One person made the Russian attacks in Ukraine personal for the poker community. That was former poker pro Eugene Katchalov. He remains the top live tournament earner in Ukraine after a long and successful career in poker. While he now works in the esports world, he is never far from poker.
As Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in late February, Katchalov was in Ukraine, where he and his Ukrainian wife lived much of the time. Katchalov was also Ukrainian by birth, but his mother fled to the United States when he was ten. He has since been an American citizen. The duo prepared to leave Kyiv as the bombing began, and he documented his journey on Twitter. His escape from Ukraine gripped many in the poker world…and beyond.
This past weekend, Katchalov revealed that Leon Tsoukernik, owner of King’s Casino Rozvadov and Prague, was involved in housing 500 Ukrainian refugees. Tsoukernik didn’t say anything about it, nor was there any reference to it on the King’s website or Twitter account. He didn’t do it for publicity but because it needed to be done. And he had the means to do it.
A Twitter Story
Since Katchalov has been out of Ukraine, he remained nearby in Europe to help refugees find shelter. He and his wife aided her family and numerous friends as they fled the war. And he took to Twitter to give credit to one person – King’s Casino owner and high-stakes poker player Leon Tsoukernik.
Katchalov explained that he had been in touch with longtime friend and poker pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier. Not only is Grospellier a representative for King’s Casino, he told Katchalov that its owner and his friend, Tsoukernik, had rented hotels in a town in Czechia. He covered the hotel rooms and all meals for approximately 500 refugees. All of them can stay free of charge for at least one month, though he may extend the time if needed.
But there’s more. Tsoukernik is funding legal support for refugees to obtain proper visas and paperwork needed to classify as refugees. He also ensured that all of them received medical care. Even more, he promised jobs for all who may need or want them.
Katchalov arrived in that city and is helping settle refugees. He and his wife are doing whatever they can to help.
https://twitter.com/EugeneKatchalov/status/1503104043526328329?s=20&t=MbszB9kM4xccFDudkJkHQg
Tsoukernik lives near Rozvadov, which is where the original King’s Casino is located. He also bought the Atrium Casino at the Hilton Prague in Czechia in 2019. He later renamed it King’s Casino Prague, the home of the PokerStars European Poker Tour. EPT Prague is playing out there this week.
As that is happening, his Rozvadov casino is hosting one poker tournament series after another. The Swiss Poker Open begins there this week, followed by the France Poker Festival and then the WSOP Circuit in April. King’s Casino in Rozvadov also hosts the annual World Series of Poker Europe.
Comments