David Boyaciyan

David Boyaciyan hails from the Netherlands and started his career playing online poker, but his achievements in live tournaments are more prominent. In 2011, he defeated Finnish player Jussi Nevanlinna to win the Main Event of the Master Classics of Poker in Amsterdam, taking home €382,200 — his first major live victory.

Boyaciyan has consistently posted strong results in live tournaments, especially in the Master Classics of Poker series:

• 2011: Main Event champion, €382,200
• 2014: Main Event runner-up, €182,913
• 2013: €1,590 NLHE – 4th place, €40,984
• 2016: Main Event – 19th place, €13,675
• 2022: €3,000 NLH Main Event – 6th place, €50,707
• 2024: €2,200 Mystery Bounty champion, €31,875

He has also performed well in the WPT Prime Amsterdam series:

• 2024: €2,200 High Roller runner-up, €55,681
• 2019: €2,200 NLH High Roller – 5th place, €12,770

In the European Poker Tour (EPT), he also has cashes: 2024 EPT Prague €10,300 event – 14th place, $46,534.

According to the WSOP database, he has 21 live cashes with total earnings of $1,330,725. Authoritative databases list his career total earnings as $2,666,139.

Boyaciyan's style is described as tight-aggressive, excelling at leveraging position and stack size for precise maneuvers. He possesses strong post-flop hand reading and range construction abilities, often applying pressure through donk bets and floating. He has a deep understanding of ICM and tournament structures, enabling optimal decisions in late multi-table stages.

During the final table of the 2011 Master Classics of Poker Main Event, Boyaciyan was once short-stacked but turned the tide with two lucky boards (once hitting his only two outs) to win the title. He is active in the online community under the alias "Danyel," but generally keeps a low profile, earning him the nickname "the hidden boss of Dutch online poker" among peers.

Boyaciyan's case demonstrates the importance of combining patience and luck in live tournaments. His consistent results stem from a solid grasp of fundamental strategy and calm decision-making at final tables. Learners should focus on his post-flop play when short-stacked and his application of ICM strategies.