{"id":45321,"date":"2020-12-28T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T09:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=45321"},"modified":"2020-12-28T18:54:08","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T18:54:08","slug":"the-forgotten-champion-qa-with-wsop-online-main-event-stoyan-madanzhiev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/the-forgotten-champion-qa-with-wsop-online-main-event-stoyan-madanzhiev\/","title":{"rendered":"THE FORGOTTEN CHAMPION: Q&A with WSOP Online Main Event Stoyan Madanzhiev"},"content":{"rendered":"
As the 2020 World Series of Poker Main Event<\/strong> winds toward its conclusion<\/a> on Dec. 30<\/strong>, one man is notably not part of the action. Stoyan Madanzhiev<\/strong>, the Bulgarian poker pro who won the $5,000 WSOP Online<\/strong><\/a> Main Event in September, believes that there\u2019s no reason to continue the search for this year\u2019s world champion.<\/span><\/p>\n Because, frankly, HE\u2019S<\/em> the 2020 world champion and Madanzhiev spoke with USPoker<\/em><\/a> recently about the issue. As it turns out, broader issues concerning transparency<\/strong> and the WSOP brand came to the surface.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One aspect that stood out was the fact that poker is decidedly not a game for Americans only. Because there are so many non-native and ESL players on the live and virtual felts, it\u2019s becoming imperative tournament announcements are much clearer and careful with their language.<\/span><\/p>\n The interview also provides insight into this man and his accomplishment, given he has some argument for poker\u2019s grandest title. He\u2019d also be the first world champion from Bulgaria and had plenty to say about his world record score<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n SM:<\/strong> I like to live in Bulgaria<\/strong>. I like the country. I have many friends here and don\u2019t think about moving permanently.<\/span><\/p>\n However, I need to travel a lot because you cannot play on every poker site<\/a>. Usually, it\u2019s for poker, but I\u2019m hoping that I\u2019ll have more free time to go on vacation soon.<\/span><\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> Because of COVID<\/strong>, I don\u2019t have many opportunities to travel<\/strong>. That\u2019s something I\u2019d like to do more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before my WSOP<\/a> win, I had to grind hard because poker was my main source of income and grinding was more important. I have more free time now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, I spend some time with friends or just read or watch videos about stuff that interests me. I don\u2019t think I started living some flashy life or something.<\/span><\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> Nothing big. I\u2019m planning on buying some (virtual reality<\/strong> equipment) to do some gaming. It\u2019s not really expensive, but I tried it, I enjoyed it, so maybe I\u2019ll buy one and spend some time gaming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I haven\u2019t bought cars<\/strong> or anything else yet. I haven\u2019t spent enough time thinking about my opportunities. I\u2019ll take some time to re-evaluate my situation, what opportunities I have, and I will probably invest in something or start something or play some high stakes poker. <\/span>For sure, I\u2019m playing some high stakes poker<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n SM: <\/strong>There were a lot of people asking for some help \u2026 some financial help<\/strong>, basically. Most of them I didn\u2019t know. They were just randoms with all kinds of stories.<\/span><\/p>\n Some just wanted a loan, some just wanted money to invest in businesses, some were offering me businesses, like starting a restaurant<\/strong> or hotel<\/strong> or whatever.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOf course, some people who met me three years ago for a day started trying to be a closer friend, but it\u2019s normal, I guess. That\u2019s how people work.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I haven\u2019t experienced any unpleasant situations. I think I\u2019m handling it okay. There are ways to show someone you\u2019re not interested, and you can always use the block button.<\/span><\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> Actually, I haven\u2019t used Twitter much. I hadn\u2019t really looked at (its) options until the WSOP decided to make another Main Event. Then, I decided I need to talk about that because I was not really okay with what they\u2019re doing.<\/span><\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> I mean, what else could I think? They announced that the World Series of Poker will be online on GGPoker<\/strong><\/a>, they announced it as the 51st WSOP, with some classic events like the Millionaire Maker, and for their Main Event, they decided to make it $5,000 with re-entry.<\/span><\/p>\n So if I won the \u201c51st Annual World Series of Poker Main Event\u201d What will the December one be? \u2014 Stoyan Madanzhiev (@Stoyan_Mad) November 14, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I saw the logic in that because it\u2019s an online tournament, it\u2019s harder to put $10,000<\/strong> online, and $5,000<\/strong> is not small money anyway. It was a great event \u2013 it got into the Guinness Book of World Records<\/strong><\/a> with about 5,800 entries<\/strong>. It had a huge prize for first place \u2013 almost $4 million,<\/strong>\u00a0a decent Main Event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time I didn\u2019t think many people had problems with the event. Of course, if you are in the US, you have to travel to play, but that has always been true for players in other countries. So, I think it\u2019s fair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEven the field was more difficult.<\/span> Everybody thought \u2018this was the Main Event.\u201d So, same with me.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n When I look back, probably I wouldn\u2019t play it if I didn\u2019t think it was the Main Event. It was always my dream to play the Main Event, but because it\u2019s a little harder to go to Vegas from the other side of the world, I couldn\u2019t play yet. This year was a lot easier, and 100%<\/strong> I thought that I\u2019m the Main Event champion.