)  in Las Vegas. We run a training center with pros and students everywhere. There was never a lack of support or someone to root me on at the house. Basically, I offer private lessons out of Ari Engel’s training center in Las Vegas.

Ari is an online poker legend in his own right. How did you two hook up?

I met ari in Costa Rica at Calvin Ayre’s house. We were both involved in the Calvin Ayre Wildcard Tournament. Ari was the #1 ranked online player in the world at the time. I begged him for months to train me and finally he caved in. I got 3rd in the Bodog 100k the very next week for $9k, paid off all my credit cards etc. and the rest is history

So what’s next for you? Should we expect to see you killing the live tourney soon?

I’m going to the top of the pyramid and I’m not looking back. My goal is to be playing every $10k televised event.

So you’ll focus strictly on tournaments and won’t be playing cash games?

Tournaments are just so easy, I can’t see myself leaving this area of the business.  I’m also looking to create a rather large, highly talented stable of players to enter the live and online fields. I’m going to be in there face from day one, “raising the crops” making sure they are all killers. Just like many businesses, you have to be hands on to get the most out of your product. I also want to combine knowledge and forces with the best players in the world, and bring them into Ari and my business, adding more fuel to the fire. We have world class players in and out of our training site on a constant basis.

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