<\/span><\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know that they were thinking about making a new Main Event. If they\u2019d just announced that (the online event wasn\u2019t<\/span> the Main Event), everybody would be fine and everybody would know that there\u2019s going to be another one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But, they didn\u2019t announce it publicly. They hid it, then, out of the blue, announced it, and that wasn\u2019t a cool move.<\/span><\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> Not really. That\u2019s why I opened my Twitter<\/strong> account, because no one really reached out to me. You have to live in a cave and not follow the internet or something not to see that everyone\u2019s talking about me being the World Series of Poker Main Event Champion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The WSOP even sent me a certificate showing that, so I don\u2019t find it a fair play that they didn\u2019t reach out to me. But they didn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n SM: <\/b>There have been interesting suggestions that I should play three-handed with the winner of Rozvadov<\/strong> and the winner of America<\/strong><\/a> so that we can play for WSOP champion, even though I already won it. It\u2019s kind of pointless, but still, it\u2019s something.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The WSOP was not really interested, though. They just put me aside.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne of my problems with this is that it\u2019s not just about me and who is the winner of 2020. If you do your marketing like that, and you represent that this is the WSOP Main Event. Of course, many people have dreamed and are risking their money.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Some people have even found money to play \u2013 if this is not the Main Event, what happens to all the people who deposited the money to play the Main Event?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s basically a lie to them. It\u2019s not presented honestly, in my opinion. They say you\u2019re playing the WSOP Main Event<\/strong>, and they say that it\u2019s going to be online<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The Main Event isn\u2019t even the biggest tournament of the year, when I see how (the prize pool is) developing. It kind of makes it less significant than the one in the summer.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m open to play some poker with the winner<\/strong>, with whoever they decide. I can play heads-up poker, tournament poker<\/strong><\/a>, whatever.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> That was a really hard decision for me. I was debating with myself. That\u2019s why I registered on the final day. It\u2019s not right to play an event that I don\u2019t support.<\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, everyone I talked to said that I have to play this, you have to defend your title. So, in the end, I like playing poker and the tournament was nice.<\/span><\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t really change my opinion. I didn\u2019t really look at it as the Main Event \u2026 just some good tournament online.<\/span><\/p>\n SM:<\/strong> For sure, I lost some respect for WSOP because this was not professional at all in my opinion. It looked like the WSOP made so many players play an event which was not what it represented. I don\u2019t like this stuff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n USPoker<\/em> chatted with Stoyan for about 45 minutes<\/strong>. He obviously feels very strongly about the situation and wants to be heard.<\/span><\/p>\n The truth of the matter is an argument can be made on both sides<\/strong>. After reading the marketing and Madanzhiev\u2019s certificate closely, some wiggle room left open the possibility of another Main Event.<\/span><\/p>\n However, from a corporate and public relations<\/strong> standpoint, this whole affair could be seen as a tremendous failure. Even some native English<\/strong><\/a> speakers were confused about the two tournaments, two Main Events, and two champions.<\/span><\/p>\nLife after scoring big in WSOP Online Main Event<\/span><\/h2>\n
Do you still live in Bulgaria? Any plans to move?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
In other interviews you\u2019ve said that you\u2019re working to make sure that your personal life has stayed the same. Is that still true or are things changing?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
Have you made any significant purchases since the big win?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
In the US it\u2019s widely known that lottery winners are often flooded with requests from \u201clong-lost\u201d family members and friends. Have you dealt with people doing that? In other words, random people trying to figure out how to get money from you?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
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Is that why your Twitter direct messages are private now?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
Should Madanzhiev be the WSOP world champion?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s talk about the elephant in the room. When you won the event and received that certificate with your bracelet, did you think that it was a done deal that you were the Main Event champion\/world champion for 2020?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
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The 52nd
51.1
51 2.0
51 alfa
?
Just wondering #wsop<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/6hhk20pdVZ<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Obviously you\u2019re pretty irritated about this \u201cnew\u201d Main Event. Has anyone from WSOP reached out to you about it or tried to explain things to you?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
Looking for solutions to a tricky poker situation<\/span><\/h2>\n
What, if anything, would you like to see the WSOP do to make things right?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
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I saw that you played in the international leg<\/strong> of the \u201cMain Event\u201d but busted. What was your mood when you were playing? Was it tough to focus when you thought that you\u2019d already won?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
Has this situation made you not want to play at the WSOP in the future?<\/span><\/em><\/h4>\n
What could have been done better<\/span><\/h2>\n
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